Schneider Electric links KNX with Samsung SmartThings

Schneider Electric has integrated its SpaceLogic KNX system with Samsung SmartThings, covering residential settings and commercial buildings through SmartThings Pro.

The integration lets users monitor and control SpaceLogic KNX devices through the SmartThings platform. A single interface provides access to lighting, blinds, temperature control, sensors and energy systems.

For commercial property operators, the link with SmartThings Pro is intended to support multi-site building management. Facility managers can use central dashboards to monitor lighting, blinds, HVAC, occupancy and energy consumption across several locations.

This addresses a longstanding challenge in commercial buildings, where operators often manage products from different manufacturers through separate systems. Achieving a single view of data and controls has been difficult when devices and software remain disconnected.

Home control

In the residential market, the integration brings SpaceLogic KNX products into the same SmartThings app used for other connected devices in the home. Homeowners, builders and contractors can manage KNX-based systems alongside smart appliances and consumer electronics such as televisions.

The move reflects broader demand for simpler control of connected homes, where users have often had to rely on multiple apps and incompatible products. By bringing KNX devices into SmartThings, Schneider is expanding the range of products that can be managed from one platform.

Samsung has also changed its certification process for partners, allowing Schneider to bring its full SpaceLogic KNX portfolio into the SmartThings ecosystem more quickly. This gives both homeowners and facility managers access to a broader set of connected devices through the same platform structure.

Energy focus

The companies are placing energy management at the centre of the integration. The combined setup gives users greater visibility into energy use in homes and buildings and supports more automated control of systems that affect consumption.

This can help users optimise energy consumption across residential and commercial environments. Schneider also linked smarter automation to efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings.

Interoperability remains a key issue in both markets, as customers increasingly expect connected systems from different suppliers to work together. KNX, one of the longest-established standards in building automation, has been used worldwide for more than 35 years and includes more than 500 manufacturers in its ecosystem.

Schneider has longstanding ties to that market and was one of the founding companies behind KNX. The group remains one of the larger global participants in the ecosystem, which is widely used for building controls in homes and commercial properties.

"Interoperability has become increasingly important in both residential and commercial environments, where customers expect connected systems to work together seamlessly," said Laurent Roussel, SVP, Commercial & Channel, Schneider Electric.

"Integrating SpaceLogic KNX with Samsung SmartThings expands how customers can manage their connected devices, personalize their automation experience and gain greater visibility into energy usage across homes and buildings," Roussel said.

SmartThings is Samsung's connected living platform and is used by millions of people in nearly 200 countries, according to Samsung. It supports control of connected home and internet of things devices across Samsung products, including phones, televisions and appliances.

The platform has positioned itself as an open ecosystem for smart home and connected building products. Schneider's decision to bring its KNX range into that environment adds another established building automation system to a platform already used across consumer and commercial settings.

For Schneider, the tie-up extends its reach in a market where customers want fewer interfaces and more joined-up control of building systems. For Samsung, it adds Schneider's SpaceLogic KNX portfolio to the list of devices and systems that can be managed through SmartThings and SmartThings Pro.