Vodafone teams up with Samsung on smart home products

Vodafone Group announced on Monday that it will become Samsung's exclusive strategic telecoms partner in selected European markets, to develop and launch a range of consumer ‘internet of things’ (IoT) smart home product and services.

The FTSE 100 firm said the ‘V-Home by Vodafone’ suite was bringing together Samsung's ‘SmartThings’ open platform and the "V by Vodafone" consumer IoT system, launched in November. to offer consumers simple but powerful home automation, security and safety products and services.

It said the 'smart home' concept was bringing telecoms network intelligence to a range of consumer devices and appliances in the home, to create a new generation of sophisticated security, safety and leisure products.

Connected devices such as security cameras, smoke detectors, water leak sensors, smart lighting and smart heating were helping to make properties more secure and energy-efficient.

Vodafone claimed that, according to analyst estimates ,by 2020 there would be more than 290 million consumer smart home devices in the countries in which it operates, up from around 45 million today.

It said the ‘V-Home by Vodafone’ suite would provides immediate alerts to the customer's smartphone in the event of a home intrusion.

It would also enable “simple remote automation” of home appliances and utilities, including voice activation via home voice assistants.

‘V-Home by Vodafone’, with the Samsung SmartThings Wifi hub, would be launched in Spain and Germany in the second quarter of 2018, marking the exclusive European debut of Samsung's new Smart Home controller as well as the release of Vodafone's powerful consumer IoT suite focused on protecting and enhancing the home.

It would be launched in other markets later in the year.

Vodafone said ‘V-Home by Vodafone’ and the Samsung SmartThings Wifi hub would be available exclusively through Vodafone stores and the Vodafone online consumer IoT marketplace in Germany, Spain and other markets to be announced in due course during 2018.

The first co-developed and co-branded offering would be a ‘V-Home by Vodafone’ starter kit focused on home security.

Vodafone said the kit contains a Samsung SmartThings Wifi hub, a SmartThings Security Camera, a SmartThings Multipurpose Sensor, a SmartThings Siren, a Vodafone ‘V-Home Alarm Assistant’, and a ‘V-Home Monitor’.

The range of smart home IoT devices supported under the "V-Home by Vodafone" system would continue to expand through 2018, including additional SmartThings sensors plus smart lighting, thermostats and speakers from third party providers under the ‘Works with SmartThings’ programme.

“The Internet of Things is already transforming the world of work; now, it will transform the home,” said Vodafone Group chief executive Vittorio Colao.

"’V-Home by Vodafone’ makes it easy for consumers to protect family and property and enhance home life with innovative technologies underpinned by the strength of the Vodafone network.

“We are pleased to work with Samsung to bring these benefits to our customers.”

President and head of Samsung Electronics IT and mobile division, DJ Koh, explained tat Samsung was committed to offering consumers an easier, more convenient and smarter life through a growing range of devices and solutions.

“By bringing together V-Home by Vodafone, the SmartThings open platform and our SmartThings app we are offering customers a simple-to-operate management system for a growing range of smart home products that will enrich their lives.”