ZigBee v. Bluetooth Mesh – Fight!?
There was a time when the whole ZigBee v. Bluetooth (BT) question would have been kind of silly. BT was very capable, but its power characteristics made unsuitable for the types of devices that a Home Automation (HA) protocol like ZigBee is intended to address. That has changed significantly over the last couple years, with BT LE (Low Energy) taking on RF4CE and now with BT Mesh entering the mix. How these protocols compete and complement each is an interesting topic for anyone who likes to stay on top of the specifics of how the HA market is developing.
With that in mind, GreenPeak Technologies just released a whitepaper where they address this topic, albeit from the perspective of a ZigBee player. Either way, it makes for an interesting read.
“A decade ago, WiFi and Bluetooth battled but ended up sharing the home networking space and successfully growing the market to where both technologies are now found everywhere,” explains Cees Links, CEO of GreenPeak Technologies. “The battle is brewing again as Bluetooth Mesh is now attempting to move from the sensor wearable space into the ultra-low power sensor networking space, today successfully served by ZigBee. However, it will take a lot of work to evolve Bluetooth Mesh to the position where it can provide the functions and capabilities that ZigBee already provides today. So why confuse and divide the market?”