Latin America. Samsung unveiled advancements to its SmartThings platform that will bolster its B2B displays to shape the future of enterprise connectivity, at ISE 2024.
Samsung's "SmartThings for Business" exhibition showcased the advancements that the state-of-the-art IoT platform will offer, as well as the commitment to providing more connected and easy-to-control digital signage across industries.
SmartThings: From the Smart Store to the Smart Office
At ISE, Samsung demonstrated how SmartThings enables business owners to boost their digital signage to connect and gain greater control of their smart devices in various environments.
By offering the SmartThings connectivity feature to commercial display products such as Smart Signage and hotel TVs, users can experience the convenience of hyper-connectivity in their business environments. These changes will include Samsung's smart devices, as well as others that support industry IoT specifications, Matter, and the Home Connectivity Alliance (HCA).
Through the application of SmartThings in various business environments, Samsung contributes to more efficient space and energy management, transforming business places into interconnected smart spaces. These connectivity enhancements have been designed to benefit all types of business customers, from small and medium-sized business owners to large ones.
With the Routines feature, users can create the desired environments by setting optimal lighting, temperature, humidity, and air quality, and easily maintain them with automated space management. For example, a store can automatically turn the power on and off to align menu boards and lighting with operating hours.
In addition, SmartThings AI Energy Mode helps homeowners stay eco-conscious by reducing energy use through efficient asset management and advanced monitoring, such as turning off connected devices or dimming lights during the day.
To meet the needs of B2B customers, Samsung has expanded the SmartThings Enterprise API for business owners. By boosting the API, customers can easily connect SmartThings to their own management system and create a custom solution optimized for different scenarios or dashboards with the information they want. The customizable device ecosystem ensures seamless connectivity across a wide range of devices.
In the case of a hotel or conference room, where the device owner and user may be different, the owner can generate a web URL to share SmartThings features with end users. This way, guests or conference room users can easily enjoy the SmartThings experience without having to install an additional app. The device owner can also specify the authorization usage and duration of the connected device when generating a web URL.
SmartThings for Business, which marks a major step forward in connected technology for businesses, will be available during the first half of 2024. The platform will open up new possibilities for the efficient management of smart devices across industries, offering customized management solutions that meet the needs of diverse environments.
Samsung's New Interactive Display Uses Google Play App Access
Samsung also announced its first interactive display certified by the Google Enterprise Devices Licensing Agreement (EDLA) (model name: WAD), which will launch in the first half of 2024. With Android™ 13, the WAD series – available in 65, 75" and 86" – provides an intuitive and seamless learning experience for both teachers and students.
The WAD series offers an interactive classroom experience with a suite of educational tools. It provides access to numerous educational apps through Google Play, while also allowing access to various Google services, such as Google Classroom and Google Drive. The interactive display has the appearance of a large tablet with a familiar interface.
"We are thrilled to offer more EDLA-certified Android devices through our partnership with Samsung Electronics, expanding Android's reach beyond consumers, to schools and businesses. We look forward to continuing our partnership to deliver innovative display solutions for classrooms and beyond," said Scott Porter, General Manager of Android Chrome Enterprise Partnerships at Google.
The WAD series has been designed to meet various security and reliability requirements in educational environments. The display offers perfected protection during electrical surges or high humidity, adopting several technical measures including a 500V (DC) capacitor to instantly absorb high voltage up to 500V and a glass fuse to prevent damage. The WAD series also applies anti-humidity glue to the critical area of the chipset to support wet conditions, making it a valuable tool for schools in areas with rainy or high humidity climates.
In addition, the Device Management Solution (DMS) offers remote monitoring and control of classroom screens, even when unforeseen circumstances arise, to improve comfort in educational environments. With Advanced Messaging, displays can immediately send important messages across campuses, classrooms, and public spaces. Urgent communications can also be displayed on interactive whiteboards, so students and other staff receive real-time alerts. In addition, the series includes an optional attachable Wi-Fi® module, which satisfies advanced security requirements for various industries.
The WAD series was designed with learning optimization as a key priority. It offers a natural writing experience with infrared (IR) touch and supports up to 40 simultaneous touchpoints. The slim design allows educators to move the device comfortably, and features like Multi Window Mode allow them to manage multiple windows. There's also a USB-C 3-in-1 port that simplifies connectivity and allows connected devices to be charged at up to 65W, plus an HDMI output for easy content sharing. The series also comes with a front-facing stereo speaker, a pen holder, and a handle.
Optimizing 105" 5K Smart Signage, a Hybrid Work Experience
Samsung also announced an expanded partnership with Cisco to deliver enhanced collaboration experiences for hybrid workers. As part of this partnership, Samsung introduced its QPD-5K 105" 21:9 Smart Signage that is compatible with Cisco Room Kit EQ, certified by Microsoft Teams.
The model comes with a 5K resolution and a 21:9 aspect ratio. It provides an intuitive video conferencing experience, ideal for hybrid work environments. The QPD-5K is compatible with the Cisco Room Bar and Room Kit series, creating an efficient meeting environment by integrating camera, audio, and all other capabilities needed for video conferencing.
"We have entered a new era where hybrid work is an integral part of the work experience. Employees simply need to be able to have full functionality while working online. Our partnership with Cisco provides an accessible work environment and at the heart of that is our 105" QPD-5K display, which gives users the feeling that they are sitting in the same room as their colleagues," said Hoon Chung, Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics.
By connecting Microsoft Teams-certified video conferencing devices, such as Cisco's RoomOS-powered systems, the QPD-5K's 21:9 aspect ratio optimizes the Front Row experience, an inclusive meeting design for Microsoft Teams rooms. It ensures that all participants, whether remotely or in person, feel equally present and engaged in the discussion.
"In today's era of hybrid work, it's essential to reinvent workspaces to enable great collaboration. This means equipping conference rooms with intelligent video systems designed to provide immersive collaboration experiences to everyone, regardless of location. Through our partnership with these leaders, we deliver something we call Zero Distance, eliminating second-class experiences no matter where you work," said Jeetu Patel, EVP and General Manager of Security & Collaboration at Cisco.
The QPD-5K display offers a hyper-realistic and immersive visual experience in control rooms and classrooms, as well as meeting rooms. It supports multiple windows to display more information and runs on Tizen OS for optimized web services performance and leading durability.
