News is currently stirring around introduction of an integrated home automation system, to be launched at the 2014 WWDC. As the WWDC starts in less than one week technology news sites the world over are tripping over themselves with excitement about these kinds of announcements.
The Financial Times have today published a post detailing Apple’s entry to the home automation market. Something which doesn’t really come as much of a surprise, considering they’ve been retailing the Philips Hue product range for sometime now. That, as well as there almost guaranteed release of wearable health technology.
The Smart Home automation platform is said to make automated your home electrics as simple as walking through the door.. For example; When your iOS device is in range or when you walk through your front door – the potential is to have your lights automatically switch on.
Details of the features of the Smart Home automation platform will be expectedly be sketchy until after the keynote has been released. However, the “Smart Home” kit will almost definitely rely on NFC chips, or some kind of bespoke chip made specifically by one of Apple’s many hardware suppliers.
This will undoubtably launch a new certification system that hardware vendors will be quick to jump onto the back of. I’d expect the see some Apple designed logo – “designed for Smart Home” or similar popping up on the industry leaders kit very shortly after release.
It would certainly be a massive switch in direction if Apple released their own automation hardware at the WWDC, however this is so unlikely to happen. Only time will tell…
Once the WWDC keynote has been made public, I will be reporting back on any released information as soon as is possible. To keep up to date with all releases check out the RSS site feed.