Zigbee Member Group China enters its 6th year built on a foundation of success and industry growth.
Zigbee Alliance Member Group China (ZMGC) is a branch of the Zigbee Alliance that focuses on promoting Alliance technologies to the China market. The group actively participates in marketing and technical initiatives that address specific needs of the region.
Wilma Su, Chair of ZMGC, spoke on the key factors that drive ZMGC’s success, “It’s the devotion of our members, who volunteer their expertise and time to be speakers, trainers, writers and coordinators for the ZMGC. Their enthusiasm makes ZMGC a productive team with the ability to pursue all these activities in support of growing the IoT. We are also grateful for the funding from our members, which gives us the autonomy to attend, organize and sponsor events that promote a secure and interoperable IoT in China. Finally, our success is also due to the direct support of the Alliance itself, which has given the ZMGC authority to act as their local representative, cooperating with other associations and event organizers. Zigbee Alliance leadership have also shown full support, traveling to meet with our ZMGC members and presenting at many events.
Despite the challenges faced in 2020, the ZMGC continued its active industry presence. The group participated in many face-to-face and virtual trade shows, showcasing solutions and leading keynote presentations. We participated in special forums and co-hosted Zigbee developer trainings. In addition to this, ZMGC created a new Zigbee interoperability demo wall and sponsored the National Undergraduate IoT Design Contest. This continued activity and success in building interest and momentum in IoT is due to of the continuous, dedicated participation from ZMGC members.
History of the ZMGC
ZMGC was formally established in March 2015, but its origin can be traced back to 2013, when a regional group was built to promote Zigbee Light Link (ZLL). This group was a catalyst for the ZMGC we have today.
As the group gained momentum and continued to grow, it became formalized under the Zigbee Alliance. Many companies joined to utilize the technology, support the growing initiatives, and collaborate with others in the industry.
With the support of the Zigbee Alliance and their China Representative, a founding group was established to draft a charter. This founding group included members: Wilma Su (Philips Lighting), Hong Yang (CESI), Jianjiang Chen (Shuncom), Robin Liu (Feibit), and Cindy Lu (Element). The ZMGC charter outlines the group goals, objectives and activities and outlines both member participation and, leadership roles. Once the charter was drafted and approved by the Alliance the ZMGC was formally established and held its first Member Meeting on March 5, 2015. At the meeting, Wilma Su was elected as Chair, and CESI was appointed as the Secretariat.
Milestones Moments
Since its founding, ZMGC has continued to build various marketing initiatives. In its first year the ZMGC:
- Attended its first tradeshow with a booth at Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition (GILE) and hosted a half-day forum “Zigbee Forges Your Smart Home”
- Co-hosted a Zigbee Technology Training Courses with China Smart Home Industry Association (CSHIA)
- Sponsored and participated in the Final National Undergraduate IoT Design Contest
- Hosted the first ZMGC ZigFest at CESI
- Launched the Zigbee Alliance WeChat page
ZMGC continues to grow each year expanding into many events and tradeshows, these activities continue to increase as participation grows and new companies bring their expertise and ideas. ZMGC’s efforts in promoting the technology and educating the market is a driving force of IoT and Alliance standards adoption in China.
What’s Next for the ZMGC – Looking into 2021
Today the ZMGC has 19 members and continues to grow and evolve to fulfill the Alliance’s vision for a secure and interoperable IoT.
In 2021 the ZMGC will continue to drive innovation with a variety of virtual and in-person events. ZMGC will have booth presence at two industrial trade shows, will host two Zigbee Forum days, and will also host a virtual Zigbee training and seminar. ZMGC will also launch a Certification Incentive Partnership Program.
To learn more about ZMGC upcoming events visit the Zigbee Alliance events page.
Interested in Joining the ZMGC
ZMGC membership is an excellent way to begin actively participating in industry events in China. ZMGC membership has two tiers, associate membership and council membership. Visit the ZMGC webpage to learn more.
If you are interested in joining please reach out to Laura Shang, the Zigbee Alliance China Regional Representative, at [email protected].