Samsung has called for greater openness and collaboration in developing the Internet of Things, and has announced a timetable for making its products IoT-enabled.
BK Yoon, president and CEO of Samsung Electronics, said during the opening keynote speech at the 2015 International CES in Las Vegas: “The Internet of Things has the potential to transform our society, economy and how we live our lives. It is our job to pull together – as an industry, and across different sectors – to make true on the promise of the Internet of Things.”
The IoT must centre around people and their lifestyles, he added: “The Internet of Things is not about ‘things.’ Instead, it is about people. Each person is at the centre of their own technology universe, and the IoT universe will constantly adapt and change shape as people move through their world.”
He also announced that all Samsung televisions will be IoT devices by 2017, and that all Samsung hardware will be IoT-ready in five years’ time. Emphasising the importance of developers in building IoT, he stated that Samsung will invest more than $100m in its developer community in 2015.
The IoT will be driven by sensors, which are set to become even more advanced and precise. Samsung’s advanced sensors can understand a person’s environment to offer the right solution or service. The company is also working on chips, such as the embedded package on package (ePOP) and the Bio-Processor, which are sufficiently energy-efficient and compact to go into a wide range of devices, especially wearables and mobile devices.
SmartThings CEO Alex Hawkinson joined Yoon on stage to stress the need for an open infrastructure. “For the Internet of Things to be a success, it has to be open,” said Hawkinson. “Any device, from any platform, must be able to connect and communicate with one another. We’ve worked hard to accomplish this, and are committed to putting users first, giving them the most choice and freedom possible. The SmartThings ecosystem is now compatible with more devices than any other platform.”
