Why are there so many redundant home automation platforms being launched?

Using older Z-Wave devices I am seeing more granularity per device descriptions and status using the Z-Wave + drivers. 
 
I am seeing also an updating firmware button on the device which I have not noticed before with the older Z-Wave drivers.
 
I am learning about the new Z-Wave +features.  There is a route entry mode too which I have never noticed before.  For testing outdoors have installed outdoor weatherproof modules on the peripheral berms which sit on the edges of the property and mailbox structure in the front of the home.  Coverage / peering  with indoor switches appears fine.  The Z-Wave + device is currently sitting on the second floor of the two story home.
 
Does Z-Wave+ come with better diagnostic tools? The lack of adequate diagnostic tools in regular z-wave is a significant factor in the huge frustration suffered by many (most?) z-wave users at one time or another.
 
Sad to say, though I own a lot of z-wave, I'm more optimistic about what the Thread Group may produce than I am about a black box z-wave+.  TG is a non-profit, which is what this industry needs for setting standards.  So far they are definitely talking the talk.  They've already had two rounds of interoperability tests, and I've read November (?) is the target for when products from their vendor allliance will ship.  Here's a high-level technical overview:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNMtNxIXX0g
 
It is a good example of a platform that's not just a redundant rehash of what's already on the market.  It's the only thing on the horizon (that I'm aware of) that might really shake things up for the better.  
 
What do you guys think?  Anything else on the horizon, or have all the contenders been identified?
 
Actually watching the Z-Wave stuff here was a damper for me relating to Homeseer 2 Z-Troller Z-Wave as the similiarly set up Leviton Z-Wave stuff just worked without me watching. 
 
It was a waste of my time when what I tested worked fine. (wired light switches / modules always worked fine). 
 
Never did mix z-wave battery operated wireless and 120VAC Z-Wave stuff. 
 
The above noted today all my in wall light switches are using UPB and I have no issues today with UPB.
 
I have played with Z-Wave since the beginning such that I have amassed a few Z-Wave devices today.
 
~ 100 or so non used for automation today nodes. 
 
I have stated more than once here I prefer to utilize powerline today over any wireless stuff for my automation.
 
That said as automation is a hobby I like to play.
 
I have not touched my currently production Homeseer 2 boxes and very slowly moving towards Homeseer 3.
 
I have also switched now to running Homeseer 3 on Linux.  Linux historically runs smoother for me than Wintel. 
 
That said my current two Homeseer 2 boxes are running on 32 bit Windows server 2003 standard and they have been fine over 10 years now. 
 
Here concurrently testing Z-Wave + on Homeseer 3 and three other Linux automation applications because I can and enjoy this stuff. 
 
I never did put all of my automation eggs in to one basket and such is my automation today.
 
I am currently helping a few Homeseer 2/3 folks that have been fine with Z-Wave since the beginning.  Today they are still utilizing the Z-Troller and do have a solid working Z-Wave network. 
 
I have also been testing Zigbee and do not have a large collection of Zigbee devices today to play with.
 
My next little project will be to connect a Zigbee controller to my Leviton Panel as it already is using X10, UPB, Z-Wave and working fine.  (also to connect a Zigbee controller to the Homeseer 3 boxes is another goal). 
 
A testing automation endeavor with my firewall just noticed that the BCM motherboard doesn't do well today with 10 Gb NIC network interfaces and now looking to upgrade firewall to a iseries mITX board; guessing I am pushing the hardware a bit now...I have two other hardware firewalls off line such that it doesn't really matter when I get to this little project...I am currently using an Intel Core duo and only 4Gb of memory which isn't enough for the 10 Gb network interfaces....
 
Anyone know whether better diagnostic tools are possible/available under zwave+ than was the case under regular z-wave?
 
Let's hope Thread has some success.  In taking a cursory look at their video and written information, a lot of words and not much information.  Words like "secure", "robust", "reliable", "mesh network" etc., no longer mean much.  They're just words that have been used over and over by others with more promise than performance.
 
Perhaps the biggest phrase I question is "all of the things in your home will talk to each other".  I'll believe that when I see it with some detail.
 
As the old fast food TV ads used to say "where's the beef"?
 
It's good that Thread is an open standard, which will be a much needed counter-weight to Apple's vision I think. However, just to get access to the information and to participate on their forums (probably necessary to deal with issues and such) costs $2500, and to have any say in the process at all is $15,000. That may keep it out of any open source type products, and make it harder for smaller companies to support. And that's per year, not just a one time cost.
 
Personally I had issues here with managing wired networking topologies in the 1990's.  There is and will be an issue with wireless automation relating to RF which is RF itself.  
 
You have to get that part right before the rest of it.  There is no perfect wireless transport medium today; there never has been.
 
