Philips Lighting Partners with Baidu to Bring Connected Lighting to Smart Homes in China
Industry News November 26, 2017 TiL Editors
Philips Lighting Partners with Baidu to bring Connected Lighting to Smart Homes in China
- Smart devices integrated with Baidu ’s DuerOS conversational AI platform work seamlessly with Philips Hue personal wireless lighting system
- Philips Hue integration with smart appliances set to accelerate adoption of connected lighting in China
Shanghai, China — Philips Lighting (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, today announced that it has added Baidu to its ‘Friends of Hue’ partner program. Baidu, the leading Chinese language internet search provider, will ensure that DuerOS, its conversational artificial intelligence (AI) operating system (OS), is integrated with the Philips Hue connected lighting system for the home. This means that Philips Hue lights will work seamlessly with all smart devices embedded with DuerOS, from smart speakers to wearable devices, which can be easily controlled through voice commands.
“With the rise of artificial intelligence, voice interaction is proving to be a natural gateway to enabling smart living,” said Sridhar Kumaraswamy, Business Leader of Home Systems at Philips Lighting. “Through voice recognition, Philips Hue will provide a seamless connection to a variety of smart appliances and wearables, accelerating the development of smart home lighting and IoT in China.”
“DuerOS has already been integrated into a variety of smart devices, including smart speakers, televisions and wearables, and we have big plans to develop even more DuerOS-compatible devices for the Chinese market,” said Kun Jing, General Manager of Baidu’s Duer Business Unit. “This partnership will enable Philips Hue to create more smart lighting experiences, enabling customers in China to control Philips Hue by using their voice and an even wider range of devices.”
Conversational AI control is currently a key focus area for global Internet companies. Connected lighting is an essential and most widely used smart home application. Its adoption around the world has received a huge boost from voice-enabled technology. The cooperation between Philips Hue and Baidu DuerOS will spur the development of new applications for the Chinese smart home market, which is estimated to be RMB 350 billion (approximately EUR 45 billion) by 20201.
1 Source: Report Smart Home Summit Asia, 2017
About Philips Lighting
Philips Lighting (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting products, systems and services, delivers innovations that unlock business value, providing rich user experiences that help improve lives. Serving professional and consumer markets, we lead the industry in leveraging the Internet of Things to transform homes, buildings and urban spaces. With 2016 sales of EUR 7.1 billion, we have approximately 34,000 employees in over 70 countries. News from Philips Lighting is located at the Newsroom, Twitter and LinkedIn. Information for investors can be found on the Investor Relations page.
About Philips Hue
Philips Hue is the world’s leading connected lighting system for the home. It comprises bulbs, strips, spots, lamps and controls. Through a vibrant developer program there are more than 750 third-party apps for Philips Hue. The system is transforming how light is used in and around the home to stimulate people’s senses, light their moments and help provide peace of mind when away from home.
From the launch of Philips Hue in October 2012, Philips Lighting has encouraged other companies to develop devices, apps and systems that interoperate with the system. From third-party apps and wearable technology, to internet services and connected home products; Philips Hue goes beyond illumination to provide more than just light – to deliver new experiences where the only limit is your imagination.
Under the Friends of Hue partnership program, participating companies have products, applications and platforms tested and certified as being able to integrate with Philips Hue to deliver a quality and seamless new lighting experience. The program is also open to luminaires manufacturers, so they can build and market products integrating Philips Hue technology, and provide choice and a consistent lighting experience to customers. For more information, please visit www.meethue.com
About Baidu
Baidu, Inc. is the leading Chinese language Internet search provider. Baidu aims to make a complex world simpler through technology. Baidu’s ADSs trade on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “BIDU”. Currently, ten ADSs represent one Class A ordinary share.
