IKEA Join Zigbee IoT Alliance

IKEA has added its name to the Zigbee Alliance, allowing the Swedish homewares company to sell devices on a common platform and ‘to play a larger role in influencing the global IoT movement’.

The Zigbee Alliance appointed IKEA to join its board of directors overseeing an organisation of hundreds of companies including Philips Hue, Samsung SmartThings, Amazon Echo Plus, Honeywell thermostats, Belkin, Yale smart locks, Sonos and Arlo.

Ulf Axelsson, IoT Architect at IKEA Home Smart said their’ goal is to democratise smart home technology by offering affordable products to everyone’.

It comes following the significant appointment of Amazon to its board of directors in January this year.

As a result, Amazon Echo Plus Devices have built-in Zigbee smart home hubs for seamless connectivity.

By simply saying, “Alexa, discover my devices” your Echo Plus device can automatically set up your devices once located.

IKEA reportedly sold more than five million Zigbee enabled devices in 2018 alone, a portfolio that includes lighting, smart blinds, wireless accessories and speakers.

Sound partner Sonos recently launched its SYMFONISK series of network speakers which have proved to be slow sellers at IKEA. 

Tobin Richardson, President and CEO, Zigbee Alliance has called the appointment of IKEA ‘a tremendous gain to the Alliance leadership’.

‘Their ability to make imaginative, affordable connected home products accessible to consumers across all classes and categories forms the core of great connected device experiences’.

‘Our shared commitment to align and move companies to open standards at product design is what helps ensure that all IoT products’ just work’ once installed.’