Earlier this year at CES 2022, Samsung, Arçelik A.Ş., The Electrolux Group, Haier, GE Appliances, and Trane Technologies jointly organized aHome Connectivity Alliance (HCA), earlier announced that it would use C2C (Cloud to Cloud) cloud docking to allow the corresponding apps of connected home appliances of different brands to be interoperable. It also announced that LG and Resideo have joined the alliance, allowing more connected home appliances to be connected to each other.
According to the Home Connect Alliance, due to differences in the corresponding functions and underlying network platforms of the apps for connected home appliances from different brands, in the past, it was only possible to turn home appliances on or off through simple commands, but more detailed functions such as adjusting the temperature, setting the fan swing angle, or turning on a specific TV channel were not possible. However, this time, through C2C cloud docking, the cloud platforms behind the corresponding apps for connected home appliances from different brands will be connected in series. This allows the corresponding functions of different apps to be used in a software-defined manner, thereby achieving the goal of linking specific functions between home appliances across brands.
In this way, users can use a single app to specify the operation of all connected home appliances in the home that support the Home Connect Alliance protocol. At the same time, they don’t have to worry about whether different brands of connected home appliances in the home must be operated through individual apps. They don’t even need to use a single app for migration, which results in only being able to purchase products of the same brand, thereby affecting the convenience of use and flexibility of choice. It also makes it easier for developers to create application services.
The Home Connect Alliance emphasizes that this C2C cloud-based integration allows connected home appliances from different brands to connect with each other, not just newly released connected appliances, but also existing products. This allows users to conveniently use existing connected appliances without having to replace them, saving them significant replacement costs. The addition of C2C cloud-based integration is expected to expand the application possibilities of HVAC and connected TV products.
As for the current members of the Home Connect Alliance, in addition to LG and Resideo announced this time, as well as the earliest members, they also include American Standard, beko, Grundig, Leader and Vestel who joined recently.
