Providing Market Intelligence for 40 Years

In The News

ZigBee, Z-Wave, Thread and WeMo: What's the Difference?

However, most of these networks also need a "primary" device that serves as a network controller. If the primary device drops out of service, another device can often take over. Interfaces with smartphones or tablets can be handled by hubs, commercially available devices that are often compatible with two or more of these standards, as well as with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

"You have to have a hub to connect with the home network" for most of these protocols, said Tom Kerber, director of research, home controls and energy for Dallas-based market-research firm Parks Associates. "Hubs used to be $200, but now they come on USB sticks, cost $10 and plug into the back of the router."

Fortunately, many widely sold hubs can communicate with devices using two or more of these standards, allowing customers to mix 'n' match to some extent. But let's look at the differences among them.

From the article "ZigBee, Z-Wave, Thread and WeMo: What's the Difference?" by Kevin Parrish.

Previously In The News

AT&T Deal: Merger For New Media Era Or A Bad Remake?

Pay-TV operators are seeing a "slow erosion of the core business," analyst Brett Sappington at Parks Associates said. "After years of attempts to be more than just a 'dumb pipe,' pay-TV operators h...

Roku Plunges: 3 Reasons to Buy, 4 Reasons to Sell

Last August, Parks Associates reported that Roku controlled 37% of the streaming device market in the U.S., while Amazon, Google, and Apple held shares of 24%, 18%, and 15%, respectively. All three of...

Netflix Is Killing It—Big Time—After Pouring Cash Into Original Shows

“There seemed to be an attitude around the industry that after House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, there was no way Netflix could catch lightning in a bottle again,” says Glenn Hower, a senior...

Roku Is Taking the Right Steps

Last August, market analysts at Parks Associates found that more than any other streaming media device -- including those from Amazon, Apple, and Google -- Roku was the leading brand and had increased...