Dive Brief:

• ABB is integrating its energy management system into Samsung Electronics’ smart appliance platform in a move that’s about making it easy for facilities managers to monitor and adjust energy use from multiple manufacturers’ connected devices in one interface.
• By combining ABB’s InSite system with a platform that Samsung designed for consumers, the companies are trying to keep energy management as uncomplicated as possible. 
• The “streamlined user experience … makes energy management accessible and convenient,” the companies said in a joint statement.  

Dive Insight:

The InSite energy management system will be integrated into Samsung’s SmarterThings and SmarterThings Pro platforms.  

Samsung designed SmartThings for consumers to operate appliances, light dimmers and blinds, among other connected devices, from a tablet. The company has touted the platform’s ability to connect to devices across manufacturers. “Our SmartThings platform is one of the largest open ecosystems of connected devices and services,” Samsung said last March when it announced an earlier integration with ABB. In June, Samsung launched SmartThings Pro, which extended the smart home technology to commercial environments. 

The aim is for managers of smaller facilities — mixed-use and light commercial — to use the single interface to track and adjust the energy consumption from all of the smart appliances and devices at their property using the real-time and historical data collected by InSite. The companies envision the platform being used to manage devices ranging from dishwashers and air conditioners to vacuum cleaners and lawn-mowing robots.   

Consolidating management of these and other devices onto a single tablet “reduces ‘app overwhelm,’” the companies said.

The companies launched a similar collaboration last year when they brought together Samsung’s SmartThings platform with ABB’s free@home automation App. 

The integration of ABB’s commercial-focused InSite system works much the same way: users gather data from their field devices for centralized management. 

“Our combined solution not only differentiates properties in a competitive market, but also addresses the rising importance of energy efficiency,” Mike Mustapha, president of ABB's Smart Buildings division, said.