Zigbee, the wireless sensor networking technology based on IEEE 802.15.4 is becoming the network of choice for control and monitoring in the home. (http://everythingwireless.wordpress.com/2009/10/22/zigbees-value-to-personal-health-care/) This includes applications in healthcare like glucose monitoring for remote patients and in energy like demand management across applicances in the home. While Zigbee is fairly low data rate (typically 100kbps), it offers major advantages over Bluetooth and WiFi in terms of power consumption/battery life (typically 5 years), sensor cost, and range (up to 1000 ft). As we see more devices with embedded microprocessors proliferate around the home and office, expect Zigbee to help connect these objects into intelligent Swarms to provide users with up to date intelligence and control of their environments. These will complement 4G technologies like LTE which will deliver pervasive broadband to connect this local information to other users that need to access it from healthcare providers to energy companies.
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October 2009 Archives
Researchers in Australia and Singapore are working on a free ad-hoc mesh networking approach using the cellphones of users, http://itnews.com.au/News/157220,researchers-developing-free-mobile-mesh-network.aspx This will use Peer to Peer WiFi and Bluetooth connections to assemble networks that can easily move data and content among users with no requirement for a carrier-based network. Researchers from National ICT Australia (NICTA) and Singapore's A*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R) hope to demonstrate the technology within two years, according to the NICTA project leader Roksana Boreli. This is a great example of a Digital Swarm enabler that will disrupt the current carrier centric wireless model and allow users to innovate around new free platforms similar to fon in the UK. The implications for carriers is that they will need to have a compelling P2P offering and way to monetize this or their revenue will erode as more users communicate this way. The recent move by AT&T to allow Skype on its data network shows a willingness to explore models that could canibalize their core business. Better to be the disruptor than the disruptee.
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