Samsung aims to drive IoT adoption by boosting interoperability, through the use of standards and an ‘open platform’ approach.
South Korean multinational conglomerate Samsung has said it will make all its products IoT ready by 2020, with a plan to boost adoption via what it calls an “open, consistent and intelligent platform.”
At this week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the company said it is working with partners such as the Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF) to set common industry standards. OCF is the largest IoT standardization body in the world and Samsung’s ARTIK chip, air conditioner and Family Hub refrigerator have already been certified by the foundation as having the interoperability criteria needed for IoT.
In the next few months, the company will integrate its IoT applications, including Samsung Connect, Smart Home, Smart View and more into the SmartThings app to connect and control any SmartThings-enabled device directly from their phone, TV, or car from a single application.
Read more: Samsung unveils new SmartThings IoT strategy
At home and on the road
Samsung also said that it plans to connect Harman Ignite – an automotive cloud platform – to the SmartThings Cloud. As a result of this link, say company executives, consumers will be able to manage their connected home from their car and vice versa.
At the show, Samsung demonstrated its Digital Cockpit to demonstrate how cars will become connected with other ‘things’ as part of the IoT. The new dashboard design, along with Bixby, allows drivers to control the in-car experience and their connected devices at home through voice, touch, gesture and context-based methods. Its 5G-capable Telematics Control Unit (TCU) can download and upload data faster and enables vehicle-to-everything communications, laying the groundwork for better autonomous driving, the company claims.
The company will also bring its Amazon Alexa rival, the artificial intelligence (AI) powered assistant Bixby to some of its smart TVs and new Family Hub refrigerators. These new fridges will offer a wide range of smart features, such as syncing food storage with meal preparation and will be able to recognise the individual voices of family members, to give personalized information such as news, weather and calendar updates.
“At Samsung, we believe IoT should be as easy as flipping a switch. With the new products and services announced today, we’re making IoT easier and more seamless,” said Hyunsuk (HS) Kim, President, head of the company’s Consumer Electronics Division and Samsung Research. “We’re committed to accelerating IoT adoption for everyone and making all Samsung connected devices intelligent by 2020. These advancements will help consumers realise the benefits of a seamless and simple connected life.”
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