Nokia has launched a smart home solution for operators as it looks to take a share of this emerging market.
Nokia Smart Home has been designed around three key elements.
First, a single device that acts as an Optical Network Terminal, residential and smart home gateway. It features support for the Wi-Fi, Z-Wave and ZigBee standards.
Second, there is a mobile app to enable users with Android and IoS devices to control the home's connected devices and, third, a management platform. Nokia said the latter comes with a range of predefined use cases.
The Finland-based vendor said its offering supports an array of sensors, plugs and other connected devices for the delivery of home security, automation and smart metering services.
It will be available by the end of 2016.
Nokia’s President of Fixed Networks Federico Guillén said: “In a very fragmented market, network operators have a unique opportunity to stand out from other OTT players and position themselves as the smart home providers of the future.
“The Nokia Smart Home solution offers operators the chance to get ahead of the IoT trend and provide customers with a simple plug-and-play solution that is fully interoperable with the leading Wi-Fi technologies and standards needed to manage smart devices and applications.
“It will also help operators provide new smart home security and automation services that can generate additional revenue opportunities and further enhance customer loyalty."
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Nokia joins a crowded space. Deutsche Telekom has been steadily expanding its Qivicon platform, Huawei has seven operators signed up to its solution, while Ericsson remains in talks with AT&T to bring its Digital Life system to international customers.
Jonathan Collins, Research Director for Smart Home at ABI Research said: "The broad Smart Home market is still fairly young.
“As a leading IoT segment there is clear potential for rapid growth and with that new revenue opportunities for network operators.
“However, critical to growth will be providing interoperability between myriad devices.
“Increasingly operators must ensure that the residential smart home device they deploy can support multiple protocols in a single device, including Wi-Fi, ZigBee and Z-Wave."
Source: http://www.eurocomms.com/industry-news/11624-nokia-enters-the-smart-home-as-it-unveils-new-solution