It's clear by now that IKEA is serious about smart home tech between its Sonos-powered speakers and connected lights, but the home furniture giant wants to formalize that commitment. It just established
a full-fledged Home Smart business unit that, as you might guess, will
be dedicated to smart home products. It's the "biggest" new unit since
the Children's IKEA division, the company's Peter van der Poel said.
The company has been involved in connected homes since 2012, but this
investment in a division help it "grasp the full potential" of the
technology. It'll work with "all other departments" to digitize the IKEA
lineup.
You could see this coming -- IKEA hinted
that it saw the Home Smart app as the eventual hub for controlling a
broader ecosystem. Even so, it could have a tremendous impact on the
smart home field. IKEA is unique in the field in its ability to develop
both smart home tech and the furnishings you'll use in conjunction with
that tech. It could thrive simply by creating harmonious combos that its
competition can't offer.
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