CE Pro July 2022 - 20

Networking+Home Control
INTERVIEW
Mark Benson
Head of SmartThings,
Samsung Electronics
How is SmartThings preparing its platform and partners
for a market that includes technologies such as WFH (work
from home) equipment and wellness devices?
Since the start of the pandemic, people are spending much
more time in their homes. In addition to being places of
rest, relaxation and safety, homes have also become places
of work and fitness. Homes are serving a wider variety of
purposes. Consumers want greater interoperability across a
wider number of devices to meet a growing list of use cases
that matter to them.
Through this, we've learned choice and personalization
are incredibly important to the consumer. The SmartThings
adoption of Matter will allow devices across brands to work
together for seamless use. Adding Matter support into our
platform will broaden consumer choice on top of the hundreds
of certified brands already enjoyed by the millions of SmartThings
users around the world.
What has SmartThings learned from the pandemic about
smart homes?
During this time, we've leaned in to empathy to better understand
consumer behavior and usage patterns, and to apply
this to our design and business practices. For example, 50%
of smart home journeys have started in just the past three
years. We're seeing more interest from women; a lower average
household income; and growing demand from renters. We've
uncovered emerging use cases like home care and cooking that
have driven many of the recent partnerships we've established.
Another emerging trend has been the increased desire for
sustainable living. While eco-friendly products have been on
the rise in recent years, the pandemic accelerated this trend.
There is higher demand to manage home energy use in a more
efficient way. SmartThings Energy allows consumers to monitor
energy consumption in real-time, analyze usage patterns, and
receive energy saving tips to help lower their utility bills.
Who are some of the latest SmartThings adopters?
Today, we're proud to work with hundreds of compatible
devices including lights, cameras, voice assistants, locks, thermostats
and more, through partnerships with leading brands
like Amazon, Honeywell, Arlo and Google Home Assistant. We
have 15 categories of supported devices, ranging from voice
assistants to window treatments. We have also brought the
20 | CE Pro July 2022
groundbreaking smart home interoperability standard, Matter,
into SmartThings' ecosystem.
With voice assistants rapidly growing in adoption, how is
SmartThings addressing these options?
SmartThings works with certified Google Assistant and Amazon
Alexa devices and can be used to control lighting, plugs,
and thermostats (U.S. only), as well as the ability to automate
multiple devices. SmartThings offers the most flexibility when
connecting to other voice assistant platforms like Google, Siri
and more. Our goal is to provide a truly open platform that
connects devices across partner brands and ecosystems.
" We're seeing more [smart
home tech] interest from
women; a lower average
household income; and growing
demand from renters. "
What are some of the fastest growing market segments?
Smart home adoption crossed a milestone last year with ownership
now at 55% in the U.S. With high purchase intentions
signaling further growth ahead, the market is inching closer to
mass-market adoption than ever before. Research indicates
that the majority of consumers start their journey with smart
speakers or smart displays. As they venture further in their
smart home experience, more and more people are expected
to add light bulbs, doorbells, thermostats and other devices to
their home setup.
What developments does SmartThings see impacting
future generations of smart homes?
Matter will be a game-changer, creating an open ecosystem in
which multiple brands can easily interact within the SmartThings
ecosystem. This will also push more smart home adoption.
The global growth and appeal of multifamily unit buildings
is prompting developers and builders to recognize that homes
today are more than ever dependent on connectivity and
technology, and the new generation of residents is starting to
expect smart home technology as a tablestake amenity like
fitness gyms or swimming pools.
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CE Pro July 2022

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