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Samsung recently acquired a new set of keys to the connected home when it bought SmartThings, a smart house startup. The deal, reportedly valued at $200 million, will allow Samsung to keep SmartThings as is while making the company a part of Samsung's Open Innovation Center (OIC).
The move looks smart especially as competitors like Apple are ramping up their connected home efforts and Google is putting up $3.2 billion for connected home companies like Nest Labs. But what exactly did Samsung get when it bought SmartThings and how will it factor into the Korean giant's foray into the smart house?
SmartThings began as a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of raising $250,000. It raked in more than $1 million.
The actual SmartThings product consists of the Hub, a control center for the connected home, and a series of Things like a multi-sensor, motion sensor and a presence sensor. The main conceit is an open platform...