Consumers want an ecosystem of connected products that work with each other and if more manufacturers get on board, this will speed up the evolution of the smart home.
That’s the view of Whirlpool EMEA connectivity strategy senior manager Marco Signa (pictured), who was speaking exclusively to kbbreview.
The appliance manufacturer revealed earlier this month that its connected appliances would feature IFTTT (If This Then That) technology, which will allow them to talk to other brands’ products. It claimed to be one of the first manufacturers in Europe to introduce this functionality.
Signa said: “What we have learned from our consumer insight analysis is that people care about having an ecosystem of products more than individual solutions. People want different products to be able to exchange information to create new solutions or features.
“There are different systems today that try to accomplish this and I am sure that more will be available soon. The fact that manufacturers of devices may implement solutions to enhance products’ interoperability, since it is a clear consumer requirement, will speed up this progress even further.”
He added: “Whirlpool has always been at the forefront of activities to create communication standards for appliances. We are working at a different level within our industry and cross-industry to ensure that result. The activity with IFTTT is just another step in that direction and more will come in the near future.”