Z-Wave SmartStart and S2 Security—Together at Last

Recently, Sigma Designs launched two new features of the increasingly popular Z-Wave standard for smart home Internet of Things (IoT) devices. These features were a mandatory security protocol called S2 and Z-Wave SmartStart, a feature designed to facilitate the setup and installation of Z-Wave devices.

Now, S2 and SmartStart are launching their first commercial Z-Wave device, the Ring Protect. As its name implies, Ring Protect is a smart home security system from Ring, an IoT company focusing on home security. Ring Protect comes with a keypad, contact and motion sensors, a siren-equipped base station, and a range extender, and will presumably get along nicely with Ring’s lineup of security cameras and video doorbells.

“The Z-Wave advancements that we’ve launched this year are starting to enter the market as businesses recognize the need for security, and the value of fully automated installation,” said Z-Wave’s Raoul Wijgergangs. “Ring is the first to market with their new system, and we welcome them to the Z-Wave ecosystem.”

Ring Protect, like all IoT devices, can only benefit from increased security, and there’s something fitting about the Z-Wave S2 security framework making its first appearance in an actual security system. S2 will provide security between the Ring Protect base station and the cloud, as well as between the base station and other devices.

However, users of smart home devices will probably be more interested in the debut of SmartStart, which should greatly simplify the process of setting up Ring Protect. In the case of a home security system, you don’t want to spend a lot of time figuring out what goes where and which buttons need to be pressed in what order. If SmartStart lives up to its promise, setting up Ring Protect should be as easy as scanning a few QR codes and mounting the sensors.

“Using Z-Wave S2 and SmartStart in Ring Protect helps us to ensure that our home security system will be both safer, and smarter for users,” said Ring CEO Jamie Siminoff. “With a mission to reduce crime in neighborhoods, we’re focused on providing total home security for our customers, and offering a simple setup that’s also secure.”