Philips adds new partners to Friends of Hue IoT technology

NEW DELHI: Global front-runner in lighting, RoyalPhilips has pledged to take connected home lighting to new horizons by announcing a number of new Philips Friends of Hue partners. Bosch, Logitech and Samsung SmartThings are all Friends of Hue partners. This means that their connected home products, applications and platforms integrate with Philips Hue and are certified to deliver new lighting experiences.

“We are pleased to announce our new partners,” said Sridhar Kumaraswamy, Business Leader Connected Home Systems at Philips Lighting. “We have already teamed up with the likes of Apple and Nest; all of these Friends of Hue partnerships strengthen the impact of lighting to help realize the Internet of Things for homes. By integrating our lights with innovations from our partners, we can deliver new lighting experiences today and far into the future, unlocking the value of light beyond illumination.”

He further added, “There are a number of significant factors that impact the successful adoption of the Internet of Things in homes. Key to this is new experiences; for example lights, thermostats and cameras working together to understand how your home is occupied, saving you energy or providing you with peace of mind when away from home. For this, flawless interoperation with other connected products is crucial.”

Kumaraswamy further explained, “Light can help provide comfort and peace of mind with Bosch and Nest integrating with Philips Hue. Think of light turning on to simulate your presence when one is away; light flashing yellow in case of a smoke alarm then dimming down to a red state which is best to help navigate through a smoky environment. Think of having your Philips Hue lights set to a relax mode whilst the temperature in your bathroom rises.”

Integrating with Philips Hue can also enhance entertainment at home, says Kaumaraswamy. Logitech integrates Philips Hue into its Harmony platform meaning its universal remote control can operate lights to enhance TV viewing and other entertainment activities at home.

In terms of platforms, SmartThings from Samsung integrates Philips Hue lights into its smart home platform allowing Hue lights to respond to daily routines and work in tandem with a wide range of sensors, locks, cameras, thermostats, speakers, and more. In addition to Apple Watch, Philips integrated Hue into Apple’s HomeKit platform meaning that it works seamlessly with other HomeKit-enabled products and Siri voice control.

Lighting is proven to be the number one interest of the connected home. Philips Hue is considered to be the world’s leading connected lighting system for the home. Through its developers program it now has more than 450 third party apps available. It is transforming how light is used in and around the home to enhance a space, heighten a mood or simply ease day to day life. In fact, the possibilities are limitless: stimulating senses, lighting moments or even automating for peace of mind. With the Philips Hue ecosystem including bulbs, luminaires, strips and controls, one can easily interact with lights through apps, tablets, smartphones or even voice. The Hue app can be used to change the lights in a particular room, a group of rooms or the full house when at home, or the Hue portal via www.meethue.com when away from home.