Nordic Semiconductor joins Thread Group’s Board of Directors and appoints Pär Håkansson to represent the company on the board

Nordic Semiconductor today announces that it has upgraded its Thread Group membership to the Sponsor level, and has appointed Pär Håkansson, Nordic’s Product Marketing Manager responsible for the products and strategies for the smart home, to the group’s Board of Directors. The Thread Group is an industry alliance that manages Thread, an IPv6 low power wireless connectivity specification.

Håkansson was appointed to the board in December 2017. He holds an M.Sc. EE and a Technical Licentiate degree in communication electronics from Linköping University in Sweden. He has spent the last decade in the low power wireless industry, holding positions in research, business development, and product marketing. Håkansson joined Nordic in 2015.

Thread addresses device connectivity challenges in the home and beyond with a low-power, open-standards, IP-based approach to wireless networks supporting many applications, many use cases, many devices, and many clouds. It is designed to operate as one network with no hubs.

Nordic Semiconductor is now a Sponsor member of the Thread Group and for the last year, its engineers have been helping to develop the Thread specification. Nordic’s nRF52840 SoC, a high-end, multiprotocol, low power wireless connectivity solution, became a Thread 1.1 certified component in September 2017. The nRF52840 SoC is targeted at complex smart-home applications among other uses.

“We are excited to see Nordic strengthening its leadership in low power wireless technology with this step to accelerate and grow the Thread market with its suite of Thread-certified components. We are confident Nordic’s investment will lead to new and innovative Thread-based products that showcase the value of Thread for end-to-end connected devices,” says Grant Erickson, President of the Thread Group.

“It is a privilege to be appointed to the Thread Group Board of Directors and I believe my technical and marketing expertise in low power wireless will assist in making Thread a success,” says Håkansson. “The group has a busy program ahead aimed at increasing awareness of the Thread brand, collaboration with other standards organizations, and the introduction of enhancements to the technology through updated specifications.

“Thread is expanding beyond smart-home applications and is gaining traction with major product vendors,” continues Håkansson. “The smart home is a key business segment for Nordic and its sponsor membership of the Thread Group will help it influence the specification and market’s evolution.”