The connectivity philosophy of digitalSTROM

The connectivity philosophy of digitalSTROM Vinton G. Cerf: “Connection means change” To connect means in the first instance to join and interlink. If we want to connect people or things, we join them so that they can interact on the basis of cause and effect. This results in complex systems with their own dynamics. Connectivity represents a digital lifestyle. We spend a lot of time online, relating not only to other consumers, but also to brands, products, and ideas. We look for, find, swap, buy, book, communicate and connect online – via PC, smartphone or tablet. Apps that can also realize this add an extra dimension to our digital lifestyle. This connection not only connects us to other people, but also to things and systems: for instance web-enabled cars that transmit their own data and automatically provide weather and traffic updates, as well as other information from the web and use it to respond accordingly. Increasing digitalization in various areas is changing our everyday lives. It is opening up increasingly varied opportunities and generating scope for new products and services. Because of this, connectivity also stands for change. The connected home Digitalization in our everyday lives is not progressing everywhere at the same rate. The dynamic environment of broadband networks, mobile infrastructures, smartphones, tablets and app stores plays a pioneering role – mainly due to the high penetration and acceptance among end users. At the same time, this environment is a hotbed for ideas and solutions concerning connectivity and digitalization in other areas of life. An example of this is the smart home. Whoever thinks of a smart home today thinks primarily of house control systems and automation. If a house has remote-controllable blinds, central control of electronic equipment in all rooms, automated energy and heat sources or a lighting concept that can be controlled via a smartphone, then it is generally considered to be a smart home. It is often sufficient if a house has these applications in the form of a single-purpose solution. But is it really intelligent? Is it smart? Intelligent connectivity is more than home automation. It is only one of many possible applications in an integrated connectivity concept. Various other fundamental criteria have to be achieved before we can really speak of a smart home: •

All devices should be connected and smart All devices in a home must be connected with one other and the Internet. This does not only mean appliances like TVs, hifi-systems or remote-controlled blinds which are more or less still connected in many households, but also every light switch, every lamp and every household appliance that is connected to the power supply. Connectivity therefore does not only mean that appliances receive commands, but that they in return can also transmit data. Thus, connectivity also stands for creating an infrastructure that allows the exchange of information in both directions.

Press contact Rebecca Ritter Phone: +49 (0) 211 960 817 52 Mail: [email protected] Corporate Communication digitalSTROM AG Eva Heringhaus Brandstrasse 33 CH - 8952 Schlieren-Zurich Phone: +41 (0) 44 445 99 44 Mail: [email protected]

When devices are connected, they should also be able to pass on information when communicating with other components. In the case of lamps, for instance, this would include information such as the current power consumption, which socket the bulb has and whether it is broken or not. digitalSTROM solves this with its special hardware: the digitalSTROM terminal block with an integrated 4mm x 6mm highvoltage chip. The digitalSTROM components can be compared to intelligent circuit breakers. The integrated high-voltage chip fulfills six important functions: it can switch, dim, measure electricity, store data, communicate via the power line and it has its own computer performance. •

Devices should be usable for different applications Individual devices traditionally have allocated functions: a doorbell rings when someone is at the door and a lamp provides light. But devices need to be separated from their functions in order to connect them intelligently. For instance, the sound of the doorbell can be used as a fire alarm or as a signal when the washing machine in the basement has finished its cycle. The light in the basement may also flash to signal that the doorbell is ringing. This type of multiple usage is already familiar from smartphones in which for example the light can both be used as a flash and a flashlight.

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The smart home should have an open interface and an internet connection Corresponding apps are required to allocate various applications to the existing functions of the devices and various services also have to be linked to one another. A smart home equipped with digitalSTROM therefore has an open interface (API) that can connect with smartphones, tablets, the Internet and the cloud. One of the options made possible by this is the ability to communicate with the smart home via speech recognition on smartphones (e.g. Google Now’s speech control). For instance, via the voice command “Switch the light on in the closet for one minute”, the network can ensure that this operation is performed for the required time.

