Samsung’s SmartThings passes 45 million monthly active users

Today at the 2019 Samsung Developer Conference in San Jose, Samsung announced that SmartThings, the Seoul company’s internet of things (IoT) platform, now has over 45 million monthly active users and works with more than 5,000 devices from 100 different manufacturers. It anticipates both of those metrics will grow in short order, thanks to newly announced developer and partner programs.

One of those programs is Works as SmartThings Hub (WASH), which will allow OEMs like network operators to embed SmartThings Hub software into their devices. It complements Samsung’s existing Works With SmartThings program that certifies devices work with the entire ecosystem.

The other is the SmartThings Device SDK Beta program, which will launch in 2020 to enable more third-party manufacturers to create SmartThings-compatible devices. It’s designed to be used in tandem with the SmartThings Device Kit, which makes onboarding to Wi-Fi easier so that developers don’t need their own cloud infrastructure. And it incorporates the new WebCore-integrated Rules API, which enables the creation and local execution of smart home routines.

Samsung also said it would establish a new global certification center to “fast track … new devices to market.”

For the uninitiated, SmartThings spans routers, sensors, fridges, TVs, and more thanks to the launch last year of Samsung’s SmartThings Cloud, which lets users control compatible IoT devices from a single app. (Samsung says that over 10 million homes in the more than 100 countries where SmartThings is available are connected to SmartThings Cloud.) It’s Samsung’s play for a ballooning IoT segment that shows no sign of slowing down according to IDC, 41.6 billion devices will be connected to the internet by 2025. And by 2022, the market is anticipated to be worth $24.88 billion, growing with a 19.75% compound annual interest rate.

This afternoon’s reveals come a year after Samsung announced it had doubled the number of SmartThings and launched tools to streamline development for the platform. Vodaphone recently adopted SmartThings for its V-Home system, which uses it to manage security devices from smoke detectors to alarms, and Korea Power Exchange tapped SmartThings to help manage its customers manage home energy use. And just this morning, global AI and IT platform provider Tuya announced a collaboration with Samsung SmartThings to “advance smart solutions.”