Samsung Electronics is planning to install Wi-Fi function into all of its household appliance products that will be released from here and on as a basic function in order to push forward IoT-based Smart Home generation.
According to related industries on the 21st, Samsung Electronics’ Household Appliance Business Department has implemented a plan to install Wi-Fi function into all of Samsung’s major household appliance products that will be released from here and on as a basic function. Until now Samsung Electronics only stalled Wi-Fi function into certain products so that they can be controlled by Smartphones or use IoT functions.
“We are planning to install Wi-Fi function into most of Samsung Electronics’ household appliance products that will be released in the future after going through enough development process and examination process on markets.” said a high-ranking official for Samsung. “This is a measure to have consumers to prepare for more advanced functions in the future since household appliance products last at least 5 years.”
A reason why Samsung Electronics has decided to equip all of its new products with wireless LAN function is because it wants to occupy IoT generation in advance. It wants to provide Smart Home services with higher level of perfection by providing optimized user environment for consumers and exchanging information through connection between household appliances.
Increase in production cost is inevitable if Wi-Fi function is installed within household appliance products. However as Wi-Fi starts to become a basic function for more products, cost for additional product per product will not increase as much due to mass-orders and mass-productions. Enough competitive prices can be provided in spite of increase in uses.
Fact that Samsung Electronics is calling Wi-Fi function as a must for its household appliance products reflects its will to grab an upper hand in household appliance industries in the future. Samsung Electronics acquired SmartThings that specializes in Smart Home in August of 2014 and presented its blueprint in expanding its Smart Home business. It also announced that it will connect all of its household appliance products with IoT by 2020.
Samsung Electronics is planning to support household appliance products that do not have Wi-Fi function with Samsung’s Smart Home called ‘Dongle’, which operates as USB. It is a supplemental tool that allows telecommunication between devices by being attached to analog household appliance products.
“Since Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are starting to install Wi-Fi as a basic function for household appliance products, Wi-Fi is now required specification for household appliance products.” said a representative for a household appliance industry. “As telecommunication is increasing between more devices, there will be more variety of Smart Home services and business models.”
Staff Reporter Park, Sora | srpark@etnews.com