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New applications should be easy to add Based on these open interfaces, both digitalSTROM and third-party providers can develop applications and make these available for users to download. Without these applications, a home would be just as smart as a smartphone without apps. It must also be possible for the user to subsequently install or update applications and extend the system according to their preferences. Seeing as real estate is a long-term purchase and preferences change over time, the user should be able to adapt the smart home easily instead of having to look for a new house. An ongoing and user-oriented smart home technology must be able to adapt to adjustments and developments without any major changes to the hardware. This is possible if new functionalities are made available in the software via apps. The user invests in the installation of the basic infrastructure once and then benefits longterm from the flexibility and expandability of the system. The IP interface and the UPnP compatibility of digitalSTROM also allow the system to respond rapidly to technical developments and integration of new devices in the


system. For example, a SONOS system or Philip Hue can already connect to the smart home system. Connectivity also in this case leads to a multitude of possible applications. Apart from integration in individual room moods, the signal of the conventional doorbell or any other warning signal can for example just as well come from the connected SONOS system. •

Devices should be able to be tagged with additional information All devices in the digitalSTROM network can be equipped with additional information when they are ‘tagged’. This makes it simple to provide customers with applications and services based on this information. For instance, by scanning the barcode of a light bulb at the local hardware store, a customer can see whether or not it is suitable for the lights at home. Or, a television tagged with data on the warranty period could inform the manufacturer or dealer via email that the warranty will expire soon or directly offer the customer a warranty extension. A heating system with information on the service intervals could initiate service appointments proactively.

A good broadband network in the house provides the basis Audio and video streaming services are part of our digital lifestyle. And if the user wishes to connect the refrigerator, washing machine or coffee maker, all it takes is a glance at the manufacturer’s range of products to see if it is possible. Many appliances and devices are namely already ‘smart’, or will be in the foreseeable future. According to predictions, there will be two of these connected devices per square meter of living space in the near future. A stable broadband infrastructure in the house is essential in this case: digitalSTROM is focusing on equipping every room in a house or apartment with the corresponding connectivity. New usage scenarios made possible by the wide variety of apps digitalSTROM creates a digital infrastructure, connecting all devices within a household with each other and with the Internet. This also provides access to various social media channels, including Facebook and Twitter. The applications that are created for this infrastructure depend primarily on the imagination of the app developers and of course also on the desires and needs of the customer. Today, applications are already available that for instance access weather services and use this information to regulate the blinds depending on the weather forecast. If the weather service forecasts hail, the blinds automatically go up to avoid hailstone damage. Apps for voice control of the home are also part of life with digitalSTROM, as are applications for power and the monitoring of energy consumption. By linking the devices to social media channels, for example, relevant data such as energy consumption can be shared on platforms like Twitter. Such information directly uploaded to the Internet can be effectively evaluated with social media monitoring tools. It is all a question of demand, a good idea and the use of existing platforms and services. Apart from the additional convenience and security at home, completely new marketing opportunities for products and services arise; just as we have already seen in the smartphone market with its app stores. The user interface becomes a marketing interface through which products or services can be offered and hardware can also be directly linked to certain services via the digitalSTROM network. For example, if a lamp detects that the bulb needs to be changed it could order the right bulb itself at the best price via an online Press contact Rebecca Ritter Phone: +49 (0) 211 960 817 52 Mail: [email protected] Corporate Communication digitalSTROM AG Eva Heringhaus Brandstrasse 33 CH - 8952 Schlieren-Zurich Phone: +41 (0) 44 445 99 44 Mail: [email protected]

shop, such as Amazon. Or, an integrated panic button in the home security system can automatically alarm a specific security company when it is activated. The competition arising among software providers ensures growth, quality and price awareness while ultimately benefitting developers and consumers. In the future, more and more devices will be automatically connected. This also opens up opportunities to introduce robotics into the household. It is only a matter of time before companies start offering cleaning services by remote-controlled robots in the home especially considering the growing number of elderly people who want to be cared for in their own home, as cost-efficiently and as long as possible. This is definitely an inspiring concept.
