Z-Wave Alliance to host the Smart Home specialist forum at CeBIT 2012

Z-Wave technology allows private residents, as well as businesses and property owners, to control home and building automation solutions. And the open nature of the Z-Wave Alliance consortium ensures that the portfolio of Z-Wave based products is constantly expanding. All components that use this wireless standard are compatible with each other and can be connected with each other as part of a home control network. The range of Z-Wave compliant products on offer now includes more than 550 certified devices for a multitude of home automation areas of application, such as heating, entertainment, lighting and shutters etc.

What is the Alliance?
Mark Walters, Chairman of the Z-Wave Alliance, will be providing an insight into the structure and work of the consortium of manufacturers in his presentation at the Smart Home forum entitled “The Z-Wave Alliance – host of the largest ecosystem in Smart Home”. He will also talk about how Z-Wave and other protocols in the field of smart home and smart energy solutions, such as OpenADR, can be harmonised to mutually complement and support each other.

At 2pm, Przemysław Bednarkiewicz from WSI in Poland will be talking about why investors in construction projects are keen to integrate smart home solutions in buildings, and why they choose the Z-Wave standard. Next up, at 2.30pm, will be Thomas Boye, Vice President European Sales at Alliance member Green WaveReality, talking about how smart home solutions furnished with Z-Wave technology can be used to increase customer retention and improve customer acquisition.

The view from the utilities sector
The presentation by Christian v. Scholten, from the company NorthQ, will focus in particular on energy supply companies. NorthQ’s solution offers a simple and cheap way of upgrading conventional electricity and gas meters to intelligent systems, and is already being marketed by a number of large Scandinavian energy providers. In addition, v. Scholten will take a look at the potential in the market as well as current trends, before explaining the term “The Internet of Things“ and highlighting regulatory issues and possible barriers. To conclude the forum, Hendrik Horak, General Manager Europe at Alliance member Zoroff, will present “The business case for Property Owners to offer Z-Wave Energy Management to their tenants“, in which he will speak in particular about the economic benefits for real estate owners. For example, he will demonstrate why it makes sense for property owners to offer their tenants Z-Wave solutions.

As well as listening to the presentations at the forum, visitors are also welcome to inform about the products of Greenwave Reality and Z-Wave.me (hall 13, stand B29). Also the Alliance members Fibaro (hall 13, stand B19), Cuculus (hall 9, stand E09) and Eminent (hall 15, stand D66) inform about the range of possibilities offered by Z-Wave technology.