Furniture and home decor retailer IKEA has announced that its smart lighting range is about to get a whole lot smarter. The Trådfri product line will soon work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri and HomeKit.
IKEA’s foray into Smart Home tech only properly began in March with the release of a series of connected lighting products. Before that its smart solutions were limited to wireless mobile chargers.
Now, the appeal of the recently released Trådfri range has been boosted by compatibility with smart home technology from Google, Amazon and Apple.
The added functionality, expected to be rolled out later this year, means that IKEA customers could soon be controlling their lighting with voice commands, just as users can already do with Philips Hue products.
It’s a sign that the Swedish furniture giant is keen to capitalize on its popularity and industry influence, and is a move that would have ramifications for the likes of Apple, Samsung, Google and Amazon – all of whom have their own smart home offerings.
Read more: Smart home product manufacturers must target customers in different ways
Just the beginning for IKEA
In a statement, IKEA said that it “sees great potential in the smart home business,” adding that “in the years to come there will be additional launches” that allow customers to build onto existing smart home technology.
This could include a move towards other connected products, including smart thermostats, cameras and appliances. The company also reiterated a desire to continue to make its connected products compatible with others on the market.
With 340 stores in 28 countries, Ikea has the commercial clout to take affordable smart lighting into the mainstream. The manufacturer is also famous for its competitive prices and is already undercutting smart lighting offerings from rivals.
Simplifying and removing the barriers normally associated with installing smart home technology is the mission here. “With IKEA Home Smart we challenge everything that is complicated and expensive with the connected home,” said Björn Block, business leader for IKEA Home Smart.
“Making our products work with others on the market takes us one step closer to meeting people’s needs by making it easier to interact with your smart home products”.
Read more: Neo Technology CEO: Smart homes won’t work without smart data
IKEA’s connected home
Although IKEA’s next smart home products are only speculation at this point, the company’s smart lights can now work seamlessly with other HomeKit, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa-enabled devices such as door locks, sensors and ceiling fans.
“We think that smart home technology should be accessible for everybody. That is why we will continue to make our products work with others on the market,” said Jeanette Skjelmose, IKEA’s business area manager for lighting.
Read more: Echelon connected streetlights to get smart with IBM Watson
