SmartThings, Samsung’s connected smart home platform, has announced a stronger partnership with Philips Hue and support for an expanded number of products. Hue worked with SmartThings to certify an additional 155 products as Works With SmartThings, or WWST.
So what does this mean in everyday terms? Basically, it’s become easier for companies like Philips Hue to link products with SmartThings. The Certification by Similarity program, as it’s called, allows companies to “certify” entire product portfolios with ease.
“We are always striving to make the Works with SmartThings Certification process easier and efficient for partners. Our latest updates to our Developer Center have enhanced our offering to partners,” says Aaron Swift, Director of Product Management – Developer Experience. “As a pioneer in smart lighting, Philips Hue has set the standard for innovation and reliability. We are pleased to expand certification to their full lighting portfolio, ensuring more consumers can experience their high-quality, connected lighting solutions.”
If you’re a SmartThings user, you don’t have to change how you do anything. However, it does mean you’ll have better control over smart home devices than you did before. More products can be linked to your overall smart home system and controlled from a single device, and you should have full range of access to features that might have previously been somewhat restricted.
Compared to Amazon Alexa or Google Nest, Samsung SmartThings has traditionally been one of the less-popular choices. With these new changes and the wider range of product compatibility, SmartThings is taking a step toward becoming a more equal competitor to these more-established platforms.
