Amazon, Apple, Google, and the Zigbee Alliance to develop connectivity standard (apple.com)

Article summary

Amazon, Apple, Google, and the Zigbee Alliance have formed a working group to develop an open standard for smart home devices, aiming to simplify development for manufacturers and increase compatibility for consumers. The project, called Connected Home over IP, intends to create a unified standard for smart home devices. This standard will enable devices from different manufacturers to communicate with each other seamlessly. The goal is to make smart home devices more accessible and easier to use for consumers.

Main themes

• Smart Home Standardization
• Device Compatibility
• Security Risks
• IP vs Non-IP Devices
• Privacy Concerns
• Industry Cooperation

What commenters say

• Some commenters are skeptical about the need for a new standard, given the existing Zigbee Alliance.
• Others believe that the new standard will improve security by allowing for better firewalling and inspection of device traffic.
• There is concern that the new standard will require devices to phone home to manufacturers, potentially compromising user privacy.
• Some argue that non-IP based devices, like those using Zigbee, are inherently safer than IP-based devices.
• Others counter that isolating an IP network and inspecting its traffic is easier than inspecting less common protocols.
• The use of IP in smart home devices is seen as a potential security risk by some, while others believe it can be managed with proper configuration and security measures.
• There is also discussion about the potential for the new standard to support cameras and other devices with unique payload characteristics.