A new certification system for devices built on the Z-Wave 700 platform has been unveiled by the Z-Wave Alliance.

The update certification will provide an improved consumer experience by mandating the inclusion of SmartStart, a setup feature that will bring plug-and-play to the consumer smart home. SmartStart enabled hubs are able to recognise any SmartStart enabled device by scanning its QR code, which stores the device’s information inside the hub, pairing it up prior to the consumer adding the product.

SmartStart will become a regular feature for all Z-Wave smart homes as more devices are released on the platform.

The certification will allow Z-Wave to remain a leader in smart home interoperability. New hubs/gateway devices built on the platform will be required to support every device category including sensors. The Z-Wave Alliance has also voted to make new IoT security framework, Z-Wave S2 Security, mandatory in all newly certified devices.

At midyear, the Z-Wave Alliance had 3,000 certified products and close to 500 devices on the market with the best in class S2 framework built in.

Z-Wave Alliance executive director Mitchell Klein says: “Z-Wave S2 Security was launched in 2017 and in just over two years, manufacturers have risen to the challenge and proven that they take cyber security as seriously as we do. Consumers should feel the utmost confidence when investing in Z-Wave devices for the smart home system.”