Apple Joins ‘The Thread Group’
According to a report posted on 9to5mac.com, Apple has become a member of the smart home-dedicated group ‘The Thread Group’. There’s currently no word on how involved Apple are as such, so all the information simply points to apple being a member on the site.
In case you’re not aware, Thread is a new mesh network standard that is designed to allow various smart home platforms and tech work together. Thread has been created to support a ranges of different devices across the smart home spectrum.
Only a small group of routers / network products currently work with Thread
All Thread networks are easy to set up and secure to use. They use a smartphone-era authentication scheme and AES encryption to close security holes that exist in other wireless protocols.
- Simple installation using your smartphone, tablet or computer
- Scalable to connect 250+ devices into a single network supporting multiple hops
- Provides security at network and application layers
- Product install codes are used to ensure only authorized devices can join the network
- Supported by banking-class, public-key cryptography
As it stands, HomeKit accessories are required to work via wifi or Bluetooth, so this latest development could mean support for an additional standard for future HomeKit compatible products beyond Bluetooth or WiFi.
