The President and CEO of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Boo-Keun Yoon, delivered the opening keynote speech at IFA 2014, calling on the consumer electronics industry to agree on open industry standards so that the ‘Home of the Future’ can meet the demands of people and adapt to their unique needs and lifestyles.
“It’s about human-based innovation. It’s about technology that isn’t overwhelming and works discretely behind the scenes to adjust to consumers’ needs at the right time”, he said. “I don’t want Samsung to be remembered as a technology company,” Mr. Yoon added. “I want us to be remembered for providing unique experiences, because true innovation today is centered on people and their dynamic needs and lifestyles.”
As part of Samsung’s vision for “bringing the future home,” Mr. Yoon said the ‘Home of the Future’ will adapt to people’s needs through three key attributes, ultimately becoming a home that cares for people:
- Show Me: It will make complex data visible and useful so people can make better choices.
- Know Me: It will learn people’s needs and recognize lifestyle patterns.
- Tell Me: It will proactively adjust to their needs and provide suggestions without being asked.
Samsung showed a future home concept video that combined currently existing technologies with the future’s, further illustrating just how near the future home is.
A Billion Homes of the Future
Mr. Yoon further noted that each future home will be tailored to the different needs of those who live there. In this way, there will not be one Home of the Future, but a billion Homes of the Future that are tailored to the unique passions and needs of people.
Taking the Leading Role
Samsung is one of the companies best equipped to turn this vision into a reality. As the leader in consumer electronics – from mobile devices and TVs to home appliances and healthcare – Samsung will use the research and creativity of its six Lifestyle Research Labs, six Product Innovation Teams and six Design Centers around the world, as well as strategic collaborations with industry partners, to bring the Home of the Future.
Open Collaboration
Samsung recently announced its acquisition of SmartThings, a leading open platform for the next-generation smart home experience. In just over two years, SmartThings has built an active ecosystem that supports more than 1,000 devices and 8,000 apps created from its community of device makers, inventors, and developers.
“We are thrilled to work together with Samsung,” said Alex Hawkinson, CEO of SmartThings. “With the scale of resources and support from Samsung, we’ll be able to expand our platform to even more partners and devices. We’ve come so far, in such a short time, and are really excited for what’s ahead.”
The Future is Not Far
In concluding his keynote, Mr. Yoon added that the future home is not far away – and that the change ahead will be dramatic for many fields.
“The opportunities ahead are enormous,” Mr. Yoon said. “The ‘Home of the Future’ will not just boost the tech industry, but will create more jobs and a ripple effect across society – from energy efficiency to safety, and independence for our increasingly aging population. By collaborating with industry partners, Samsung is well positioned to lead and drive this transformation.”