Resolving the paradox between IEEE 802.15.4 and Zigbee

IEEE 802.15.4 is a standard maintained by the IEEE 802.15 group which specifies the physical layer and media access control for low-rate wireless personal area networks (LR-WPANs). It is the basis for the ZigBee. ZigBee is a worldwide open standard for wireless radio networks and was designed to provide an easy-to-use wireless data solution characterized by secure, reliable wireless network architectures. It has wide range of applications, in areas like security, healthcare, control fields etc. ZigBee protocol builds on the IEEE 802.15.4 functionality by adding capabilities for more flexible network topologies, intelligent message routing and enhanced security measures. Often there is a confusion regarding both the standards; this paper presents the research work on both the standards (IEEE 802.15.4 and Zigbee) and their differences.