IBM Sets ‘Smart Home’ Links To STMicroelectronics, Shaspa Research

International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM) announced a deal with STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM) and start-up Shaspa Research to link cloud computing to so-called “smart homes” of the future.

Financial terms weren’t disclosed.

IBM, of Armonk, N.Y., is one of the biggest chipmakers with its IBM Microelectronics division, as well as the biggest provider of computer services. STMicroelectronics, based in Switzerland, is Europe’s biggest chip maker. Shaspa, with offices in London, Singapore and Tokyo, has developed clean home monitors that lower energy consumption.

"We are entering a new era in which the role of the personal cloud is expanding into daily life,” Bruce Anderson, IBM general manager of the Global Electronics Industry, said. “In the future, cloud-enabled electronics will sense what people want, evolving from seeing-to-noticing-to-remembering personal needs and histories.”

The partners are demonstrating a concept “smart home” with embedded systems at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week.

An electronic “home gateway” using STMicro’s STiH416 chip and embedded software from Shaspa serve as a bridge to cloud and home services coming from IBM’s SmartCloud service delivery platform. The infrastructure is managed from a Shaspa graphical-user interface, or GUI, as well as IBM’s Worklight software permits consumers to manage home appliances from mobile phones.

The network is connected to the IBM cloud, which continuously monitors the home as sensors detect operation of electronic appliances, temperature and other conditions.

Alessandro Cremonesi, ST Micro group VP and general manager for advanced systems technology, suggested the linkup “can contribute to making smart homes a reality.”

Oliver Goh, Shaspa CEO, said the demonstration “shows that connected living is becoming possible today,” noting that the model can be scaled up to accommodate much denser residential clusters.

The companies cited a survey by Parks Associates predicting as many as 8 billion devices will be connected to home networks by the end of 2015.

Other technology companies are showing rival systems at the CES, which attracts more than 150,000 professionals involved with technology, products and applications.

Shares of IBM fell $1.43 to $191.71, while U.S. shares of STMicro rose 14 cents to $7.63 in midday Tuesday trading.