HCA Member Spotlight: A Conversation with Andrea Corda of Electrolux

The Member Spotlight blog series is an opportunity for Home Connectivity Alliance member companies to highlight the reasons they joined HCA, the benefits for members, and the overall impact of HCA within the connected home industry. In this edition, we chat with Andrea Corda, CTO of The Electrolux Group.

Can you provide a brief overview of your company? What products/services do you offer?

Electrolux is a leading global appliance company that has shaped living for the better for more than 100 years. We reinvent lifetime Taste, Care and Wellbeing experiences for more enjoyable and sustainable living around the world, always striving to be at the forefront of sustainability in society through our solutions and operations. Under our brands, including Electrolux, AEG and Frigidaire, we sell approximately 60 million household products in approximately 120 markets every year.

Why did Electrolux join the Home Connectivity Alliance? What are the primary benefits for member companies?

Electrolux is focused on sustainable consumer experience innovation that can help shape living for the better. As the number of connected products continues to grow in homes across the world, the need for cross brand interoperability increases to enable great consumer experiences. This is why we are happy to be part of HCA.

What specific expertise does Electrolux bring to HCA? How does your company plan to participate?

Electrolux Group brings more than 100 years of experience in the global home appliance industry. Interoperability is a necessity in order for us to drive ease of use and create value for consumers which is why we believe it is important that we work together across companies to establish standards and common positions on key issues.

What do you see as HCA’s impact within the industry? What challenges does it address?

To make the smart home a reality requires that major players from across industries come together and make sure devices and systems can work together seamlessly regardless of brand. As the smart home industry evolves, we believe it will be important that we work together on key issues that could affect manufacturers as well as our consumers.

What is the importance of open collaboration and innovation to provide a safe, secure and interoperable connected home experience?

We believe open collaboration will spur innovation and security in areas that are critical to IoT. Electrolux takes security and safety for our Consumers very seriously and we see the open collaboration within HCA as an important step in the right direction.