The Z-Wave Alliance, a global membership organization dedicated to advancing the Z-Wave wireless smart home protocol, announced the addition of home security provider Ring as a principal member. To continue to prioritize cyber security, interoperability and innovation in the ecosystem, the Amazon-backed home security provider will also have a seat on the Alliance board of directors. 

Ring joins existing Alliance board members ADT, Alarm.com, ASSA ABLOY, Ingersoll Rand Nexia Intelligence, Jasco Products, Leedarson, LG Uplus, Nortek Security & Control, Silicon Labs and SmartThings.

“We believe Z-Wave is one of the leading IoT technologies — particularly in home security,” said Mike Harris, president of Ring Solutions. “The Z-Wave Alliance has been a strong evangelist for interoperability, security and simplicity in the smart home, which are all things Ring strongly believes in too. We look forward to working with the board of directors and active Alliance membership and together finding new ways to make smart home security more accessible for everyone.” 

The Ring Alarm Security Kit, which includes a base station, contact sensor, motion detector, keypad and range extender, is the first set of products currently available on the market that supports SmartStart, a feature designed to make setting up devices quick and simple. The implementation of SmartStart is mandatory for devices built on the new Z-Wave 700 platform. The Alliance also announced a change to certification for the next generation of Z-Wave IoT devices — Z-Wave Plus v2 certification offers a suite of new features designed to enhance and simplify the smart home setup experience. 

“The desire to feel safe and secure at home continues to be a powerful driver of smart home adoption,” said Mitchell Klein, executive director of the Z-Wave Alliance. “With Z-Wave as the leading IoT technology in the residential security market, we’re thrilled to be adding one of the biggest DIY security players to our board of directors to lend their voice and expertise. We believe that together we can continue to give consumers everywhere peace of mind and make Z-Wave the most deployed smart home protocol in the world.”

The Z-Wave Alliance membership is now more than 700 members worldwide with 3,000 smart home and IoT certified devices on the market and, to date, more than 100 million Z-Wave IoT products have shipped worldwide. 

For more information on the Z-Wave Alliance, please visit http://z-wavealliance.org.