Thread addresses the need for a better way to connect products in the home. Built on open standards and IPv6 technology with IEEE 802.15.4 as its foundation, Thread is a mesh networking technology that offers numerous advantages over other wireless standards. Thread networks are secure, self-healing, low latency and reliable with no single point of failure, extend wireless coverage as the network scales, eliminate the need for dedicated hubs/gateways, have a low-energy footprint and simple connectivity and low power. With Thread, product developers and consumers can easily and securely connect more than 250 devices into a low-power, wireless mesh network that also includes direct Internet and cloud access for every device.

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Thread is a reliable, secure and self-forming and self-maintaining mesh network with a low energy footprint, fast response times and extended coverage.

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Thread is based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard which was created with a single purpose of providing a low-power, low-bandwidth way to reliably connect devices together in a mesh network. It's a proven and deployed technology that's been in the market for several years. Thread is different from other mesh technologies by addressing all of the following:

• Thread is focused on the networking-layer only
• Thread networks allow both multicast (flooding) and unicast (routed) messaging which provide for network scalability and a reliability network.
• Thread is IP-based and provides a convergence layer across all networks,
• Thread has built-in security at the networking layer authenticating devices before joining the network and using MAC encryption for data on the network.

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The Internet runs on IP. From your phone, to your router, to connections across the globe, IP is the technology that allows devices to communicate directly with each other, regardless of what connectivity technologies they use. Thread brings IP connectivity to the low-power wireless devices that make up the smart home and makes it easier to communicate with other IP connected devices in the home such as smartphones, tablets, and computers to create and control a Thread network.

In doing so, Thread devices don't need proprietary gateways or translators but can make direct connections to the other devices they're interoperating with. This reduces infrastructure needs and investment, potential points of failure, and maintenance burdens while providing the ability for end-to-end security. It also makes it easier to connect Thread products to personal devices like mobile phones and tablets. Thread doesn't need to be in your phone to connect to Thread products, because both devices are on the same IP network. Devices using other technologies may interact with Thread devices through a hub or gateway.

Thread, combined with other IP network technologies, seamlessly integrates and supports a variety of IP-based IoT end devices from a number of vendors, talking to different clouds, while simultaneously running multiple application layers, such as OCF, Matter, KNX, and DALI. The Internet doesn't have a single app layer, the home isn't any different. Thread does all of this today without any extra hardware or software -- no translators, gateways, proxies or hubs -- which saves developers time and money, and promises the end user a lower cost, less power-hungry, and more visually-pleasing solution. This clearly illustrates Thread's tremendous value as an IP-based networking protocol: many apps, many use cases, many devices, and many clouds: one network, no hubs

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Thread Certification is open and there are a number of "Built on Thread" devices publicly available. For developers, there are a number of vendors offering silicon, software, and development tools to help you build Thread devices.

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Look for products bearing the “Built on THREAD” logos with “Border Router” and “Requires Border Router badges. These devices have undergone and passed rigorous Thread network testing and certification.

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Thread is an IP-based mesh network designed to securely and reliably connect hundreds of products around the home. Thread's technology isn't reliant on a home internet connection or Wi-Fi, instead, it provides a dedicated network for connecting products in the home. Thread is built on IEEE 802.15.4 MAC/PHY which was designed for low-power, low bandwidth control applications making it the ideal choice for small IoT devices that have power constraints. Wi-Fi is designed to support high bandwidth data such as video and audio and to connect to the internet. Thread is a complementary technology to Wi-Fi. Using Thread on battery and constrained devices, brings them into the same infrastructure as Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is used to connect to the internet.

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There are Wi-Fi access points that have Thread technology built-in. A Border Router, as defined by the Thread specification, is a function not a device. Developers of IoT devices can choose to add this functionality.

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A mesh network is resilient and reliable and gets stronger with wider coverage as more devices are added. As a shared mesh network, Thread allows you to easily extend wireless coverage with connected devices while using less power  than Wi-Fi. This means battery sensors can last for years, and lights designed for energy efficiency can stay efficient and connected even when you don’t need light.

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Amazon, Apple, Google and the Connectivity Standards Alliance announced Matter as a way to create a unified standard for communication between smart home devices. The goal is to make it simpler for brands to build devices that are compatible with products such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant. Matter is built around three technologies: Bluetooth LE for setup, Wi-FI for high bandwidth use cases such as streaming video from a security camera, and Thread for low bandwidth devices such as door locks and motion sensors.

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Thread brings multiple benefits to consumers including reliability and fast response times. With Thread, users experience instant response times with its direct device-to-device, device-to-mobile and device-to-cloud communications. And since a Thread network has the ability to self-heal, it makes dropped connections a thing of the past.

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