The Dutch company Coulisse is collaborating with Eve Systems to launch a range of intelligent HomeKit compatible window cover motors.

Conformable HomeKitNews, the new range will include wireless motors to work with roller blinds, Venetian blinds, cell shades and curtains. In particular, they will also be the first product of its kind to support the wireless Thread protocol, which is supported by Apple.

Thread is a low-power IP-based network technology for connecting Internet of Things (IoT) devices, providing a secure, mesh-based system that makes it easy to build an ecosystem of devices. Eve intends to help equip Coulisse curtains with HomeKit and Thread integration and spread them to a wider market.

"Thanks to Eve's software, this new range of engines is a game changer in the interior window cover market," said Christiaan Roetgering, owner and CEO of Coulisse. "The simplicity of both installation and use is unmatched. It eliminates all the complexity and drastically reduces installation time. Combined with the fact that you no longer need a hub, it offers major cost advantages. It paves the way for making motorized blinds available to the general public and widely embraced as a product that brings joy and value to the daily life of the home. "

While the thread is essentially agnostic to the layers of applications running over it, it can support multiple layers and play a role in Project Connected Home over IP, the alliance of Apple, Amazon, Google and other companies trying to make it easier to build devices compatible with multiple ecosystems, such as Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant.

HomePod mini is the first (and currently) Apple product to support Thread network technology. However, for now, Apple says in a footnote that Thread support "HomePod mini is limited to omeHomeKit" devices, so the technology can not yet be used on multiple platforms and it remains to be seen how Apple will adopt Thread in the future.

Apple is a strong supporter of the Thread project, along with longtime engineer Stuart Cheshire, who developed the Rendezvous / Bonjour zero configuration standard almost 20 years ago, serving as director of the Thread Group.

Coulisse wants to emphasize how secure the combination of omeHomeKit‌ and Thread is, as they can be connected to other omeHomeKit products and all data is stored locally. Blinds can be connected via Bluetooth, but Thread should, in theory, provide a stronger connection by connecting to nearby Thread support "hubs", such as the ‌HomePod mini‌.

Conformable iCulture, roller engines will be launched in the second quarter of 2021. More information about the Coulisse product range can be found on their website.