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Philips adds a six-pack of new partners to Friends of Hue smart lighting system

Bruce Brown
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It’s been a momentous year for Philips Lighting. In addition to a corporate name change to Signify in May, the New Jersey-based smart lighting company introduced six new partners in the Friends of Hue program at IFA 2018 in Berlin this week.

The newest members of the Hue lighting and smart devices family include two wall-switch companies: Busch-Jaeger and Illumra will offer Friends of Hue smart wall switches in a wide selection of styles and colors to give homeowners the chance to match their taste and decor.

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Hue smart switches in single and multiple-switch frames do not need wired connections or batteries to turn lights on or off, dim the lights, or choose light scenes. The switches operate via an energy-harvesting 2.4 GHz Zigbee GreenPower wireless technology based on kinetic energy from EnOcean.

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“Our partners in smart switches unite ease of control with design to match your personal taste and style,” said Marijn de Jong, Global Product Manager for Friends of Hue at Signify. “The partnership program expresses our ongoing commitment to grow the Philips Hue ecosystem with Friends of Hue that enhance the experience of smart lighting in the home.”

Building on Hue smart lighting capabilities and the wireless Hue smart switch features, four new lighting design companies bring their scene designs, or luminaires, to the party. The luminary designers include Kichler from the U.S., Makris by Imoon from Italy, Koizumi from Japan, and John Lewis from the U.K.

Customers can mix and match Hue smart lights and switches with multiple luminaires to create personalized lighting to match any mood or occasion. Stored light designs can be turned on with Hue smart switches or via other Hue lighting management methods including Alexa skill requests.

“Our new Friends of Hue luminaire partners offer striking designs to complement any indoor space,” de Jong said. “We all want our homes to look their best, and perfecting our interior design is a very personal thing. With this in mind, Philips Hue has expanded its Friends of Hue offering so users can experience more choice and freedom than ever before when it comes to illuminating their homes and enjoying the benefits of connected lighting.”

Signify announced that the new switches from Busch-Jaeger and Illumra will be released this fall along with previously announced Family of Hue partner switches from Niko, Vimar, and Feller. The luminaires from the four new partners and six existing designers are now available. More information on the Family of Hue partners and products will be available when the products are released.

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Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown
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Digital Trends Contributing Editor Bruce Brown is a member of the Smart Homes and Commerce teams. Bruce uses smart devices…
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