Samsung may be looking to better integrate themselves in the home automation sector as they have just reportedly bought smart home company SmartThings, at a price said to be around $200 Million. SmartThings as you my have already guessed is company that specializes in making your home smarter and more automated, with products like the SmartThings Hub, motion sensor, multi-sensor, and the GE Light & Appliance Plug-and-Control Power Outlet. These products pair together with the free downloadable Android or iOS application that allows the user to interface with them and control everything with basically just a tap.
Samsung says that SmartThings will continue to run independently and the current CEO will remain in position, however we wouldn’t be surprised if they sooner than later took things down in a change of heart. Whatever they choose to do it’s likely that they’re looking to find a way to use SmartThings to make their own products including TVs, home appliances and other electronics, smarter and more automated and connected to the owner/user. Since SmartThings is already setup to provide this type of service Samsung could look to update their products to work with the SmartThings Hub and app, or they could be looking to create a completely new product that allows for Samsung’s other stuff to interface with the system.
The purchase of SmartThings sees the company moving to Palo Alto, California and working with Samsung’s Open Innovation Center as it will become a part of them. That includes all 55 employees, which are spread throughout various offices in San Francisco, Minnesota, and their main base in Washington D.C. Recode reports that Hawkins had stated he thinks “at a high level, it has always been our vision to go really big,” saying that he believes the sale to Samsung will help to speed up their efforts of what they want to achieve in the space their doing things, not just any things, but smart things. The open nature of the SmartThings hub could be a great way for Samsung to simply create an app that works and plays well with the SmartThings system, especially with SmartThings now under their umbrella and coming on board.