Thread is described as a new grid network standard designed to make various smart home technologies easier to work with. Thread is designed to support a wide range of devices, from home appliances, air conditioning, lighting to security, access control and more.
It's hard to get devices to communicate with each other. Even if they can communicate with each other, the connection is intermittent and very energy intensive. Thread has changed all this. This mesh network can safely and reliably connect hundreds of products at home. And will not affect the battery life.
IHS analyst Lee Ratliff explained that Apple's decision to join The Thread Group may indicate that it is 'renewing or increasing its efforts on HomeKit'. Google and Nest already support Thread, and Amazon is also its One of the members. Ratliff pointed out that Apple's participation in the organization may mark the beginning of the integration of various smart home platforms.
Currently, many routers and other network devices can already use Thread: All Thread networks are easy to set up and use safely. They use the smartphone era authentication scheme and AES encryption to block security vulnerabilities that exist in other wireless protocols.
- Simple installation using a smartphone, tablet or computer; - Scalable to connect more than 250 devices to a single network that supports multiple hops; - Provide security at the network and application layers; Product installation code is used to ensure that only authorized devices can join the network; - Banking, public key encryption support
Currently, HomeKit accessories must work via Bluetooth or WiFi. Apple's support for Thread may mean supporting additional standards beyond Bluetooth or WiFi. Similarly, Apple's involvement in this issue is unclear. The company has not commented on this.