Telefónica to trial AT&T’s smart home IoT platform

Telefónica has announced plans to bring a trial of US carrier AT&T’s connected home platform, “Digital Life”, to Europe. Digital Life allows customers to monitor domestic smart and connected devices such as intruder alarms, thermostats and ovens, and control them through mobile applications and other web based user interfaces.

AT&T will provide Telefónica with the necessary technical resources and software to enable Telefonica to operate the IoT (Internet of Things) service in its domestic markets. The Digital Life platform will also be customised to show Telefonica branding, as well as handing over management and hosting of the service to the Spanish telco.

The President of AT&T’s Digital Life business, Kevin Peterson, believes that global distribution of the service will widen new market opportunities for industry OEMs.

“Telefónica is making the right move at the right time here to be an industry leader. The connected home industry is major,” he said. “The collaboration between Telefónica and AT&T will benefit the entire industry by giving OEMs and developers another channel to extend new services to global markets. There is no better platform for the connected home than Digital Life. Our service excels in security, ease-of-use, and the platform is built to expand and be open to third party technology.”

Michael Duncan, Group Chief Marketing Officer for Telefónica, believes that AT&T’s technology combined with Telefónica’s local expertise in global markets will prove to be a beneficial partnership for its customers.

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“We want our customers to have access to the best selection of digital products and services, and we believe that connected home services will provide consumers with greater convenience, control and peace of mind,” he said. “AT&T’s Digital Life is the best-in-class Connected Home platform. When you add Telefónica’s local market insights, trusted brands, and innovative operating business – it’s a winning combination.”

The IoT space has been warming up throughout 2014, and as reported by Telecoms.com in August, Samsung acquired a readymade IoT ecosystem and community, in the shape of Californian KickStarter funded start up, SmartThings.