- Osram, Sonos, Assmann, Bernal, and E.G.O. are new partners
- App to control Miele domestic appliances
- New Telekom packages save energy, boost safety and comfort
The Smart Home has now hit the road. Automaker BMW will in the future link the connected home with its automobiles. The driver will be able to regulate the lights or heating in different rooms, to switch appliances on or off, and will receive a text message alert if, for example, a window or patio door has been left open. Using the iDrive Controller button all of these functions are performed simply and safely. The in-vehicle display shows the relevant information from your home. BMW is demonstrating the new app in a BMW i3 at Deutsche Telekom’s IFA consumer electronics show booth in Berlin.
Domestic appliance manufacturer Miele is marketing another new app from September 2014. It enables QIVICON users to keep an eye on their Miele appliances so that they can, for example, see on their smartphone how long the washing machine program has yet to run. Household appliances can also be remote controlled. A handy option in this connection is that users can lower the temperature of their freezer from on the road if they have just bought a load of fresh food. From the coffeemaker to the dishwasher, Miele@home-enabled devices of nearly all kinds can be connected by QIVICON. The only functions that cannot be operated remotely are safety-related ones such as switching the cooker hob on or off.
Influx of new partners At the same time there are an increasing number of opportunity to operate existing products and solutions via QIVICON. Sonos, a leading provider of cordless home music systems, is one of a number of new QIVICON partners. Users of the QIVICON platform can now not only control their central heating, shutters and electrical appliances by app but will also be able to play their favorite music in HiFi sound wirelessly all around the home thanks to Sonos.
QIVICON is also stepping out in new lighting directions. German lighting manufacturer Osram and its smart lighting system Lightify are joining the cross-vendor platform. With the Lightify app a wide range of lighting moods can be set and controlled from anywhere. “With Lightify,” said Timon Rupp, in charge of Lighting at Osram, “we cover nearly all uses of light – from functional lighting for a desk via colorful and atmospheric lighting in the living room to decorative lighting accents in the garden.”
In addition to music and lighting, QIVICON is opening up new areas of use with the garage door opener manufacturer Bernal and the electronics company Assmann Electronic. With the Bernal door operator users will be able to control the garage door by smartphone or tablet, which is not only comfortable but also a safety benefit. Assmann Electronic’s Digitus brand of wireless IP cameras will shortly be added to the QIVICON platform, thereby improving security. “Together with QIVICON,” said Harald Kintzel, Technical Director at Assmann Electronic, “we aim to ensure that our customers can continue to connect their homes meaningfully.”
Partnership with the E.G.O. Group will make even more domestic appliances QIVICON-compatible. The E.G.O. Group, one of the world’s leading domestic appliance suppliers, has developed a communication module, the Appliance Connector, with which it can link new and existing product generations with QIVICON in the future.
New Smart Home basic packages offer even more orientation It is not only new partners that are expanding their offerings; existing partners are doing so too. From mid-October Telekom is replacing its present Smart Home basic package by three basic packages focused on energy saving, security and comfort respectively. Using the basic Home Base unit and the app licence, they each offer a themed selection of components that provides a better orientation for Connected Home beginners. Additional packages complement the offering by providing three actuators or sensors for systems such as heating thermostats or smoke alarms at a reduced package price. Via the Smart Home app these easy-to-install components are easy to control by smartphone when you are out and about.
QIVICON is popular with users. That was shown by the results of a recent opinion poll of Chip computer magazine readers. They rated the QIVICON Home Base “Good” and were especially impressed by its ease of installation.
See an experience our products and services live at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin from September 5 to 10 at the Deutsche Telekom booth in Hall 4.2. Deutsche Telekom’s entire booth is climate-neutral. All carbon dioxide emissions in connection with erecting and running the booth are 100 per cent offset by carbon dioxide reduction projects in other countries.
About Deutsche Telekom Deutsche Telekom is one of the world’s leading integrated telecommunications companies with over 142 million mobile customers, 31 million fixed-network lines and over 17 million broadband lines (as of December 31, 2013). The Group provides fixed-network, mobile communications, Internet and IPTV products and services for consumers, and ICT solutions for business and corporate customers. Deutsche Telekom is present in around 50 countries and has approximately 229,000 employees worldwide. The Group generated revenue of 60.1 billion euros in the 2013 financial year - over half of it outside Germany.