In what can be best described as an “Alliance of tech giants,” Apple, Google and Amazon have agreed to develop an open-source smart home standard.
The plan is to ensure devices of the three companies are compatible and work together for better data storage and security.
It means customers can easily use any smartphone device of either company seamlessly without interruptions.
Technology from each of the three companies’ smart home systems — Apple’s HomeKit, Amazon’s Alexa, and Google’s Weave — will be contributed to the new standard.
The standard will work alongside existing connectivity protocols — like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth — rather than seeking to replace them. In fact, the group says devices will likely have to support Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy, or Thread (a much-discussed but little-used smart home protocol) in order to work with the system at all. Exactly how a device connects will be up to its manufacturer.
For now, the trio will focus on smoke alarms, door locks, smart plugs, security systems, and heating / air conditioning controls.
Other consumer and even commercial devices would come after that.