Sumitomo Electric Networks begins shipment of home management box to Deutsche Telekom

TOKYO, JAPAN: Sumitomo Electric Networks Inc. has begun shipment of a specially built Home Management device to Deutsche Telekom.

Smart Connect, the platform that allows remote management of common in-home equipment, such as windows, door locks, lighting, and appliances from smartphones and tablets, is now being implemented by Deutsche Telekom and its partners,. One of the key components of this new management platform is the "Home Management Box", developed and manufactured by Sumitomo Electric Networks.

Sumitomo's first version of the Home Management Box was designed and produced in close cooperation with Deutsche Telekom's Connected Home team, and will be placed in the home between the carrier's broadband connection equipment, such as a Home Gateway, and the in-home equipment to be managed.

Based on the definitions of OSGi, the new Sumitomo Home Management Box will provide an extremely flexible and efficient communications link between a homeowner and much of the common equipment found in the home. Using any internet-connected device, such as a computer, smartphone, or tablet, a homeowner may lock or unlock doors, turn on or off lights and appliances, or manage energy-consuming equipment like heating and air-conditioning, all while away from the home.

"We are very pleased to be selected for this important project by Deutsche Telekom," said Yasushi Kida, president of Sumitomo Electric Networks. "Connected Home technologies are a top priority for Sumitomo, and we look forward to opportunities to provide similar solutions to other carriers in the near future."

Smart Connect was originally announced by Deutsche Telekom in September of 2011 and will be available to subscribers from mid-2012 onwards. Together with Sumitomo, partners E.ON, EnBW, eQ-3, and Miele, Deutsche Telekom will provide a tightly integrated ecosystem of products, which will enable an unsurpassed user interface and experience.

"Sumitomo has worked very closely with us, and we are pleased that their Home Management Box exceeds all of our expectations," said Holger Knöpke, head of Connected Home at Deutsche Telekom "We are very excited about this project, and the advantages it will bring our customers."

Sumitomo is committed to the connected home concept and expects its deployment throughout the world to deliver key lifestyle technologies, such as broadband access and entertainment delivery systems, and the company expects to make similar announcements in the future.