Ikea has announced it is making ‘Ikea Home Smart’ its own business unit within the larger company, signaling a slew of integrated smart home products for years to come. The announcement follows on from the recent release of a smart lamp speaker and bookcase speaker, both of which use Sonos hardware.
It is one of the first times a major homeware company has committed to making smart home products a core focus of its business. In a press release Ikea said it would do so “by incorporating digital elements and technologies into products and solutions.”
“At IKEA we want to continue to offer products for a better life at home for the many people going forward. In order to do so we need to explore products and solutions beyond conventional home furnishing,” said Björn Block, Head of Ikea Home Smart Business Unit.
Following on from the Ikea Sonos speakers that work well with Apple HomeKit for easy setup into new or existing smart home networks, we expect Ikea to crack on and make smart home integration, if not standalone products, a core focus.
This will likely be from putting subtle wireless charging mats in the arms of sofas to more audio integration in its beds, fittings and shelving. The possibilities are if not endless then pretty exciting if you like your technology to blend in with your interior design rather than stick out like HAL from 2001.
Author: Henry Burrell, Phones Editor
Henry is Tech Advisor’s Phones Editor, ensuring he and the team covers and reviews every smartphone worth knowing about for readers and viewers all over the world. He spends a lot of time moving between different handsets and shouting at WhatsApp to support multiple devices at once.