Along with BACnet International, KNX Association, OCF, Thread Group and the Zigbee Alliance, the group advocates the use of Internet Protocol as the secure backbone for lighting and building-automation services.
The DALI Alliance has joined IP-BLiS, the “IP Building & Lighting Standards” market interest group to support convergence towards using Internet Protocol (IP) transport and security mechanisms to simplify deploying, provisioning, and securing complex building systems.
IP-BLiS was launched in June 2020 by BACnet International, KNX Association, OCF, Thread Group and the Zigbee Alliance. Together, these standards organizations support the widespread adoption of a secure, multi-standard, IP-based infrastructure as the backbone in commercial buildings for lighting and building-automation solutions.
The use of IP as the common networking protocol allows IT systems and building services, including lighting control, to operate on a secure, all IP-based configuration. As a result, building operators can expect end-to-end addressing and security; easy connectivity between previously-isolated applications; limitless scalability; better, faster and lower cost integration; and great flexibility and choice of both physical transports and applications.
“On behalf of all the leading lighting companies that comprise our membership, we are excited to join IP-BLiS and help to address the complexity and connectivity roadblocks in smart buildings,” said Paul Drosihn, General Manager of the DALI Alliance. “Internally, our team is making strong progress towards our first DALI over IP specification, which will enable DALI networks with wireless connectivity, as well as IP addressing and security.”
“DALI, as the leading digital lighting-control protocol, joining IP-BLiS is highlighting once again the importance of making commercial buildings more responsive to the needs of users by promoting a secure, multi-standard, IP-based harmonized IoT solution, which is fully in-line with the vision of IP-BLiS. With DALI as a new member, we see IP-BLiS confirmed in its previous activities and success in the IP-BLiS roadmap for the future,” said Casto Cañavate, Chair of IP-BLiS.
While IP-BLiS speaks with a unified voice to promote IP-based networking with common transport and security requirements, the organization will not create its own standards. Each participant is responsible for specifying its own technology. This allows companies to decide which solution or solutions work best for their business and use cases.
Similarly, IP-BLiS seeks to align security requirements for the industry, rather than reinventing them. Security issues are discussed in an IP-BLiS blog entitled “Common Myths About IP Networking for IoT.”
