WeberHaus will offer HomeKit-enabled smart homes in Europe this year

Apple's smart home connectivity platform will be offered to more buyers of new homes in Europe, as pre-fabricated house builder WeberHaus has confirmed its home control systems will include support for HomeKit, starting later this year.

The addition will make WeberHaus the first home builder in Europe to pledge support for HomeKit, first highlighted by 9to5Mac. The company is known for producing smart homes customized to the customer's needs, and it already provides a home control system, with WeberLogic 2.0 and MyHomeControl from BootUp used to manage the main functions of the home.

HomeKit support means homeowners will be able to manage the same systems from their iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, with an iPad or Apple TV used as the home hub. Rather than the existing apps WeberHaus already uses, the core house functions can instead be controlled from the Home app, as well as through Siri requests.

Though WeberHaus does not specify the products it will use, the home builder does suggest customers will be able to adjust underfloor heating systems, blinds, and the installed light system from their iOS devices, as well as other HomeKit-enabled accessories. Other items can be added to the system, including radiator valves, light bulbs, and numerous sensors that are already available to buy.

WeberHaus will start offering HomeKit support for its new smart homes later this year, and has already fitted out one show home to demonstrate the system in Rheinau-Linx, Germany.

In October, Apple revealed it was working with a number of U.S. homebuilders to add HomeKit-compatible technology to new homes, in order to accelerate adoption of the smart home platform. The following month, KB Home opened up its first HomeKit-enabled model home in San Jose, Calif., to show the technology in action to prospective buyers.

5 Comments

tundraboy 1913 comments · 18 Years

About 7 years ago

"In October, Apple revealed it was working with a number of U.S. homebuilders to add HomeKit-compatible technology to new homes, in order to accelerate adoption of the smart home platform."

This just might be where Apple separates itself from the other smart home aspirants, notably Google and Amazon. We read now and then an article describing how Apple's security standards for Home Kit certification is so strict and onerous compared to Google and Amazon. If you are a home builder, which smart home system would you install in the homes you sell? The ones from companies who want to know everything about your or sell everything to you, or the one that device makers complain is too strict about privacy and security?

lkrupp 10521 comments · 19 Years

About 7 years ago

tundraboy said:

"In October, Apple revealed it was working with a number of U.S. homebuilders to add HomeKit-compatible technology to new homes, in order to accelerate adoption of the smart home platform."

This just might be where Apple separates itself from the other smart home aspirants, notably Google and Amazon. We read now and then an article describing how Apple's security standards for Home Kit certification is so strict and onerous compared to Google and Amazon. If you are a home builder, which smart home system would you install in the homes you sell? The ones from companies who want to know everything about your or sell everything to you, or the one that device makers complain is too strict about privacy and security?

The ones from companies who want to know everything about you or sell everything to you, of course. Especially if the contractor gets a kickback from Google or Amazon for installing their surveillance products. Where did you ever get the idea that contractors are altruistic when there’s a buck to be made? I’m being cynical but I’m also right.

paxman 4729 comments · 17 Years

About 7 years ago

lkrupp said:

tundraboy said:

"In October, Apple revealed it was working with a number of U.S. homebuilders to add HomeKit-compatible technology to new homes, in order to accelerate adoption of the smart home platform."

This just might be where Apple separates itself from the other smart home aspirants, notably Google and Amazon. We read now and then an article describing how Apple's security standards for Home Kit certification is so strict and onerous compared to Google and Amazon. If you are a home builder, which smart home system would you install in the homes you sell? The ones from companies who want to know everything about your or sell everything to you, or the one that device makers complain is too strict about privacy and security?

The ones from companies who want to know everything about you or sell everything to you, of course. Especially if the contractor gets a kickback from Google or Amazon for installing their surveillance products. Where did you ever get the idea that contractors are altruistic when there’s a buck to be made? I’m being cynical but I’m also right.

Also, it would not make any (business) sense to include HomeKit to the exclusion of competing and popular technology.

foggyhill 4767 comments · 10 Years

About 7 years ago

paxman said:

lkrupp said:

tundraboy said:

"In October, Apple revealed it was working with a number of U.S. homebuilders to add HomeKit-compatible technology to new homes, in order to accelerate adoption of the smart home platform."

This just might be where Apple separates itself from the other smart home aspirants, notably Google and Amazon. We read now and then an article describing how Apple's security standards for Home Kit certification is so strict and onerous compared to Google and Amazon. If you are a home builder, which smart home system would you install in the homes you sell? The ones from companies who want to know everything about your or sell everything to you, or the one that device makers complain is too strict about privacy and security?

The ones from companies who want to know everything about you or sell everything to you, of course. Especially if the contractor gets a kickback from Google or Amazon for installing their surveillance products. Where did you ever get the idea that contractors are altruistic when there’s a buck to be made? I’m being cynical but I’m also right.

Also, it would not make any (business) sense to include HomeKit to the exclusion of competing and popular technology.

It would if its a selling argument, security and privacy is something that can be serious advantage here. Not to mention Apple really stand behind its products in the software department.

If the company wants to sell further solutions, maybe they offer bridges between those competing products and Apple as an option.

Considering how deeply this would be integrated in all the homes functions and the possible impact on resale, I think opting for the one that has the least ramification on those points would be a no brainer for companies.

From a branding perspective, Apple is upmarket from those products so that plays into also.

Ideally, there should be a standard for the cabling, speakers, and end devices actions that would be separate from the logic part of the system. The brain (or swarm of OIT brains) could be replaced independently from all of this.

rotateleftbyte 1630 comments · 12 Years

About 7 years ago

paxman said:

Also, it would not make any (business) sense to include HomeKit to the exclusion of competing and popular technology.

That might be true until your Home Insurance policy refuses to pay out because you have some patently insecure IoT crap in use in your home.
You have to have door locks that meet a certain standard as a condition of your insurance (or pay more for insecure ones) so isn't it reasonable to have home automation and home security kit that is... as secure as possible?
If Google, Amazon and others can meet or exceed Homekit then great. IMHO, it is up to them to improve their products.

I don't have any axe to grind here as I won't knowingly put any IoT stuff in my home so there is no point in me promoting any of the usual suspects.