Schneider Electric, Danfoss and Somfy to Create a Connectivity Ecosystem

Apr 15, 2018

Schneider Electric, Danfoss and Somfy’s planned connectivity ecosystem aims to accelerate the adoption of connectivity in residential, mid-size building and hotel markets. The connectivity solutions are supported by qualified installers, making them simple and easy for customers to deploy.

The global market for connectivity is growing fast, with an estimated 8.4 billion connected devices in 2020. In 2016, fewer than 17% of U.S. homes had any kind of smart home system, and less than 4% in Europe. Most of these are single-application devices.

The challenge is that connectivity is still widely perceived as lacking in simplicity, reliability, interoperability and after-sales support. Installation quality is also an issue, particularly when the installation process is left in the hands of end users or unqualified installers.

Under the partnership, Schneider Electric, Danfoss, and Somfy will align their connectivity and technology strategies to develop an open ecosystem, making their products seamlessly interoperable at controller level, or at cloud level through APIs (Application Programming Interface).

“Controlling lighting, heating and shutters together in one system is a real expertise that we can now jointly offer by combining more than 300 years of industry leadership – all backed by our extensive professional installer networks,” says Lars Tveen, President Danfoss Heating Segment. “In recent decades, we have also developed a high level of compatibility with other application leaders within HVAC equipment, access control, door entry systems and audio-video. We believe the time has come to further consolidate interaction among other players and to build seamless and simple integration of our applications.”

Commitment to openness and interoperability

“We have already built established connectivity platforms based on our core applications and have experienced significant success with Schneider Electric’s Wiser, KNX, C-Bus, Danfoss’ Link and Somfy’s TaHoma,” says Philippe Delorme, Schneider Electric Executive Vice President for Buildings & IT Business. “We believe in openness and interoperability. Connectivity protocols and platforms are still very diverse. We have built the technology know-how that incorporates all the major communication protocols and is compatible with all emerging user interfaces and voice controllers. And we are fully committed to long-term compatibility with our legacy platforms.”

The ecosystem’s first three use cases are targeting

• hotels with fully integrated guest room management
• high-end residential segment with best-in-breed controls, combined in a seamless integrated system
• new housing, or comprehensive home renovation or upgrade, using a new smart-home-ready electrical panel

The benefits for hotel operations are seamless integration of systems, providing a consistent and excellent guest experience, while optimizing energy use without impacting customer comfort and health. The solution also allows hotel facility managers to control everything through a single integrated system.

Find out more: www.schneider-electric.com/en/about-us/press/news/corporate-2018/connectivity-ecosystem-residential.jsp