VOLANSYS—an end-to-end Internet of Things (IoT) solution enabler—recently announced that its smart gateway solution HomeBridge holds Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 (BLE 5.0) capability. This opens the door for all kinds of IoT end devices to connect to smart sensors and the cloud within homes.
According to VOLANSYS, HomeBridge presents a cost-efficient and secure option for IoT device connection, with the potential to connect over 40 edge devices as well as provide device provisioning, over-the-air updates, customizable rules engine, and mobile alerts. HomeBridge is also a white-label smart home system, meaning it’s open to customization and rebranding for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Developers can choose the wireless connection that best suits their application.
In addition to ZigBee, HomeBridge can now connect through BLE 5.0–the newest version of Bluetooth Low Energy, a protocol that focuses on lower power usage and therefore longer battery life. On top of this, BLE 5.0’s greener route boasts up to 8x more data capacity, 2x faster speeds and 4x greater range than Bluetooth 4.2, making it an all-around attractive option for developers and their IoT products.
BLE 5.0 is the sort of avenue that will ease the integration of home automation gateways–like HomeBridge–into homes as well as all the upcoming devices they aim to connect.