ZigBee (zigbee.org) is a protocol-based global standard, which has been developed by a consortium of over 400 companies around the world. The protocol relies on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.4 standard, which provides the protocol with its air-interface. ZigBee has been around for a number of years, with its initial ratified standard appearing in December 2004; later, in June 2005, the standard was made public. ZigBee specifies a software protocol that sits upon the IEEE 802.15.4 Media Access Control (MAC) and Physical (PHY) layers, which we'll discuss later on.

In this chapter, we discuss ZigBee's inception and evolution since making its first public appearance in 2005. What's more, we'll explore the ZigBee Alliance, along with its membership benefits and structure. The chapter also discusses the diverse market scope that ZigBee has already captured and is currently targeting, and explores the ZigBee product range and potential. Naturally, we'll also look at how ZigBee is set apart from other competing technologies within the same market sector. Finally, the chapter lifts the lid on ZigBee and takes a closer look at its software architecture and protocol.