Home Automation company, Smartthings has announced in an official blog that it has been acquired by Samsung for a fee reportedly to be $200 Million. SmartThings was founded in 2012 to enable people automate, control and monitor their homes remotely using a mobile app.
The company however would remain under the leadership of Founder and CEO Alex Hawkinson but the headquarters would be moved to Pato Alto in California where Samsung’s Open Innovation center (IOC) is located. The IOC is headed by former Google and AOL executive, David Eun; the IOC is focus mainly on software innovations and services development.
Head of the IOC, David Eun had this to say on the deal;
SmartThings has created a remarkable universe of partners and developers and now has the most engagement of any smart home platform in the world. Connected devices have long been strategically important to Samsung and, like Alex and his team, we want to improve the convenience and services in people’s lives by giving their devices and appliances a voice so they can interact more easily with them. We are committed to maintaining SmartThings’ open platform, fostering more explosive growth, and becoming its newest strategic partner.
CEO SmartThings, Alex Hawkinson had this to say on the deal;
As an open, standards-agnostic platform for the Internet of Things, our vision has always been to innovate, build, and make the world smarter, together. With Samsung behind us, we will be able to attract more device makers and developers to unlock the limitless possibilities of the consumer Internet of Things. We are thrilled to become part of the Samsung family and continue our goal in making every home a smart home.
SmartThings produces home automation products thatcan be controlled with Android and iOS smartphone app. Users can control locks, electronics, lights, appliances and other connected home devices using this platform. Samsung also launched a similar platform early this year at the CES 2014. The acquisition would definitely strengthen Samsung’s pursuit of Home automation marker with its Galaxy line of device.
Looks like home automation and smart appliances is the new cool, apple announced its HomeKit at the WWDC Keynote in June and Google recently acquired Nest for its smart thermostat.
