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Quick Take: In recent weeks, we've explained how Google's new home automation play could threaten ZigBee and how Wi-Fi may finally be ready for the smart grid. There are a half-dozen home area network standards rattling around and several others waiting in the wings. Now comes news of an uber standard that will let them easily co-exist. Called the "Convergent Digital Home Network Standard," it is intended for mix-and-match "hybrid" networks.

You'll notice that the group making the most noise about this new approach is the HomePlug Powerline Alliance... the standard that is struggling the most to get noticed. A converged approach could make it more viable. Meanwhile, ZigBee is notably absent from this first announcement, but there's no technical reason it couldn't join the party.

One ring to rule them all? – By Jesse Berst

The IEEE P1905 working group's standard, aka the Convergent Digital Home Network Standard, provides an abstraction layer to existing powerline, wireless, coaxial cable and Ethernet home networking technologies. The IEEE standard also will make network setup easier by defining common setup procedures for adding devices, establishing secure links, implementing quality of service and network management.

Such a network could include everything from set top boxes, home gateways, Blu-Ray players and TVs, as well as mobile devices like laptops and cell phones.

"The hybrid home network is clearly the network of the future – offering the best networking technology to meet the consumer's needs – so IEEE establishing this standard is significant," said Rob Ranck, president of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance. He added "Encompassing the capabilities of the most commonly installed home networking technologies, this standard promises to deliver the maximum level of interoperability."

A number of HomePlug's big name member companies such as Broadcom, Cisco Systems, France Telecom and Qualcomm Atheros made major contributions to the standard's development.

Jesse Berst is the founder and chief analyst of Smart Grid News.com. He consults to smart grid companies seeking market entry advice and M&A advisory. A frequent keynoter at industry events in the US and abroad, he also serves on the Advisory Council of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Energy & Environment directorate.

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