Chinese Home Appliance Maker Changhong and Ayla Networks Sign Agreement to Launch IoT-Based Smart Air Conditioners

January 4, 2016 | By Business Wire News

LAS VEGAS

CES Show – Ayla Networks, a leading enterprise-level Internet of Things (IoT) platform, and Changhong, a multinational conglomerate and home appliance industry giant from China, have signed a cooperation agreement to launch a new generation of cloud-based smart air conditioners. They will preview the air conditioners at the International Consumer Electronics Show 2016 (CES 2016) in Las Vegas, being held January 6 to 9.

As part of the agreement, Ayla Networks will provide IoT cloud technology and cloud platform support for Changhong’s split air-conditioning products worldwide, and Changhong will also make use of Ayla technology to create smart air-conditioning products in regions outside China. In particular, Ayla’s IoT platform allows Changhong to perform over-the-air (OTA) updates of software continuously.

Ayla and Changhong Cooperative Agreement Spurs Global Changes

Chinese home appliance companies such as Changhong export approximately half of their products to the United States, Europe and Japan. As the industry’s only globally deployed IoT cloud platform vendor, Ayla has established IoT clouds operating from data centers in North America, China and Europe.

By using Ayla’s IoT cloud platform, Changhong and other home appliance manufacturers can easily solve a series of challenges faced by smart product exports, such as adaptability to local market laws and regulations; docking with the local cloud; insight into the local market, user experience and habits; better understanding of the capabilities and costs of operating cloud services in the local market; and improved time to market for the launch of new connected products.

“Although this agreement with Ayla mainly covers Changhong’s air-conditioning business, the cooperation may be extended to more areas and may result in more in-depth and extensive cooperation in the future,” said JianBin HE, vice general manager of Changhong air conditioner overseas marketing center. “Following 30 years of development, China’s home appliance market has become saturated. As such, China’s home appliance makers will inevitably expand overseas. In the future, as Changhong continues our efforts in the area of smart connectivity, there will be more room for cooperation between the two companies.”

“Ayla’s comprehensive IoT platform makes it easier for Changhong to deliver secure performance of its smart air-conditioning products,” said David Friedman, CEO and co-founder of Ayla Networks. “For instance, our technology can effectively reduce the recall risk of products through our built-in enterprise-level security, verified OTA services and highly reliable cloud architecture.”

About Changhong

Sichuan Changhong Electric Co., Ltd., is a diversified US$16 billion multinational conglomerate specializing in the research and development, production, sales and service of consumer electronics and home appliances. Founded in 1958, Changhong is one of the largest home appliance makers in China and was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 1994. Through its four listed companies—Sichuan Changhong, Hefei Meiling, Huayi Compressor and Changhong IT—its business scope now covers TVs, refrigerators, mobile phones, air conditioners, electronic components and compressors.

As of 2015, Changhong ranks number 152 in China’s top 500 enterprises and is number 64 in China’s top 500 manufacturers. Currently, Changhong is working to complete its “smart strategy” industrial ecosystem by developing the three smart systems of smart platform, smart control and smart application and by creating comprehensive solutions for smart home, smart community and smart city.

About Ayla Networks

Ayla Networks empowers leading manufacturers by simplifying the inherent complexity of the Internet of Things (IoT), enabling them to turn their products into smart connected systems and transform their businesses to compete in the game-changing world of connectivity. Delivered as a cloud platform-as-a-service (PaaS), Ayla’s IoT platform provides the flexibility and modularity to enable rapid changes to practically any type of device, cloud or app environment. Ayla Networks was named a 2015 Cool Vendor in the Internet of Things by Gartner, Inc. Ayla’s investors include Cisco, the International Finance Corporation, SAIF Partners, Crosslink Capital, Voyager Capital, Linear Venture and SJF Ventures. For more information, visit www.aylanetworks.com.