Daniel J SaitHome Connect, the intelligent platform created by BSH Home Appliances to connect customers to their appliances over the internet, has picked up another important partner in telecoms giant Deutsche Telekom.
Home Connect is now working with Magenta SmartHome and the Qivicon platform established by Deutsche Telekom.
Via the system, household appliances are able to provide continuous information on remaining cycle times and provide updates when a cycle is finished. The technology’s integration into the smart home is going a little further now however, with for example lighting in living areas being used to give residents a visual signal or start a favourite playlist as soon as an appliance has finished its cycle.
Central heating systems made by heating and hot water specialist Bosch/Junkers, will soon be able to be controlled via Deutsche Telekom’s smart home app. The app enables users to check temperatures in various separate heating circuits at a glance, and to turn up the hot water temperature whenever required.
Nest has also added to the Deutsche Telekom range of offerings by contributing its intelligent smoke detection system Nest Protect. Householders who decide to integrate Nest Protect into their smart home will receive messages on smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) levels via Magenta SmartHome, and their system will also trigger alarms if a situation becomes critical.
Schellenberg, one of the market leaders in window blinds and accessories, has also opted to join the SmartHome platform, as it extends its product range to include smart solutions for windows, doors and gates. Using the platform, residents can operate their window blinds using wireless roller shutter belt drives via their smartphone or tablet.
Other makers providing compatibility here with Qivicon are Osram, Sengled, Bitron Video, Centralite Logitech. Voice activation is also available via Amazon Echo. A couple of key mobile operators in Europe are also now working with Deutsche Telekom’s smart home offer including COSMOTE, the largest mobile operator in Greece and Italy´s Bitron Video. Customers of both companies can now equip their smart homes with the wide range of compatible devices currently available.
“International growth is a strategically important aim for us,” says Thomas Rockmann, vice president connected home, Deutsche Telekom. “The modular design of the White Label portfolio allows our partners to create smart home solutions to suit their target market.”
So plenty of movement, particularly in Europe, of the entry level and ‘plug and play’ variety. The market is definitely getting more complex as some really big players look to get a slice, however, nothing so far suggests any of this achieves a satisfying level of personalisation for the home owner.