GE Appliances has created a new team — SmartHome Solutions — that will unite the company’s connected technology and IT teams to further the company’s, and its parent company Haier’s, efforts in the connected home space.
GE said the new group “is charged with continuing to help consumers manage their households more efficiently and in new ways. This means extending the business’s thinking to all areas of the home where automation technologies and deep knowledge of data analytics and Cloud-based applications can bring more convenience, more assistance and more peace of mind to owners.”
GE veteran Shawn Stover will head up the new unit, as VP of SmartHome Solutions. Stover has been with GE Appliances since 1998, serving in a series of engineering, marketing, sales and operational roles, including his most recent post as general manager of the cross product and connected home business. In his new role, Shawn will have responsibility for leading GEA’s overall SmartHome Solutions IoT strategy for all product lines, brands and services.
“Shawn’s network across multiple industries, his deep product knowledge, strong business acumen and demonstrated success in creating collaboration make him uniquely qualified to lead this inventive group,” said Kevin Nolan, GE Appliances CEO. “Our ambition is to be first with connected products and services that deliver real, everyday value, whether that’s using an app to turn your oven off, controlling your air conditioner from anywhere in the house, or automatically ordering more laundry detergent before you run out. There’s an energy that’s evident in our team that promises many exciting outcomes.”
Stover’s responsibilities will include building more partnerships with leading companies in the Wi-Fi world.
GE Appliances counts among its connected home innovations the first Wi-Fi-connected wall oven and the first voice-controlled appliances with Amazon and Google connectivity.
The SmartHome Solutions team further plans to expand the Haier U+ Smart Life Platform in the United States. Through an open interface protocol, U+ allows different appliance makers to connect and control products across multiple smart household brands.
Using the U+ platform, consumers have access to real-time information about their appliances on their mobile devices via a dedicated app. Appliances can therefore be monitored and controlled remotely.
