Samsung announces its partnership with Kia to integrate SmartThings Pro into Kia’s Platform Beyond Vehicles (PBVs)

Samsung Electronics has today announced its partnership with automaker Kia, to integrate SmartThings Pro into Kia’s Platform Beyond Vehicles (PBVs). This is an extension of the strategic technology partnership signed last September with Hyundai Motor and Kia.

With this partnership, customers will be offered more convenient and valuable mobility experiences through SmartThings Pro.

Executive Vice President of the B2B Integrated Offering Center at Samsung Electronics, Chanwoo Park said in a statement, “By integrating SmartThings Pro into Kia PBV, we plan to present an intelligent new way for businesses to be connected to their customers. We will provide an optimized integrated store management experience based on customized solutions to cater to a range of B2B customers including self-employed and small business owners.”

Sandae Kim, Head of the Kias PBV Division said, “Kia PBVs are designed to be more than just vehicles, they are intelligent business solutions that connect seamlessly with digital ecosystems. We anticipate that our business collaboration with Samsung Electronics, leveraging its AI B2B solution SmartThings Pro, will extend the vehicle user experience for our business customers beyond PBVs into the broader IoT ecosystem. This partnership is expected to create new opportunities for discovering customer value.”

With the integration of SmartThings Pro, B2B customers can connect their vehicles to external business spaces and execute automated routine controls set in vehicles to increase operational efficiency and convenience. Small business owners who remotely operate multiple unmanned stores or shared lodgings can use a Kia PBV to manage them in real-time while on the move. As part of remote management, users can receive notifications of abnormal activity and device failures or maintenance. Users can also manage check-ins and check-outs, optimize air conditioning, and prevent energy waste when customers are away.

SmartThings Pro provides advance notifications of on-site tasks that need to be carried out. It also helps busy small business owners like food truck operators, in automating every task at once like preparing and organize signage, audio, cash registers, refrigerators, cooking appliances, and lighting before and after hours of operation