IBM & Whirlpool – designed for innovation

In January this year, Whirlpool Corporation announced a collaboration connecting Whirlpool home appliances with IBM Watson Services.

We are excited to share a link to the final TV spot on YouTube, which will air during the US Open on Monday, 8/29, on ESPN and ESPN2 and as part of our regular rotation on CNBC, NBC’s Meet the Press, and the Golf Channel. Check out the video:

Improving user experience through connected appliances

Sensors on Whirlpool connected appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers and even ovens collect data about how those devices are being used out in the real world, which can be accessed through the IBM Cloud.

This means that Whirlpool can keep monitoring and improving products even after they’ve been sold. The data shows exactly how customers are using their machines, and how the machines themselves are responding, making it easier to tailor-make future designs to customers’ requirements.

It also provides useful feedback on what needs improvement, helping to make great products even better.

Connected kitchen appliances in action

IoT is great for helping companies learn from how their products are faring out of the show room. But connected appliances bring great user benefits too. You’ll probably have heard of Nest, whose IoT-enabled thermostats are sensor-driven and remotely controlled. Simply put, you control water temperature and heating in your home through an app, turning the heating up and down as you need. After a week, Nest will learn from the patterns you set and automatically set your thermostat to reflect habitual use.

Working with Nest, Whirlpool presented its own connected appliance offering at global electronics tradeshow CES earlier this year. First into the limelight was the Smart Kitchen Suite with CareSync system, which allows your fridge, oven and dishwasher to be controlled remotely via the Whirlpool Smart app.

Another star of the show is the Smart Top Load Washer and Dryer enabled with Connect to Care program. A bit of a mouthful, but it’s got the creds to back it up. The program includes an option that (when enabled) makes a small donation to Habitat for Humanity each time you wash a load of laundry.

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