Samsung Unveils Internet of Things Hub Device Called SmartThings

| Updated
by Zhanna Lyasota · 3 min read
Samsung Unveils Internet of Things Hub Device Called SmartThings
Photo: Samsung Corp

Samsung has recently launched a new hub for smarthome devices that will securely unite sensors and accessories from a range of manufacturers using the SmartThings open system. The company hopes the device will kickstart the evolution of the Internet of Things.

Samsung has recently launched a new hub for smarthome devices. The device and service will be available from 10 September, following Samsung’s acquisition of the IoT company SmartThings in April last year.

“We believe a connected home will provide users [with] more information, more piece of mind and more control in their lives – but privacy is fundamental. The whole thing is encrypted end-to-end – think bank-level security – while we have continuous security checks and third-party auditing. Only you will have access to any data stored in the cloud,” said Samsung’s president of UK and Ireland Andy Griffiths.

The hub will securely unite sensors and accessories from a range of manufacturers using the SmartThings open system. It will work with a range of SmartThings-branded devices as well as other products from Samsung and accessories from Bose, Philips, Honeywell, Yale, LIFX, Aeon and others.

“We have a different philosophy for our IoT vision, not hidden behind a walled garden, but open and interoperable with many devices,” said Griffiths.

The system will be controlled by a SmartThings app, which will be available for Android, iOS and Windows Phone, making it one of the systems with the most cross-platform support.

Moreover, the company pledged to make 100% of its devices, from TVs and sound systems to washing machines and fridges, internet connected within five years, which will all integrate into the SmartThings Hub.

Samsung is also attempting to foster a community of developers who are free to create new apps and new integrations with products beyond the original launch platform.

“We’re entering a whole IoT era, starting this year, and it will increasingly become the norm in the next three to five years. What we’re doing is appealing to the early adopters,” said Griffiths.

A recent report published by Gartner, the world’s leading information technology research and advisory company, reads that even this year the Internet of Things keeps staying at the peak of its hype cycle. Basically, the research company put out a Hype Cycle of emerging technologies on an annual basis.

“The Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies is the broadest aggregate Gartner Hype Cycle, featuring technologies that are the focus of attention because of particularly high levels of interest, and those that Gartner believes have the potential for significant impact,” said Betsy Burton, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner. “This year, we encourage CIOs and other IT leaders to dedicate time and energy focused on innovation, rather than just incremental business advancement, while also gaining inspiration by scanning beyond the bounds of their industry.”

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