Integration News
Sansa joins the Thread Group

Sansa Security will have access to the Thread specifications, which are built on open standards and IPv6 technology with 6LoWPAN at its foundation, and will be able to certify and brand Thread-compliant products starting in the second half of 2015.

The Thread Group was formed by seven industry-leading organizations including Yale Security, Silicon Labs, Samsung Electronics, Nest Labs, Freescale Semiconductor, Big Ass Fans and ARM. They developed Thread to provide a new and better way to connect products in the home by building on proven technology standards.

“We developed Thread to provide an easy and secure way for product developers and consumers to connect products in the home to each other and directly to the cloud. We’ve seen incredible momentum to date, and our membership has grown to more than 50 companies,” said Chris Boross, president, the Thread Group, and technical product manager, Nest Labs. “We’re delighted that Sansa Security will join our efforts to establish Thread as the most widely-adopted protocol powering the next generation of the connected home.”

“One of the biggest issues facing IoT device makers today is security, or lack thereof,” said Asaf Shen, vice president product marketing, platform security, for Sansa Security. “We are pleased to see the broad level of security Thread Group has implemented into its wireless mesh networking protocol and look forward to incorporating their specifications into the fabric of our security platform.”

Wireless networking protocol for the home
Using proven standards and IPv6 technology with 6LoWPAN as its foundation, Thread offers numerous advantages over existing wireless standards:

– IP-based technology: Thread is an Internet protocol designed specifically for the Internet of Things. It takes existing technologies and leverages the best parts of each to provide a better way to connect products in the home.
– Reliable networks: Thread offers robust self-healing mesh networks that scale to hundreds of devices with no single point of failure. Devices are ready when people need them.
– Secure networks: Thread networks feature secure, banking-class encryption. Thread closes identified security holes found in other wireless protocols and provides worry-free operation.
– Simple connectivity: Thread devices are simple to install with a smartphone, tablet or computer. Consumers can securely connect Thread devices in the home to each other and to the cloud for easy control and access from anywhere.
– Low power: Thread supports battery-operated devices as part of a home network. This allows the devices that people use every day — including thermostats, lighting controls, safety and security products — to be a part of the network without requiring constant charging or frequent battery changes.

The Sansa Security platform can be implemented by chipset vendors and device manufacturers; it enables them to release high-value applications that protect a device and its contents against external threats. The platform can also be used by silicon chip vendors, device vendors and device-side application vendors to support or deploy revenue-generating data-aware applications. In addition, the Sansa Security platform protects sensitive information from malicious applications, fraud, theft and other hacks that may inflict damage on end users or on a vendor’s reputation.