The Thread Group aligns with Fairhair Alliance for internet standards-based communication in commercial buildings

The Thread Group and the Fairhair Alliance announced Tuesday that they are collaborating to provide a secure and interoperable IP-based networking infrastructure solution for commercial buildings. The organizations will explore opportunities to collaborate on technical specifications, security, service discovery requirements and network management in order to advance connectivity and interoperability.

The Fairhair Alliance is focused on creating a cost effective and secure IP-based, common network infrastructure, supporting interoperability for resource constrained devices. Fairhair enables Lighting and Building Automation, supporting both wired and wireless connectivity between devices in an internet of things capable IT infrastructure.

Fairhair brings together companies, from the lighting, building automation and IT industry, which aim to facilitate the use of IPv6 for the ‘Internet of Things’ in buildings. The Fairhair Alliance envisions a future where building automation and lighting control systems utilize interoperable systems and link to application eco-systems, such as BACnet, KNX and ZigBee. This will enable a move from proprietary, standalone solutions to a common building network infrastructure that supports the ‘IoT’ of resource constrained devices.

The Thread Group provides an IP-based mesh networking solution that is reliable, scalable, secure and low power to provide a strong foundation for robust and secure wireless networks in critical building infrastructure. Both organizations share a number of key member companies, and their shared vision for the future of commercial building make a close collaboration a natural fit.

Designed for devices and things in the places where people live and work, Thread is an IPv6 networking protocol built on open standards for low-power 802.15.4 mesh networks that can connect various devices to each other and directly to the cloud. The non-profit Thread Group is focused on making Thread the foundation for the IoT in the home and beyond, educating product developers, builders and consumers on the unique features and benefits of Thread, and ensuring a positive experience through rigorous, meaningful product certification.

Thread is backed by various companies including ARM, Big Ass Solutions, Nest Labs, NXP, OSRAM, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, Schneider Electric, Silicon Labs, Somfy, Tyco and Yale Security. Since opening its membership in October 2014, Thread has grown quickly to include a diverse membership.

“Through this Thread and Fairhair liaison both developers and IT administrators will have the tools to roll out standards-based lighting and building automation systems that not only support the smallest constrained mission-critical wireless building infrastructure devices, but also support familiar and required management and authentication platforms,” said Grant Erickson, Thread Group President. “This liaison has the potential to impact a wide range of use cases in commercial buildings, and we look forward to working closely with Fairhair to bring a solution to market.”

“Thread is a leading networking protocol within the IoT and we believe that a collaboration between our organizations can help improve network infrastructure in the commercial building market,” said Ruud van Bokhorst, Fairhair secretary general.


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