SCHURTER Smart Ecosystem

SCHURTER produces intelligent device connectors that can be built into almost any device or connected to devices as external plugs, thus connecting them easily and securely to the internet.

However, SCHURTER does not "only" have smart hardware in its portfolio, but also various software components that form an entire ecosystem consisting of the SCHURTER Smart Connectors, app and cloud solution. The app is the link between the hardware and the cloud: it is needed to configure the hardware, connect it to the network and visualize the data from the connected smart connectors. In SCHURTER's cloud solution, all data flows together and is made visible in a customizable and configurable dashboard. Finally, an API opens up the ecosystem and allows further processing of the data in other applications.

Control devices and monitor power consumption

The Smart Connector measures energy, voltage and current of the connected devices. Based on this data, consumption and the times when devices are in operation or in standby mode can be analyzed.
In addition, the Smart Connector App can be used to conveniently switch the devices connected to the Smart Connector on and off remotely. Remote control of the devices makes it possible to keep control of the devices even when you are not at home. You can ensure can that devices are only switched on when they are actually needed. This helps to reduce energy consumption and minimizes potential security risks.

The Smart Connectors are available both as a built-in version (Smart Connector DS11) and as a stand-alone version (Smart Connector DT31). 

Additional inputs and outputs for signals in the built-in version (two binary or on/off inputs and one serial interface each) allow additional control and data acquisition options. And because over-the-air updates (OTA) are also possible, the systems can be maintained remotely. The collection of data from the devices in which a Smart Connector is installed also opens up opportunities in the area of predictive maintenance.

Comprehensive information about the Smart Connectors is available on the SCHURTER website.

Apps for both platforms and a web dashboard

The SCHURTER Smart Connector app is available as an iOS and Android app. In addition, functionalities are also available via a web dashboard.

For the dashboard development we used so-called web components. The great advantage of web components is that they can be flexibly integrated where they are needed. They can be used anywhere in the dashboard as so-called feature boxes without triggering unwanted interactions with other code parts.

Step-by-step approach with click dummies and prototypes 

Apps with love was allowed to accompany the development of most of the software components from the very beginning. The firmware for the Smart Connectors was developed by SCHURTER, and when the first version was available, we had our first conversation with SCHURTER in the summer of 2020 about the development of the apps, or rather about the design and construction of prototypes.

Based on the developed concept and design, we created a clickable prototype. With this, the most important use cases could be tested and validated internally and externally. Since the communication between app and hardware can be tricky, we also built a technical prototype. This allowed us to make sure that the communication between the app and the smart connector works via Bluetooth and that the connection to the cloud is possible before we started with the "real" development.

We explained more about prototyping and why we're fans of it in the blogpost "App Prototyping - Benefits, Design Tools and Examples" 

The prototypes were followed by the first version of the app, initially only for iOS. In autumn 2021, we were allowed to tackle the conception, design and implementation of the first version of the web dashboard. The integration and further development was then taken over by the SCHURTER team.

Finally, in the summer of 2022, the Android version of the app followed. In 2023, the apps were expanded and made officially available.
As you can see: Building an ecosystem - especially when hardware, firmware, apps and clouds have to be integrated - takes time.

As the cliché goes: Hardware is hard! 🤓

UX-Writing

During the development process, we also paid attention to the texts in the app. Wording and tone were standardized, supplemented or simplified where necessary. The texts should be clear, easy to understand and helpful so that users are optimally guided through the pairing process and do not encounter any stumbling blocks. The following are two before-and-after examples:

Conclusion and outlook

The cooperation with SCHURTER over the last three years has been a success story. It is a long way from an innovation project to a marketable ecosystem, but one that is very exciting, varied and instructive. The most important success factors: mutual trust and exchange at eye level. When integrating different hardware and software components, there are many interfaces and therefore many things that can go wrong. In the area of security, but also in the integration of Bluetooth, WLAN or cloud connection. We consider ourselves very lucky to be able to work together with SCHURTER in such a cooperative and pragmatic way.

And we can be curious about what is yet to come! From SDKs for white-label solutions, function extensions in apps and the web to further hardware variants, nothing can be announced yet, but the possibilities are almost limitless!