The proliferation of smart lighting has led to a fragmented market with competing wireless protocols like Zigbee, Bluetooth Mesh, Z-Wave, and proprietary systems, causing confusion and compatibility issues for consumers and installers. There is a strong industry push towards greater standardization and interoperability. Key initiatives include the development of Matter, a new royalty-free connectivity standard backed by major tech and IoT companies. Matter aims to ensure devices from different manufacturers work seamlessly together on local networks. Additionally, the increasing use of IP-based protocols (like Thread) allows lighting devices to connect directly to standard enterprise IT networks, simplifying installation and management. This trend towards open standards is crucial for accelerating market adoption, reducing ecosystem lock-in, and providing users with greater choice and flexibility in building their smart lighting systems.
