Thread Group Takes Leap Forward with Availability of First Certified Software Stacks from ARM, NXP, OpenThread and Silicon Labs; Launches Product Certification Program

Certification Program Opens Doors and Provides High-Value Tools for Member Companies To Begin to Certify and Ship Products

San Ramon, Calif. - Feb. 9, 2017 - The Thread Group, an industry alliance focused on making Thread the foundation for the Internet of Things in the home and beyond, today announced that four software stacks -- from ARM, NXP® Semiconductors, OpenThread and Silicon Labs -- have successfully completed interoperability testing to become the first stacks to achieve certification as Thread Certified Components. This milestone marks the official opening of the Thread Group's certification program, and members can begin submitting components or products for Thread certification. In addition, the group announced that it will release the Thread 1.1 specification to the public this month, paving the way for members and non-members alike to develop products against the specification.

The Thread Group went a step further in verifying Thread 1.1 specification conformance and interoperability; rather than measuring against single reference implementations, Thread testing validates each device's specification conformance against a blended network comprised of all four stacks. In turn, this will ensure that users will have a more consistent experience with Thread-certified products out-of-the-box. This milestone is the culmination of significant investments and efforts from the Thread Group, and as a result, members will have the option of using one of these certified stacks to reduce both risk and time-to-market.

"We're extremely pleased to announce the availability of certified stacks and to formally open the certification program," said Grant Erickson, President of the Thread Group. "The Thread Group and its members have gone above and beyond most technology alliances to deliver interoperability, not just conformance, which will result in a better product experience for the end-user. We've received very positive feedback from our members, and look forward to seeing Thread-certified products enter the market shortly."

Starting today, Thread Group members can submit components and products for testing and Thread certification. All Thread members gain access to the high-value, market-accelerating Thread test harness and tools software to expedite their development and certification process, which is handled through UL. Certified Thread-based products are expected to enter the market in the first half of 2017.

The Thread Group will release the Thread 1.1 technical specification to the public this month in order to drive adoption of Thread technology in the market. Companies interested in building Thread products can use the specification to begin development, and then join the Thread Group in order to complete product certification and gain the intellectual property rights to ship Thread products.

"Standards and interoperability are key to the continued growth of the IoT and ARM's Thread stack is designed to enable rapid application development on multiple silicon platforms through ARM® mbed™ OS with tools, SDK and example applications, ready for integration with cloud services," said Michael Horne, deputy general manager and vice president of marketing and sales, IoT Business, ARM.

"By making an open-source, certified stack available, Nest is providing device manufacturers with the flexibility to choose from multiple silicon vendors when becoming Thread certified. We're excited to begin seeing more of these products on the market," said Jonathan Beri, Product Manager, Platform, Nest.

"As a founding member of Thread and a key contributor to the Thread specification, NXP is pleased to be among the first to deliver a complete, robust and scalable certified Thread stack, providing our customers with the confidence that their Thread products will interoperate and communicate effectively when deployed." said Emmanuel Sambuis, Vice President of Microcontrollers and Connectivity at NXP Semiconductors.

"The opening of Thread certification is a major milestone for the delivery of ubiquitous, low-power IP mesh networking technology for the connected home," said Skip Ashton, Vice President of Software at Silicon Labs and Vice President of Technology for the Thread Group. "We have hundreds of customers using our Thread stack and look forward to certifying their Thread-enabled products, helping them get to market faster."

The availability of these certified stacks marks an important first step in delivering on the Thread Group's vision of true multi-vendor choice for the connected device ecosystem, spanning modules, silicon devices and end-products. The Thread Group expects to see more enter the queue in the coming weeks.

For more information on joining the Thread Group, please visit http://threadgroup.org/join/membership-benefits.

About Thread Group
The non-profit Thread Group is focused on making Thread the foundation for the internet of things in the home and beyond by educating product developers, builders and consumers on the unique features and benefits of Thread and ensuring a positive experience through rigorous, meaningful product certification. Thread is backed by industry-leading companies including ARM, Big Ass Solutions, Nest Labs, NXP® Semiconductors, OSRAM, Qualcomm, Schneider Electric, Silicon Labs, Somfy, Tyco and Yale Security. Since opening its membership in October 2014, companies from around the world and across all aspects of the expansive and connected technology sector have joined the Thread Group to create the very best way to connect and control devices. For more information, please visit http://www.threadgroup.org.