Osram Lightify lamps will lose functions next year due to server shutdown

Osram is warning customers that it will shut down the server for its Lightify lighting on August 31, 2021. As a result, those networked lighting products lose a large part of their functionality.

Closing the servers for Lightify means, among other things, that lamps can no longer be operated with Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant. The products will also no longer receive updates and support will stop. In 2016, security researchers found vulnerabilities in Osram’s Lightify system.

Osram indicates in an overview that only basic functionality remains after shutting down the server. The company does point out that after a full reset, it is possible to link with another ZigBee-based system.

According to Osram, the reason for the discontinuation is that Lightify still uses ZigBee Light Link and ZigBee Home Automation instead of ZigBee 3.0, which would make it difficult to continue to guarantee compatibility with smart home systems. In addition, the company indicates that it no longer wants to invest in the platform, citing the divestment of its consumer lighting division in 2016. That division is now called Ledvance and is part of the Chinese lighting manufacturer MLS.