Philips Lighting – a world leader in lighting which last month changed its name to Signify – has partnered with three leading European lighting control manufacturers to offer consumers wall switches in a variety of models that are designed and developed for the Philips Hue ecosystem. 

The new partners in its Friends of Hue programme are Feller, Niko and Vimar.

The Friends of Hue switches marketed by these leading brands will turn the Philips Hue lights on or off, dim and recall favourite scenes. Offered in a variety of colours and styles, they are designed to fit seamlessly into the home decor, to suit the owner’s taste and existing interior design. They can also be combined with existing switches and wall outlets from the same brand as they fit in their specific single and multiple gang wall frames.

“These new Friends of Hue switches provide the perfect way to bring the benefits and features of Philips Hue to a wider audience and are an addition to the existing control options such as the Philips Hue app, wireless dimmer switch, voice control, schedules and sensors,” says Evert Schaeffer, head of product management, Friends of Hue at Philips Lighting.   “With the flick of a switch, you and your guests can use the smart wall switch to control your Philips Hue lights, without interrupting power to the system, as would be the case with a standard wall switch.

“This is part of our ongoing commitment to grow the Philips Hue ecosystem to make connected lighting experiences more accessible for our customers in their homes,” he adds.

 The Friends of Hue smart switches offered by these partners will adhere to the standards of their respective markets. The first wave of Friends of Hue switches is planned to be available from the fourth quarter of 2018.

Friends of Hue products benefit from ongoing system updates to seamlessly manage the introduction of new Philips Hue features over time. They can be configured in the Philips Hue app and can be used alongside hundreds of third-party apps, voice control, geo-fencing, Philips Hue wireless dimmer switches, Philips Hue motion sensors, plus web-based services like IFTTT.