Samsung Electronics is a founding member and holds the chair position of the board of the HCA, an organisation dedicated to the development and promotion of compatibility and energy management across home appliances, HVAC^[2] systems and TVs within the connected home ecosystem. The alliance has recently announced that its members will begin implementing Interface Specification 1.0.

“It is great to see HCA bring its first example of interoperability to market with global leaders in the appliance, HVAC and TV industries. It is a testament to the commitment of large device manufacturers to better serve our consumers in their homes,” said Chanwoo Park, Executive Vice President and Head of the Service Biz Group, Digital Appliances Business at Samsung Electronics. “By enabling consumers to control multiple brands of appliances and HVAC products through apps such as SmartThings, we expect the smart home market to achieve new levels of scale. Global leaders will be able to fuel enhanced digital services that provide consumers with new benefits, and Samsung is steadfast in its commitment to HCA and its vision.”

The collaboration provides a framework for C2C cross-control and will establish a strong foundation for home connectivity to provide meaningful benefits for consumers, starting with legacy device integration and expanding into energy savings in the near future. Since the C2C connectivity does not require a new hub or updates to appliances, it will be particularly beneficial for users’ existing home appliances.

Thanks to this development, users can start controlling their smart appliances, regardless of the manufacturer, through their existing appliance and HVAC apps such as the SmartThings app, the one-stop app that lets them manage their homes and smart devices with ease, LG’s ThinQ, and Vestel’s VeeZy. Consumers simply need to update their mobile app of choice to enable management of the smart appliances in their homes.^[3]

This initiative marks the first time that Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics will support control of their respective devices using each other’s apps — a step that enhances consumers’ ease of use and shows potential for future cross-collaboration. Furthermore, along with Vestel, Samsung was the first key player in the industry to implement HCA integration. After a focus on supporting key features that consumers use most often, Interface Specification 2.0, which is expected in 2024, is set to add energy management functions and include additional product lines, such as electric vehicle (EV) chargers.

“HCA member companies are taking a thoughtful approach towards interoperability of everyday essential products already in our homes,” said Yoon Ho Choi, Home Connectivity Alliance President. “I look forward to seeing our member companies adopting the specification starting this year and HCA-enabled technology being available to more consumers in the near future. The goal is to make the appliances and HVAC systems we live with, smarter, more accessible and energy efficient throughout their life by connecting them to energy management and other services.”

To learn more about Samsung’s home appliances, visit https://www.samsung.com/uk/home-appliances/ 

[1] HCA: Home Connectivity Alliance.

[2] Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature, humidity and air purity.

[3] Dependent on manufacturer rollout by product, geography and market. Individual experiences may vary.

The HCA is an organisation founded by manufacturers of HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems, home appliances and TVs. The HCA was created with the goal to develop safe, interoperable standards for connected home ecosystems.

As a founding member of the Alliance, Samsung Electronics continues to relentlessly pursue innovation, including the industry-leading SmartThings platform, to aid the HCA’s mission to develop standards that promote interconnectivity.

“Through combined industry efforts in HCA, we are working to make the smart home more accessible to consumers via the devices they use every day in the home,” said Chanwoo Park, Executive Vice President and Head of Service Biz Group of the Digital Appliances Business at Samsung Electronics. “We are taking a fresh look at how devices can enhance consumers’ lives and how the appliance industry can work together to create a safer connected home that our customers can trust.”

Interoperability to Promote Compatibility

The HCA Specification 1.0 expands on existing industry standards to clearly define interoperability standards that ensure long-lasting devices like appliances, HVAC systems and TVs operate seamlessly across brands, including legacy appliances already operating in consumers’ homes.

As a pioneer in the smart home industry, the SmartThings platform has paved the way for interoperability within the connected home. SmartThings supports Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled devices from a range of manufacturers, as well as first-party smart home appliances, providing consumers with more convenience and options within their connected home.

With the introduction of the HCA Specification 1.0, this enhanced interoperable experience will soon make the connected home attainable by more consumers than ever.

Bringing Sustainability Into the Heart of the Connected Home

The release of the HCA Specification 1.0 paves the way for enhanced energy efficiency throughout a consumer’s entire connected home through holistic data insights. Customers can raise their Energy IQ by identifying the appliances and devices in their homes that consume the most energy and adjusting usage accordingly.

Furthermore, innovations like SmartThings AI Energy Mode allow consumers to automatically manage their energy usage and costs using intelligent, real-time insights via a single app on their phone. The HCA Specification 1.0 enables member brands to provide consumers with sustainability-focused, actionable insights for better energy efficiency and real-world savings.

Competitors Working Together for Our Consumers’ Connected Future

The introduction of the HCA Specification 1.0 for interoperability is just the first step in the HCA’s standards journey. The HCA is already working in parallel with energy industry leaders to provide even more energy-efficient solutions across the household.

