Processing and connectivity product developer Freescale Semiconductor today announced the wireless industry's first platform compliant with ZigBee sensing and monitoring standard. TUV Rheinland of North America, an independent testing and assessment service designated by the ZigBee Alliance, confirmed Freescale's platform is the first to conform to the IEEE's 802.15.4 standard and the ZigBee specification. Freescale's MC13193 Evaluation Kit will offer vendors the necessary hardware and software tools to begin integrating the ZigBee standard into their wireless applications, in particular solutions designed for monitoring, sensing, automation and control functions in residential, light commercial and industrial environments.

"We expect the emerging global ZigBee standard to be a major enabler for networked monitoring and control applications like industrial controllers, sensor nets and home controllers," said Bob Heile, chairman of the ZigBee Alliance, in a statement.

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Freescale became a publicly traded company in July 2004 after more than half a century as part of Motorola. The firm has design, R&D and manufacturing operations in over 30 countries.