Samsung Electronics today announced the signing of a strategic technology partnership agreement with Hyundai Motor and Kia. The companies’ shared goal is to elevate users’ connectivity experiences by fully integrating the SmartThings IoT platform with Hyundai and Kia’s software-defined vehicles (SDVs).
The signing ceremony was held at Samsung Electronics’ Seoul R&D Campus, with Samsung’s participants including Paul (Kyungwhoon) Cheun, President, CTO of Device eXperience (DX) Division and Head of Samsung Research; Seungbeom Choi, Executive Vice President and Head of Device Platform Center; and Chanwoo Park, Executive Vice President and Head of IoT R&D Team. Participants from Hyundai and Kia included Chang Song, President and Head of Hyundai Motor Group Advanced Vehicle Platform (AVP) Division and Haeyoung Kwon, Vice President and Head of Hyundai Motor Group Infotainment Development Center.
Through this agreement, Samsung will integrate SmartThings with Hyundai and Kia’s next-generation infotainment system to offer a differentiated experience. First, they will introduce the global location solution function for vehicles and smart keys based on the SmartThings Find platform, which is a crowdsourced network of hundreds of millions of Samsung Galaxy devices that use the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology to report their location. Through the SmartThings Find service, users can locate vehicles using nearby Galaxy smartphones — even without a 4G or 5G cellular network connection — meaning drivers can more easily track down their cars in the event of them being lost or stolen.
Additionally, drivers can use their Galaxy’s Quick Panel to control air conditioning and check their remaining range from their device. Vehicles can also be added to the connected SmartThings ecosystem, allowing users to return to a home with optimized conditions by controlling their Samsung air conditioners, air purifiers or other connected devices while driving home.
As part of the agreement, Samsung will also continue collaborating with Hyundai and Kia to provide various AI-based services tailored to customer lifestyles and preferences. The companies will expand the use of SmartThings to include in-vehicle health monitoring via cameras and Galaxy devices, pet care solutions that optimize vehicle environments for pets, as well as integration with smart apartment solutions and SDVs.
“Our goal is to enrich Hyundai Motor and Kia customers’ mobility experience by offering personalized services that extend beyond transportation, seamlessly integrating vehicles with smartphones,” said Chang Song, President and Head of Hyundai Motor Group Advanced Vehicle Platform (AVP) Division.
“Through our collaboration with Hyundai and Kia, customers will experience the convenience of SmartThings not only at home but also in their vehicles, transcending space,” said Paul (Kyungwhoon) Cheun, President, CTO of DX Division at Samsung Electronics and Head of Samsung Research. “We will continue to expand the SmartThings ecosystem, offering new lifestyles and value to even more customers.”
Consistent Steps Forward Enable Shared Progress
In January this year, Samsung and Hyundai announced to partnership focusing on home-to-car and car-to-home services that connect smartphones, vehicles and home appliances. Based on this agreement, the two organizations have been working toward a reality in which a Samsung device can be used to seamlessly control a Hyundai or Kia vehicle — and home appliances can also be easily controlled from inside the vehicle.
This latest evolution of the two companies’ relationship now adds the aforementioned SmartThings functionality and cooperation to provide user-tailored AI services. Essentially, the scope of the collaboration has now been broadened to include even more comprehensive SDV integration — as well as healthcare, pet care and smart apartment solutions.