HCA currently includes 15 global brands, including Samsung, AEG, American Standards, Arcelik, Electrolux, GE Appliances, Haier, LG, Resideo, Trane, Vestel and others. Membership provides the opportunity to collaboratively innovate and share expertise with peers to further develop the connected home ecosystem and bring more convenience and options to consumers.

With almost 250 million registered users across over 108 million connected devices, Samsung is leveraging its leadership within the smart home industry and working hand in hand with fellow HCA members to develop and launch new solutions within the connected home landscape.

The HCA C2C interoperability demonstration is open to the public at CES 2023 as part of the Smart Home exhibition – Venetian Expo Center Booth #52739 – taking place from January 5 to 8 in Las Vegas. This technical demonstration features HCA member company solutions that leverage C2C connectivity to enable multiple apps to control multiple brands of appliances, HVAC systems and TVs for optimised interoperability.

Jong-Hee (JH) Han, Vice Chairman, CEO and Head of the DX (Device eXperience) Division at Samsung Electronics opened the company’s presence at CES by highlighting Samsung’s strategy to deliver on the promise of the connected experience across the key touchpoints in our lives – in our homes, cars, and at work.  The strategy outlined during the press conference focuses on the company’s aim of bringing calm to our connected world so that devices and innovation can genuinely enable better, more personal, and more intuitive experiences.

“We recognize our vision is a big one,” said CEO JH Han. “It’s about solving real challenges today and understanding consumers’ future needs and aspirations. It will take time, innovation, and cooperation with partners worldwide. But we are committed to achieving it, and already getting started.”

To address our planet’s ongoing challenges, Samsung highlighted how it intends to prioritise the environment through a combination of sustainability targets, innovative product design, and strategic partnerships.

Samsung announced that many of its TVs and smartphones use recycled materials, including recycled plastic from discarded finishing nets, while the company’s home appliances, memory and 5G radio network chipsets are contributing to energy savings for customers. In addition, Samsung’s connected services, such as SmartThings Energy and AI Energy Mode, are also helping consumers save energy and cut costs.

Samsung also shared the stage with Patagonia, a global leader in outdoor clothing, to discuss a partnership to combat the issue of microplastics – the tiny particles often found in clothes and released into oceans, lakes, and rivers through the laundry. Vincent Stanley, Director of Philosophy at Patagonia, spoke at the Samsung press conference about how the two companies have developed a new wash technology called the Less Microfiber Cycle^[1], currently being incorporated into Samsung washing machines, which can reduce microplastic release by 54%^[2] during a laundry cycle. Like the Less Microfiber Cycle, Samsung and Patagonia recently developed the new Less Microfiber Filter,^[3] which reduces microplastic discharge by preventing them from escaping into the ocean at the end of a wash cycle.

Meanwhile, James Kwon, Product Manager, ENERGY STAR for Consumer Electronics at the U.S.  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Samsung’s connected home experience with SmartThings is the first mass-market Smart Home Energy Management System to earn the prestigious ENERGY STAR SHEMS Certification. Samsung intends to collaborate with diverse stakeholders in its sustainability efforts. For example, Samsung joined with the Carbon Trust and other technology leaders to develop the industry’s first specification for measuring, accounting for, and decarbonising the emissions associated with connected devices while being used by customers.

A Connected Home and Connected Life Built on Convenience

Samsung detailed plans to fulfill the connected experience today and in the future. During the company’s press conference, Jaeyeon Jung, Executive Vice President and Head of SmartThings, highlighted how features like SmartThings Home Monitor and SmartThings Pet Care bring convenience to the connected experience by monitoring and sharing alerts for anything out of the ordinary – for people and pets. Prompted by Samsung Smart TV, these services are some of the many ways Samsung and the connected platform SmartThings are creating an even smarter home.

A key part of this vision is increased interoperability, enabling consumers to connect more of their devices, whether they are Samsung’s or from a partner brand. As the industry looks to bring about a new level of compatibility through the Matter smart home standard, Samsung stated its commitment to this partnership philosophy. SmartThings was one of the first brands to adopt Matter, and Samsung is a founding member of the Home Connectivity Alliance (HCA).

Also, at the CES press conference, Samsung announced the latest smart home innovation, with the SmartThings Station – its first product to have Matter support built-in right from the beginning. It is a convenient, new way to kick-start SmartThings experiences at home and make it easier to interact with connected devices. SmartThings Station turns Samsung’s wireless charger into a smart home hub that can seamlessly transform the state of your home at the touch of a button^[4].