I do recall bugging Intel corporate about being able to wake up a wireless interface from the dead.  They did tell me it wasn't possible yet; maybe though in the future.
 
Relating to second generation Z-Wave; the folks there have done better with Z-Wave +.  That said it is still wireless.
 
osi_model.jpg
 
NeverDie said:
Anyone know whether better diagnostic tools are possible/available under zwave+ than was the case under regular z-wave?
Click to expand...
 

I'll have to check to see what's new but the reason you don't see a lot of diagnostics currently is lack of vendor implementation...

Dean Roddey said:
It's good that Thread is an open standard, which will be a much needed counter-weight to Apple's vision I think. However, just to get access to the information and to participate on their forums (probably necessary to deal with issues and such) costs $2500, and to have any say in the process at all is $15,000. That may keep it out of any open source type products, and make it harder for smaller companies to support. And that's per year, not just a one time cost.
Click to expand...
That's cheap... Z-Wave is $4k...
 
I have been using Zwave for about 3 years pretty much all Leviton Vizia stuff and one Yale lock.  It has been for the most part fairly robust but the setup is always an exercise that is not pleasant and always seemed more complicated then it needs to be.  In addition I have about 37 nodes and with the VRCOP serial interface module that seems to be too many.   Even though the standard says it can handle many more the network traffic and latency on the VRCOP seems to really affect performance.  While it almost never missed a command in the last 3 years there have been times that getting accurate status updates to the VRCOP and ultimately to my ELK ZW module a real chore.  I have logged into the VRCOP directly and watched it respond and many times if too many commands are sent it just seems to miss some.  I talked to Leviton tech support and while their documentation doesn't say it they said they recommended no more than 24 nodes on a VRCOP for performance.   So recently started slowly replacing my VIZIA RF+ with Lutron Radio Ra2.  I am adding more automated switches and really didn't want the ZWAVE stuff to get even less responsive.   I won't abandon Zwave as I like the locks and some of the new sensors coming out but am going to separate my lighting off of it slowly when funds allow.  Honestly the Lutron switches and dimmers have a nicer feel  to me then the Vizia stuff and my wife likes all the available colors.   That being said Vizia RF+ have 5 year warranties which is quite amazing and I have used it twice for two dimmers that died.  Hopefully the new zwave stuff will solve these issues .
 
That's one of the reasons why I dumped polling in the V2 Z-Wave driver. It's just too much for the Z-Wave network, and you still end up with high latency if you have more than a small number of units. So it's just not worth trying. Going purely with async notifications (except for long period stuff which the driver will poll, like battery power that only needs to be done on an hours long interval), means you minimize the Z-Wave network load tremendously, and make it more likely it will be responsive during those short bursts where you need it to be.
 
Dean:   Yes followed all of your hard work on the VRCOP driver on the CQC forum and was considering just using the CQC driver instead of the ELK but based upon everything you found I just decided to go another direction the RADIO RA2 direction and so far it is so much better and much easier to set up. . My father was a electrical contractor and he always used Lutron over Leviton whenever he had a critical dimming situation or higher loads because their dimmers just worked. This of course was way before any automated dimmers but Lutron just seems to build better stuff and it is more money accordingly but worth it in my opinion.
 
NeverDie said:
Anyone know whether better diagnostic tools are possible/available under zwave+ than was the case under regular z-wave?
Click to expand...
We've implemented a couple of nice improvements that enhance reliability (using a Z-Wave Plus controller, like our Z-NET):
  • Last Working Route is a feature that reverts to the previous successful controller-stored route, if the currently chosen route fails.
  • You can set the command route from the controller to the node you wish to control.  This is particular useful if the route set automatically by the controller doesn't seem to make sense or if you wish to avoid certain nodes (like plug-in modules) that may possibly go off the network (kids or cleaners unplugging them). 
    Example: My door lock could not communicate directly with my Z-NET and the default route established during inclusion was to use an HSM200 plug-in multisensor in between.  However, the multisensor was located out in my shed!  That's a pretty odd route. So, I changed the route to use another node inside my home. The "Set Route" field below is where the route is entered. The "Last Working Route" then changes to the nodes you choose. 
    change-route.jpg

     
 
Dean Roddey said:
It's good that Thread is an open standard, which will be a much needed counter-weight to Apple's vision I think. However, just to get access to the information and to participate on their forums (probably necessary to deal with issues and such) costs $2500, and to have any say in the process at all is $15,000. That may keep it out of any open source type products, and make it harder for smaller companies to support. And that's per year, not just a one time cost.
Click to expand...
Apparently TG will waive fees for some small companies it deems innovative or otherwise promising:  http://www.techhive.com/article/2878417/iot-consortium-thread-group-launches-free-membership-initiative-for-promising-startups.html
 
The allure of home automation is the promise of greater convenience, improved security, greener and more efficient system.
 
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