Samsung Electronics announced on the 27th that it signed a "strategic business agreement for collaboration with Kia PBV" at the "Kia EV Day" media event held at the Tarako Arena in Tarragona, Spain, on the 24th (local time).
Attending the signing ceremony were Park Chan-woo, vice president of the B2B Integrated Offering Center at Samsung Electronics, and Kim Sang-dae, vice president of Kia's PBV Business Division.
Samsung Electronics explained that this agreement is an extension of the "Samsung Electronics-Hyundai Motor Group Technology Partnership and Mutual Cooperation Agreement" signed in September.
Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor Group expanded their collaboration from the existing business-to-consumer (B2C) market to the business-to-business (B2B) sector, aiming to provide customers with more convenient services based on "SmartThings."
"SmartThings Pro" is a solution that integrates various devices, solutions, and services, from residential facilities to office buildings and commercial facilities, to provide efficient energy savings and integrated space management tailored to business customers.
With "SmartThings Pro," B2B customers can connect vehicles to external business spaces and set up an "automation routine" function that allows appliances to operate automatically based on daily routines while in the vehicle.
In the future, self-employed and small business customers who purchase Kia vehicles will be able to integrate and manage automated routines for air conditioning, signage, and appliances within their stores through "SmartThings Pro." For example, small business owners operating unmanned stores or shared accommodations can manage their business sites in real-time while on the move.
They can remotely monitor accommodation devices, receive alerts for unusual behaviors such as noise and maintenance notifications, manage check-ins and check-outs, optimize air conditioning, and prevent energy waste when customers are absent, all in real-time.
Additionally, as the vehicle approaches the store or accommodation, it will provide advance notifications for tasks that need to be performed on-site, such as replacing consumables and maintenance lists.
"SmartThings Pro" also acts as a staff member assisting busy food truck operators in preparing for sales.
Food trucks, which need to move locations frequently, spend at least 30 to 40 minutes getting various devices ready and organized, such as signage, audio equipment, point-of-sale systems, refrigerators, cooking equipment, and lighting, before and after sales.
Using "SmartThings Pro" allows food truck operators to control various devices at once, enabling them to focus more on cooking.
Park Chan-woo, vice president of the B2B Integrated Offering Center at Samsung Electronics, said, "The AI B2B solution 'SmartThings Pro' and Kia PBV will showcase a new everyday life where business customers can experience consolidation between their stores and mobility. We will provide an optimized integrated management experience for business sites based on tailored solutions for self-employed individuals and small businesses."