HooRii Technology breaks new ground as the first batch of smart devices to achieve Thread Product Family Certification (PFC)

For IoT enterprises, quickly launching devices is very important. HooRii Technology utilizes PFC to help customers obtain Thread and Matter certification, saving certification costs and shortening development time.

Today, HooRii Technology, a leading commercial IoT system publisher, announced that the HooRii Energy Metering Plug (SP-OOP-011) has become the world's first batch of smart devices to achieve Thread PFC.

The HooRii Energy Metering Plug (SP-OOP-011) embraces the Thread protocol with its innovative design, intelligent connectivity, and robust performance features. It is a powerful smart home product that enhances quality of life by intelligently and efficiently managing household energy consumption through real-time monitoring, remote control, and scheduling functions, thereby reducing energy costs.

Obtaining Thread certification ensures that a device complies with the standard specifications and can connect to other devices and ecosystems successfully. However, IoT manufacturers face many obstacles, such as long certification times, high certification fees, and the inability to certify entire product series, which hinders new product launches.

The good news is that HooRii removes these worries for IoT manufacturers and offers them an integrated software and hardware solution with out-of-the-box compatibility.

Lowering the Barrier to Applying Thread Certification

In April 2024,Thread Group introduced Product Family Certification (PFC) to streamline the certification process for different variants of the same product. Thread is a low-power, low-latency, wireless mesh networking protocol, built using open and proven standards. Thread solves the complexities of the IoT, addressing challenges such as interoperability, range, security, energy, and reliability. With Thread, developers can market their apps, devices, systems, and services faster. 

The introduction of PFC represents a major advancement by the Thread Group in streamlining the certification process and accelerating the adoption of the Thread protocol. To qualify for PFC, the products in the family must be the same device type and have the same base hardware and software. For example, if the product's physical exterior has slight variations, such as the color or style, it will qualify for PFC. It could have multiple form factors, regional variations, or functional changes that do not impact the actual function of the product. When taking the PFC path, the parent product must undergo complete testing, but the subsequent products in the family will not need to be tested. With PFC, the development of Thread devices is made quicker and easier. Manufacturers can easily obtain Matter certification for smart devices through PFC.

As a lead advocate for the Thread Group China Regional Marketing Working Group and a Contributor member of the Thread Group, HooRii Technology released its module product series featuring HooRiiOS. This series supports application layer capabilities including Matter over Thread and LWM2M over Thread, allowing customers to customize software and hardware solutions that work with both Matter standards and the Thread protocol without requiring extensive knowledge on Thread or Matter development knowledge.

Additionally, Thread PFC and Thread Group's Associate membership tier can jointly help small and medium enterprises swiftly enter the IoT market. Thread Group's new Associate membership tier is designed for companies that exclusively rebrand Thread-certified end products, which are developed and manufactured by Thread Group Sponsor or Contributor members. Through HooRii Technology, white label and rebrand vendors can now obtain Thread certification and benefit from streamlined certification, avoiding redundant processes. For example, white label vendors can quickly build an Energy Metering Plug product line and obtain Thread certification through HooRii's Thread PFC transfer, significantly reducing certification costs.

Making Connections Easier with HooRii

HooRii Technology is committed to advancing the adoption of Thread technology in the industry. As of August 2024, HooRii Technology has obtained over 50 Thread certifications, spanning modules, gateways, and end products. The launched hardware solutions cover several smart home categories: gateways, sockets, sensing, curtains, and more.

Thread technology is gradually being promoted globally. HooRii Technology will continue to assist customers in designing, testing, and certifying Thread devices, promoting the extensive application of Thread technology worldwide.

Visit our official website to learn more about our products and solutions, or contact us directly via email at contact@hoorii.io.