Report: Samsung Readies New ‘Artik’ Processor for IoT Devices

Korean device maker Samsung reportedly will showcase a new Internet of Things (IoT)-centric processor platform named Artik at the Internet of Things World conference May 12 – 13 in San Francisco.

The new chipset, developed at Samsung’s Strategy and Innovation Center in Menlo Park, CA, is designed to power all manner of connected devices, ranging from wearables to smart washing machines, according to a CNet report.

Samsung will license the Artik chip to other IoT device and appliance manufacturers, the report said.

Young Sohn, Samsung Electronics president and chief strategy officer, reportedly will introduce the new chip at a keynote at the IoT World conference next Tuesday. Without providing details, Samsung sent out a few clues about Sohn’s keynote topic in a pre-conference press release when it said it plans to “reveal a major company milestone that will enable the new wave of groundbreaking IoT devices and services.”

Sohn’s keynote will highlight the vendor’s plans to build a “smarter tomorrow with a showcase of strategic partners that will drive the next wave of technology discoveries in IoT,” Samsung said. 

Ahead of his remarks at the convention, Sohn suggested Samsung intends to be a major player in advancing the IoT.

“Today, we face an unprecedented set of global challenges in areas such as climate change, healthcare, aging demographics, urbanization, and access to food and clean water,” he said. “By continuing efforts to connect devices and people to achieve greater insights, we have a huge opportunity to work with others in the industry, to tackle these real-world issues in ways that will fundamentally change people’s lives for the better.”

Last July, Samsung bought Washington, D.C.-based home automation startup SmartThings for some $200 million, ostensibly to carve itself another IoT path along with its existing smart appliances and televisions.

The Korean device maker subsequently opened up a new, fee-based premium subscription service featuring advanced home monitoring capabilities accessible from a Galaxy Gear S smartwatch. Subscribers to the SmartThings service automatically receive alerts by text or mobile phone call when an emergency is detected in the home such as a flood or fire.