The Z-Wave Alliance returned to The Things Conference 2026 in Amsterdam to highlight Z-Wave Long Range innovation, engage with global wireless IoT leaders and explore opportunities across commercial and industrial IoT applications.
The Z-Wave Alliance was proud to return as an ecosystem partner for The Things Conference 2026, held September 22–23 in Amsterdam. Marking our second year of participation and our first with a dedicated booth space, the event provided an excellent opportunity to strengthen industry relationships, further educate attendees on the capabilities and benefits of Z-Wave Long Range (ZWLR), and engage with the broader commercial and industrial IoT community. This was my first time attending, and I was impressed by the well-executed event and highly engaged audience of technology leaders, developers, manufacturers and innovators focused on advancing wireless connectivity and real-world IoT applications.
Z-Wave Checks All the Boxes
For me, one of the highlights of the conference was the Wireless IoT Standards: State of the Union panel, which brought together representatives from seven leading wireless standards organizations on one stage.
Z-Wave Alliance Chairman Avi Rosenthal joined leaders from the Bluetooth SIG, Connectivity Standards Alliance, DECT Forum, LoRa Alliance, Thread Group and Wi-Fi Alliance for a discussion about the future of wireless connectivity, developer adoption and the role of standards organizations in advancing the IoT industry.
I believe this was the first time representatives from all seven organizations had gathered on one stage, creating a unique opportunity to
hear different perspectives from leaders who share a common objective: enabling manufacturers, developers and solution providers to build connected products that meet the evolving needs of the market.
While each technology has its own merits, the discussion reinforced that the future of IoT is not about one wireless protocol serving every application. It is about understanding the requirements of different environments and selecting technologies that deliver the right combination of reliability, security, scalability and performance.
During the panel, Avi illustrated an important point: Z-Wave checks all the boxes when it comes to the fundamental characteristics the panelists identified as important for wireless IoT.
“Z-Wave is an open standard, check. Z-Wave has multiple silicon providers, check. Z-Wave is a member-driven organization, check. Z-Wave’s ecosystem is completely interoperable, check. Z-Wave’s ecosystem is backwards compatible, check.”
Z-Wave has a long history of delivering secure, reliable and interoperable wireless connectivity. With the continued advancement of Z-Wave Long Range, the technology is well positioned to support a growing range of IoT applications.
Taking Z-Wave Beyond the Smart Home
Avi also represented the Alliance in two additional speaking sessions, bringing Z-Wave’s perspective to conversations about technology innovation and real-world deployment.
In his keynote, What’s Next for Z-Wave: Security, Architecture, and Battery-Free Devices, Avi discussed the continued evolution of Z-Wave technology, including its security architecture, flexible networking options and innovations such as Wake on Event End Nodes (WOEEN), which enable new opportunities for energy-harvesting devices.
He also participated in The Truth About IoT Protocols: Where Z-Wave Long Range, LoRaWAN, and Other Wireless Technologies Really Work, a panel exploring how different wireless technologies address the practical challenges of IoT deployments.
The conversations throughout the conference reinforced that Z-Wave has a meaningful role to play in this expanding market.
Real-World Performance Draws Strong Interest
Another highlight was the tremendous interest in the workshop presented by Eric Ryherd, widely known throughout the industry as Dr. Z-Wave.
Eric’s workshop, Real-World Comparison of Z-Wave Long Range, LoRa, and Wi-Fi HaLow, explored findings from his recently released field study report, sponsored by the Z-Wave Alliance, comparing the real-world performance of these three wireless technologies.
The workshop generated so much interest that it had a waiting list, demonstrating the demand for independent, real-world insights into wireless technology performance.
The field study evaluated commercially available products under identical suburban and light urban conditions, examining RF range and
performance through common obstacles such as wood-frame homes, trees, brick and concrete buildings.
For developers and solution providers evaluating connectivity options for commercial IoT deployments, this type of practical research provides valuable information that goes beyond published technical specifications.
Interested in seeing the results? Download the Field Test Report: Real-World Comparison of Z-Wave Long Range, LoRa, and Wi-Fi HaLow.
Connecting with the Broader IoT Ecosystem
For the Z-Wave Alliance, having our first booth at The Things Conference was an important step in strengthening our presence within the broader commercial IoT community.
Throughout the two-day event, we welcomed visitors to our booth, connected with Alliance members and industry colleagues, and engaged with attendees interested in learning more about Z-Wave technology and its potential applications.
What stood out most to me was the quality of the conversations and the genuine interest in better understanding where Z-Wave Long Range fits within the broader commercial IoT landscape.
These discussions created valuable opportunities to strengthen relationships, explore potential applications and demonstrate the benefits Z-Wave can bring to a wider range of connected environments.
Looking Ahead: Building Connections and Expanding Opportunities
My first experience at The Things Conference exceeded my expectations, not simply because of the quality of the event, but because of its relevance to the Z-Wave Alliance and our members.
As a member-driven standards development organization, our role is to advance Z-Wave technology while creating opportunities for our members to reach new markets, engage with the broader industry and drive adoption.
The Things Conference provided an excellent platform to support those objectives.
A sincere thank you to The Things Industries team for organizing such a well-executed event and bringing together an impressive community of IoT professionals. We also appreciate our members, fellow standards organizations, speakers and everyone who visited our booth, attended our sessions or connected with us throughout the conference.
We left Amsterdam with new relationships, fresh perspectives and exciting opportunities to continue the conversations.
As IoT continues to expand into increasingly complex environments, the need for secure, reliable and scalable wireless connectivity will only grow. Z-Wave is ready to be part of that growth, and we look forward to building on the connections made at The Things Conference 2026.
