The Z-Wave Alliance has over 400 members of various sizes and tenures. From small startups to established players in the smart home/IoT space, each member can reap the benefits of the resources, networking, and connections that the Alliance offers. Let’s explore how one of the Alliance’s rising members has leveraged this relationship to thrive in the smart home market.
You may have heard of Alfred before – a fast-growing innovator in the smart lock space and a subsidiary of GHT Door Hardware. Alfred joined the Z-Wave Alliance in 2018, recognizing Z-Wave as the most promising IoT protocol to support their smart locks from the start. They valued Z-Wave’s stability, widespread adoption, and non-interference with other protocols. Brad Cook, Head of Product and Integrations at Alfred, explains, “Z-Wave had the highest level of interoperability, control, and management from an alliance point of view. Its tightly regulated protocols ensure that devices are truly interoperable, which was a big draw for us.”
While Alfred was initially attracted to these tangible advantages, being integrated into the Z-Wave Alliance’s community has made a profound impact on the company’s growth within the smart home/IoT space. Cook shares that having Z-Wave certified products is like holding a golden ticket to partnerships, as companies trust that the products will integrate seamlessly and securely with their platforms. “Z-Wave’s stability and reliability on both the product and controller side make it so much easier to form quick, impactful relationships with platforms and people who have access to openings,” Cook explains. “That has been very, very powerful for our company and building out our demand in those channels.”
Alfred has also gained valuable insights from other manufacturers and discovered that there’s a great sense of collaboration, even with competitors, around best practices and technical advice within the Alliance. This helped the new company advance quicker than they might otherwise have, and with confidence that they were given trusted advice from like-minded peers.
Alfred’s Z-Wave certified products can not only integrate smoothly with a wide range of platforms, but also function seamlessly in various environments, making them ideal for multi-dwelling units (MDUs) and other high-density settings where stability and security are paramount. This is especially advantageous for Alfred as Cook expects to see more adoption of Z-Wave in 2025 in combination with growth of the MDU market, especially with the availability of Z-Wave Long Range which addresses critical needs like secure connectivity and range. With the support of the Z-Wave Alliance, Alfred advanced from newbie to innovator in the MDU space and is equipped to grow with the market in the coming years.
Alfred, a rising player in the smart lock industry, continues to make a name for itself in the IoT world. The company is currently developing a special solution that will enable existing products to tap into a space that is under-utilized in the commercial market. Stay tuned for this announcement in 2025 and learn more about Alfred’s recent reliable and robust offerings.
