Sylvania smart lighting simplifies smart home application with direct voice control via Alexa

Aug. 17, 2016
“Alexa, Turn off My Living Room.” “Ok.”

Wilmington, Mass. – LEDvance announced that Sylvania smart lights can now be easily controlled via voice directly with the Osram Lightify® Gateway and Alexa-enabled devices including the hands-free voice controlled speaker Amazon Echo, helping make the Smart Home a reality for the general public. In addition to being able to control your lighting, Amazon Echo connects to Alexa to play music, provide information, news, sports scores, weather, and more—instantly.

The Osram Lightify Gateway now works directly with Alexa-enabled products. This offers a simple way for consumers to interact with their Smart Home, turning lights on and off and dimming them just by asking Alexa. Alternatively, for those that want a broader Smart Home experience, Sylvania smart lighting products continue to directly work with leading home automation systems that integrate with Alexa-enabled devices like Amazon Echo to offer additional features and product control like sensors, locks and thermostats.

“Voice enables incredibly simple and magical experiences,” said Charlie Kindel, Director, Alexa Smart Home. “Imagine being able to walk in your front door and have your house listen for your request to turn on the lights – now that’s a reality. We’re excited to add Sylvania smart lights to the list of Alexa-enabled lights – we think customers will love this experience.”

“According to our recently published Sylvania Socket Survey, which is a nationwide measure of public attitudes about energy-efficient lighting and awareness of lighting trends, most consumers think smart lighting will eventually replace regular light bulbs. More than half of consumers also believe smart lighting fits their lifestyle. However, few consumers have purchased smart lighting, suggesting that Americans see a trend coming but have not personally adopted it yet,” said Aaron Ganick, who heads up the Smart Home Americas business unit at LEDvance. “That is why we are making it even easier for consumers to maximize the benefits of their Smart Home by offering voice control of their Sylvania smart lighting products using Alexa. Voice control helps create a more enjoyable and convenient experience at home.”

The possibilities are endless with Sylvania smart lighting and Amazon Alexa. A father making dinner for his family can ask Alexa to make the lights brighter so he can see what he is doing better, and then later ask Alexa to dim the lights to create the perfect mood for dining; all without needing to stop what he is doing to pick up a mobile device and launch an app. A person busy preparing their home for a party can ask Alexa to turn on the outside lights so that guests feel safer walking up to the door, while they are also standing on a chair hanging decorations. Simple, convenient, smart living, thanks to Sylvania smart lighting and Amazon Alexa.

“Living in a Smart Home should not require an advanced technology degree, or need to be intimidating,” continued Ganick. “In order to bring the benefits of a Smart Home to the mass market, we need to simplify how consumers interact with our products which is why we are offering this capability with Alexa and Amazon Echo.”

LEDvance has the broadest portfolio of smart lighting products and accessories that allow users to have even more convenient control of their lighting and electronics, optimize their environments, improve efficiency, and help save time and energy. Unlike other offerings, Sylvania smart lighting products use the ZigBee Home Automation standard, which means that out of the box they will work with your favorite brand of home automation ecosystems. The Osram Lightify Gateway can also operate other smart lighting devices from a variety of manufacturers that are ZigBee Home Automation certified. Sylvania smart lighting products are available at major retailers online and in store nationwide.

About LEDvance LLC
LEDvance GmbH is a fully-owned subsidiary of Osram GmbH and is one of the world's leading providers of lamps for professional users and retail customers. In North America, LEDvance LLC offers Sylvania advanced LED lamps as well as a wide range of traditional light sources, standardized luminaires and connected lighting solutions. The Sylvania brand leadership in the industry is a result of a proud legacy of over 100 years of lighting experience and paves the way for future success. LEDvance is active in more than 120 countries and had approximately 9,000 employees as of 1 July 2016. In the 2015 fiscal year the general lighting lamps business amounted to around 40 percent of Osram turnover or approximately two billion Euros.

About Osram
Osram, based in Munich, is a globally leading lighting manufacturer with a history dating back more than 100 years. The portfolio ranges from high-tech applications based on semiconductor technology, such as infrared or laser lighting, to smart and connected lighting solutions in buildings and cities. Osram had around 33,000 employees worldwide at the end of fiscal 2015 (September 30) and generated revenue of almost €5.6 billion in that fiscal year. The company is listed on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt and Munich (ISIN: DE000LED4000; WKN: LED 400; trading symbol: OSR). Additional information can be found at www.osram.com

Contact:

Glen Gracia - LEDvance LLC
+1 (978) 570-3246