Philips Hue

For years, we've been working on the software of the incredibly popular Philips Hue light bulbs. We are very proud that we, together with Google, were asked to set up the entire cloud infrastructure for the first globally successful Internet of Things product. Hue is still the example of IoT that all other devices and services can connect to.

In 2011, Philips came to us with a secret plan: internet connected lamps. The question was, how can you also operate the lamps when you're not at home, both via apps and the web? And with sufficient scalability for worldwide use. Clearly not your average internet project...

Philips finally wanted to deliver on the promise of home automation, which has been going on since the 1960s. With a luxury product that consumers would love to have at home and that developers would love to work with. At Philips they knew that we as a tech agency could help to set up a reliable cutting-edge platform for them.

After the launch in late 2012, the connected Hue lamps proved to be a real hit. All over the world, the lamps were sold out in no time. Everyone wanted to be able to tailor the lighting at home to personal wishes and preferences. You can control the LED lighting using a smartphone or tablet. You can also turn on the lights in your house when you are on vacation, so burglars will not see that you are not at home. The Philips Hue turned out to be an almost magical gadget.

Forbes named Philips Hue Product of the Year. As an internet agency, Q42 was awarded the prestigious title 'Google Cloud Platform Partner of the Year'. And the project won a Dutch Interactive Award in the category 'Best disrupter of the year'.

Over the years, Philips' once secret plan has grown into a robust platform that easily controls many hundreds of thousands of Hue lamps worldwide. With the Google Cloud Platform we're able to let people control their lights from anywhere, at any time, be it via voice-control or from one of the many apps. No wonder that we continue to develop the technology behind Philips Hue with great pride.

As Hue is expanding its range of smart home products, our role is growing too. We're still taking care of the core cloud system, but we're also starting to help out in new ways. As Hue's parent company, Signify, takes on more of the day-to-day cloud management, we're free to lend a hand in other areas. This shift means we can contribute more directly to improving how people experience and use Hue products in their home.

Our goal hasn't changed: we want to help Hue create smart home features that make people's life easier and more enjoyable. Whether it's making the app respond faster, helping develop new product features, or finding ways to make shopping for Hue products simpler, we're excited to be part of Hue's journey to make homes smarter.