Greentech Media reported in an article entitled “GE Says ZigBee is Better Than Wi-Fi” that “General Electric argues that ZigBee is superior to Wi-Fi on all fronts.” This is according to a white paper released on Thursday by GE. ZigBee is the “only standards-based wireless technology designed to address the unique needs of low-cost, low-power wireless sensor and control networks.” (1)
The GE Appliance and Lighting Division white paper says that ZigBee could save consumers “in the range of hundreds of millions to several billion dollars over the next 20 years” and “Given the potential application of smart technology to millions of appliances and devices that will be connected to the smart grid, the difference in continuous power consumption will result in a significant change at the aggregated national level.” (2)
As consumers look for alternative technologies for home area networks, smart appliances, and smart-enabled devices, the conclusions in this white paper are huge for the ZigBee Alliance and hardware/software vendors that develop technology solutions based on ZigBee standards.
Notes
(1) ZigBee Alliance, http://zigbee.org/About/AboutTechnology/ZigBeeTechnology.aspx
(2) “Energy Efficiency Comparisons of Wireless Communication Technology Options for Smart Grid Enabled Devices,” http://www.brymercreative.com/geal_2010/images/120910_zigbee.pdf, p. 9.