Samsung is adding smart locks from Californian smart home brand U-Tec to its SmartThings platform.

U-Tec has inked a partnership with Samsung, enabling its Ultraloq smart locks to be integrated with the SmartThings smart home systems. Ultraloq smart locks will be Works With SmartThings (WWST) certified, allowing users to control them through the SmartThings app.

With a love for smart home innovation, U-Tec says it is committed to bring a smart, more convenient, and safer lifestyle experience to users. Integrating with SmartThings will help the company further this mission. The company offers home entry products using technologies for fingerprint ID, entry codes, smartphone applications and more.

SmartThings users can now control their Ultraloq products through the SmartThings app. This includes receiving notifications when the Ultraloq smart lock detects a person’s entry into their home or controlling the smart locks with their voice through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Users can also create their own automations, such as through syncing with other smart home devices to turn lights on and off or play music.

“This is a giant step towards our ambition of making Ultraloq the go-to smart lock product range for an enhanced user experience,” said Clark Ruan, vice president of U-Tec. “Through this partnership with Samsung’s SmartThings, U-Tec can offer the life-changing home entry experience to SmartThings users. Ultraloq smart locks, which provide users with the best keyless entry experience, can now work seamlessly with users’ existing SmartThings devices, a huge leap forward in enhancing the user experience. We have had regular, in-depth discussions with Samsung about ways to elevate and improve the user experience, and we’re extremely excited to collaborate with their team on this integration.”

Located in Fremont, California, U-Tec invents and manufactures the Ultraloq whole-home smart lock system that fits into different lifestyle and lets consumers access every door in a keyless way. Users have complete control of who comes and goes via smartphone, even when they are away. Temporary access can be remotely granted to guests, dog walkers, babysitters or service providers. Ultraloq smart locks integrate seamlessly with major smart home platforms to interact intelligently with other smart devices.

• Samsung has announced a partnership with ABB to expand SmartThings integration into more homes and buildings.

“With SmartThings, Samsung has been able to create an eco-system of smart appliances making homes smarter and more efficient,” said Chanwoo Park, head of IoT business at Samsung Electronics. “We are excited to build on that by partnering with ABB to expand the SmartThings experience to new customers making it easier for consumers to reduce costs and create positive environmental impact.”

ABB-free@home controls a host of building equipment including access, detection, communication and climate systems for residential and commercial buildings. Integrating ABB-free@home with SmartThings creates a one-stop-shop for IoT providing access to monitor and control building technologies. Samsung and ABB plan to develop a cloud-to-cloud integration allowing consumers of both ABB- free@home and SmartThings broader access and control.