In order to ensure interoperability with products from other manufacturers, more and more companies are beginning to turn to open standards such as ULE. Panasonic, Orange, Deutsche Telkom and Gigaset are just a few examples of companies that have joined the ULE Alliance in recent years. The certification programme of the not-for-profit organisations ensures interoperability of ULE-based devices from different manufacturers. Over the last few years, a wide range of ULE smart home products have been launched, allowing users to extend their smart homes based on their individual needs.

Chris O’Dell, a research associate at Parks Associates adds: “The smart home ecosystem is crowded with many leading devices, including smart thermostats, networked cameras, smart video doorbells, smart door locks, and smart light bulbs. As interoperability continues to increase in importance, companies that are vertically aligned or have the right ‘works with’ partnerships will have an advantage among likely buyers.” 

From the article "The threat of the ‘DIY smart home’" by Amy Wallington.