California start-up Trident IoT has launched as a technology and engineering company focused on simplifying RF development and decreasing time to market for connected device manufacturers.

Trident IoT will be a direct supplier of Z-Wave technology as well as a manufacturer of proprietary silicon and modules. The company will also offer product design and development consulting for any RF technology, UL and ETL preparation and US-based Z-Wave device certification.

Trident IoT was founded by IoT pioneers Mariusz Malkowski, Michael Lamb and Bill Scheffler. The founders observed that supply chain chokepoints and lack of access to product-specific design consultation were slowing down development processes across the industry. They created Trident IoT to fill this gap, offering companies of any size cost-effective ways to bring wireless products to market.

Though Trident IoT will offer consultation services for any RF technology, including Z-Wave, Zigbee, Bluetooth, Thread and more, the company’s first chipset and module offerings will be part of the Z-Wave ecosystem.

Z-Wave is the largest sub-GHz ecosystem of connected devices, with a proven track record of mesh connectivity, range, performance, reliability, security and interoperability. Trident IoT sees opportunity for Z-Wave Long Range (LR) which is both underserved and underrepresented in the market.

“Silicon Labs welcomes Trident IoT to the market as a provider of Z-Wave chips and modules,” said Colin Cureton, senior director at Silicon Labs. “Diversity in the marketplace will lead to growth and innovation for the entire Z-Wave ecosystem, and the personalised attention and engineering expertise that Trident IoT’s founders bring to the connected device development process is precisely what the industry needs to accelerate.”

Trident IoT has assembled Z-Wave engineers and will be a direct provider of Z-Wave chips and modules that support the latest advancements in Z-Wave technology including Z-Wave Plus, Z-Wave Plus v.2 and Z-Wave LR, which supports the development of edge-of-property devices. These products are designed to meet the needs of diverse target markets, including smart homes, hospitality and multi-dwelling units.

“Trident IoT can streamline every step of the development process for Z-Wave devices equipped with next-gen advancements to the technology,” said Malkowski. “We are the supplier source, the development and engineering partner and a Z-Wave certification laboratory.”

Trident IoT has joined Z-Wave Alliance as a principal member, as well as the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), Bluetooth Special Interest Group and LoRa Alliance. The company’s goal is to provide engineering, consultation, silicon, software, firmware, and industry and government certification support for all RF ecosystems.

By providing support at every stage of connected device development, Trident IoT can shorten the timeline required to bring products to market. It looks to partner with connected device makers to develop secure, reliable, interoperable and innovative IoT products.

“Congratulations to Trident IoT on their launch,” said Chris LaPre, the CSA’s head of technology. “Trident IoT’s customers will be getting the benefit of decades of talent and experience from Mariusz, Michael and Bill, along with their impressive team of engineers. Having brought thousands of IoT products to market, using every communication protocol including Z-Wave, Zigbee, Thread, Matter and others, they understand these technologies and the role they play in the marketplace. We look forward to their efforts at the alliance on Matter and Zigbee success and propelling the industry forward.”

Mitch Klein, executive director of the Z-Wave Alliance, added: “Trident IoT further fosters the development of new features, enhancements and custom applications on Z-Wave technology by offering connected device manufacturers a new direct source for Z-Wave chips and modules, along with personalised support through their engineering support system and Z-Wave certification process. I’ve had the privilege to work with many of the founders and engineers at Trident IoT over the past decade, both at the alliance and at Silicon Labs. This industry is going to benefit tremendously from having an RF-specialised semiconductor partner.”

With an operational Z-Wave certification lab in New Jersey, Trident IoT is equipped and available for compliance testing of end products based on Z-Wave Plus and Z-Wave Plus v2 standards and specifications. Several Z-Wave Alliance manufacturer members have already begun to take advantage of the certification house, and Trident IoT is standing by to accept and add new devices to the queue.

“By offering US-based Z-Wave device certification, we can make it easier for North American manufacturers to communicate throughout the certification process, resolving issues that arise quickly and ultimately getting products to market faster,” said Malkowski. “Our goal is to help Z-Wave device members continue to innovate, making it easier and more efficient for them to successfully implement new features, such as Z-Wave Long Range, which unlocks new use cases with incredible capabilities.”

www.TridentIoT.com

z-wavealliance.org