The focus on connected experiences also extended to unveiling new partnerships, including announcing an expanded collaboration with Philips Hue. Jasper Vervoort, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Philips Hue discussed a new way to sync the content from Samsung TVs with Philips Hue lighting through the Philips Hue Sync TV app, which can be downloaded from the app store on Samsung TVs. This is the first solution to sync lighting and content from Samsung TVs without additional hardware.

With more devices connected than ever, Samsung also detailed how security and privacy innovations will be keys to building connected device ecosystems. The company is taking its device security experiences to the next level with its upcoming solution, Samsung Knox Matrix, which will conveniently and safely sync credentials across devices, while protecting sensitive information via multi-layered mutual monitoring enabled by private blockchain technology.

The connected experience is also extending to your commute. Marcus Futterlieb from Harman unveiled Samsung and Harman’s plans to inject a new level of intelligence, personalisation, and convenience into the in-cabin experience (ICX). Central to this effort is Harman Ready Care, which uses a machine learning algorithm to gather and process data from the car’s sensors to measure driver drowsiness and distraction, providing tailored interventions to mitigate risks and help improve the well-being of the driver.

A Vision for the Future

The company also showcased next-generation innovations and technologies using the latest artificial intelligence (AI). Experiences enabled by Spatial AI – like in the JetBot AI+ – are laying the groundwork for better in-home experiences specific to the dimensions and environment of your space.

Samsung also gave a preview of Relumino Mode, which will be coming  to select 2023 Samsung Neo QLED 8K and 4K TVs this year to make content viewing possible for people with vision impairment. Relumino Mode highlights outlines and improves contrast and colour so that content is clearer and easier to enjoy^[5]. In addition, Samsung also displayed a new pair of Relumino glasses, which first debuted at CES 2018 as part of its startup acceleration program C-Lab project, as well as its mobile app to make the visual experience more enjoyable and personalised on every screen.

For more information, please visit Samsung.com.

[1] Already available for Samsung washers in Europe and will expand availability to Korea in February and to the U.S. soon.

[2] Tested with 2kg load of 100% polyester hoodies, comparing Synthetics cycle on Samsung Conventional model of European washer WW4000T and the Less Microfiber cycle on WW7000B. The results may be different depending on the clothes and environment. Tested by the Ocean Wise Plastics Lab.

[3] Will be available in the first half of this year in Europe.

[4] Available with SmartThings App on Android or iOS devices. A Wi-Fi connection is required.

[5] Relumino Mode targets those who suffer from severe visual acuity loss (Source: WHO, World report on vision, 2019) and symptoms of blurry vision. Some features may be supported at a different time, and service availability may not be available at the time of purchase of this product. Relumino Mode is applied for TV models QN80C, QN90C, QN800C, QN900C and works on sources provided through DTV and HDMI only. The Mode does not work on other sources, OTTs, etc.

Samsung Electronics is a founding member of the HCA along with The Electrolux Group, Haier, GE Appliances and Trane Technologies. The alliance brings together leading manufacturers of connected devices to enhance the compatibility of smart appliances across brands.

As part of the alliance, Samsung will work with other member companies to develop shared guidelines for cloud-to-cloud interoperability, accounting for data security and consumer safety requirements.

For Samsung users, this means the ability to operate and control appliances from other brands through its smart home platform SmartThings, making it simpler for consumers to integrate legacy and new devices into their connected homes. Alternatively, consumers will be able to access Samsung devices from other HCA member applications.

“We are pleased to have Samsung as one of the founding members of the Home Connectivity Alliance,” said Yoon Ho Choi, President of Home Connectivity Alliance. “It is the support of global manufacturers like Samsung that makes HCA uniquely qualified to establish interoperability guidelines for long-life appliances and systems in the home, ultimately delivering safe, simple and elegant consumer experiences.”

“As digital technology becomes more embedded in everyday life, we at Samsung believe that it’s essential to bring greater openness to our smart home ecosystem and empower consumers with more options to create truly personalised home experiences,” said Chanwoo Park, Executive Vice President and Head of IoT Business group at Samsung Electronics. “We are excited to work with other members of the HCA and will work to make home lifestyles easier and smarter with meaningful innovations in smart appliances and connectivity.”

Building on the partnerships fostered through the HCA, SmartThings will continue to deliver innovations that push the boundaries of smart devices, enabling more consumers to enjoy the benefits of connected living. From smart kitchen features to automated home cleaning and clothing care, SmartThings’ open platform brings together a wide range of cutting-edge devices and services to offer a holistic smart home experience.

Simplifying everyday life through digital technology is at the heart of Samsung’s smart home innovations. The company is committed to working with other members of the HCA to drive the future of smart home technology and deliver meaningful innovations to users.

For more information about the Samsung smart home ecosystem and SmartThings, please visit Samsung.com.

For more information about Home Connectivity Alliance, please visit https://homeconnectivityalliance.org/