History

The idea for ZigBee started in the late 1990s, when many engineers realized that both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth would be ill-suited to many applications. In particular, many engineers wanted to design ad hoc networks of digital radios that could organize themselves without requiring external configuration or network administration. The IEEE 802.15.4 standard was completed in 2003 and ratified in late 2004.

The ZigBee Alliance (www.zigbee.org) is an industry association that has branded and is promoting new uses for this wireless networking standard, in a fashion similar to how the Wi-Fi Alliance has pushed the Wi-Fi standard. Formed in 2002, the alliance coordinates activities and regulates and promotes the proposed standard and related technologies. More than 175 companies have joined the group.