According to new research from Samsung SmartThings, half the UK population admits to not being fully comfortable leaving the house post lockdown. Having got used to extended lockdowns, 41% say they’re now so used to being at home they’re not ready to leave, 35% say they’re struggling to get back into the swing of socialising and 32% say that having less control over their home lives worries them.
Samsung argues that this provides an ideal opportunity for CCAPS services such as its free SmartThings solution. The solution enables customers to control their homes and connected devices wherever they are via their smartphone, laptop or wearable. SmartThings supports an open ecosystem meaning that it easily integrates with hundreds of smart devices – from Ring doorbells to Arlo/Nest security cameras. Samsung’s research says that 33% of UK residents are now interested in this type of technology to control their homes and appliances, and to track their belongings remotely.
“Our research shows just how accustomed to being at home the UK population has become, and just as technology has helped get the nation through lockdown, it can also help people take small steps to get back out into the world, knowing their homes and connected devices are in their full control.”
Samsung says a new anxiety has arisen due to hybrid working, with 61% of respondents worried they may lose key devices when working ‘on the go’. 4 in 10 of these respondents say they’d be less worried if they could track their belongings. Dosanjh argues that technologies such as SmartThings have a key role to play in helping ease these worries. “Our SmartThings Find solution is ideal to help alleviate these worries as it helps customers track down their lost smart devices – even providing a map to show them where they are. For precious possessions that can’t be located in this way, people can simply attach a SmartTag, which can then be tracked via our platform – delivering extra peace of mind,” he says.
Omnisperience View
Samsung’s SmartThings platform is a comprehensive solution to a number of common problems within the smart home. Building on their heritage of home electronics and appliances, Samsung’s solution focuses on locating valuable objects and automating key functions – such as lights, TVs and domestic devices. This solution is not in itself unusual, but Samsung brings to it a strong white goods background and hints at how it might broaden its offering with the interesting addition of SmartThings Cooking. Powered by Whisk, this solution recommends personalised recipes based on the ingredients the customer has and their personal preferences to plan meals more efficiently. It can even help you order any missing ingredients and have them delivered on time.
Samsung has a number of advantages in the CCAPS space – including ownership of the mobile platform, as well as knowledge and control of digital appliances beyond the TV, CPE and lighting – that lifts it above the standard offerings that are emerging. Its creation of an open platform to tie together heterogeneous smart objects speaks to the reality of the smart home today and opens up choice to the householder that breaks them out of closed ecosystems so they can pick the most appealing objects and still tie them together. This openness is a smart move from Samsung, as it places them in a great position within the CCAPS ecosystem, making them an ideal partner for vendors with security or WiFi-centric offerings.