SK Telecom has signed memoranda of understanding with three home appliance rental service providers to develop new technology for its “Smart Home” service, a home automation and monitoring platform.
The companies involved are Kyowon Wells, Tongyang Magic and Chungho Nais, which lease water or air purifiers.
“The partnership with those home appliance rental service providers has stepped up our Smart Home service quality,” said Cho Young-hoon, head of Smart Home task force at SK Telecom.
The deal comes as the top mobile carrier further invests in Internet of Things (IoT) technology, which many wireless service operators believe will become their future growth driver.
The IoT connects everyday items to the Internet through Cloud technology, making it possible for them to transfer data.
The latest buzzword in the tech scene is changing normal homes into so-called smart homes. In one of these connected houses, users can remotely control and monitor appliances, as well as detect fires and control lighting, all via a smartphone app.
Connecting water or air purifiers could make it easier for users to know when they need to replace filters by sending an alert to users, the carrier said.
SK’s Smart Home air purifier may also analyze the air quality and adjust itself accordingly.
When the machines malfunction, the app will first notify the user, then alert the service center.
SK Telecom and the three rental service providers are working to roll out the outcome of their collaboration in October at the earliest.
The No. 1 carrier has already forged partnerships with 25 companies since launching the Smart Home service in May.
Existing connected products include door locks, boilers, dehumidifiers and gas valves.
SK plans to add 20 more products to its lineup of Smart Home by the end of this year.
Source: http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/Article.aspx?aid=3008513