Korean electronics giant Samsung is working hard to make all its products IoT (Internet of Things)-ready by 2020.
Speaking at this year’s CES in Las Vegas, Samsung’s president and head of its consumer electronics division and Samsung Research, Hyunsuk (HS) Kim (pictured) said: “At Samsung, we believe IoT should be as easy as flipping a switch. With the new product and services announced today, we’re making IoT easier and more seamless.
“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.”
Samsung said its IoT philosophy is built on open innovation – making it accessible to more people. It believes that today’s fragmented and complex IoT ecosystem is a barrier to adoption.
For IoT to be approachable and accessible, it requires scale and open innovation, said Samsung. Thanks to a robust portfolio of products, including TVs, appliances and smartphones, and its leadership in delivering 5G connectivity, Samsung said it is well positioned to deliver an open IoT ecosystem via its SmartThings connected home platform.
The company is working with partners such as the Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF) to set common industry standards. OCF is said to be the largest IoT standardisation body in the world. Samsung’s ARTIK chip, air conditioner and Family Hub refrigerator have already been certified by the association for the interoperability criteria needed for IoT.
In spring 2018, Samsung will unite its IoT applications, including Samsung Connect (home automation app), Smart Home, Smart View (multimedia smart TV app) and more into the SmartThings app to enable users to connect and control any SmartThings-enabled device directly from their phone, TV or car from a single application.
The company has also announced plans to connect its Harman Ignite automotive cloud platform to the SmartThings Cloud, moving the IoT experience beyond the smart home to the car. As a result, consumers will be able to manage their connected home from the car and vice-versa.
Samsung revealed it would be bringing its Bixby intelligent assistant platform to more devices. In 2018, selected Samsung smart TVs and new Family Hub refrigerators will have voice control via Bixby.
Last year, Samsung spent more than $14 billion (£10.4bn) on R&D.