• Philips Lighting is part of Amazon Alexa debut in UK and Germany
• Increased functionality in North America available in parallel with European launch

Philips Lighting, a global leader in lighting, announced today the enhanced functionality of its Amazon Alexa skill* for controlling its Philips Hue connected lighting system for the home, as well as an expansion of the skill to the UK and Germany.

Philips Hue users in the U.S. are already able to dim and turn their lights on and off with Alexa voice control. In parallel with the expansion to Europe, new functionalities, including the ability to set light scenes and recipes by voice command, will become available for customers in North America as well as in the European markets.

A family celebrating a child's birthday with in a living room lit with Philips Hue LED bulbs controlled by Alexa. (All photos courtesy of Philips)

With this enhanced integration, you can enjoy the Philips Hue light experiences spontaneously by just asking for what you want. If you feel like creating the right ambiance for a party or a romantic dinner, now you can simply ask Alexa to “turn on scene party in the living room” and the room will be colored with light. Coming home at night to a dark house, fumbling for the light switch is a thing of the past. When you enter the house and ask Alexa to turn on the lights, you will be bathed in welcoming light. And waking up your kids has never been easier. Ask Alexa to “turn on scene wake-up in the bedroom” and the Philips Hue white ambiance light will come on gradually, replicating sunrise and waking up your child comfortably.

“Building on the strong relationship we have with Amazon, we’re very pleased to launch our Alexa skill in UK and Germany”, says Sridhar Kumaraswamy, Business Leader Home Systems at Philips Lighting. “Teaming up with leading players like Amazon to take full advantage of the Alexa Skill Kit enables us to deliver entirely new, rich lighting experiences, simply controlled by your voice.”

“We’re excited about the increased functionality of the Philips Hue Alexa skill as well as its expansion into the UK and Germany, which will bring customers innovative new functionality,” said Steve Rabuchin, Vice President, Alexa. “Philips Lighting has made it easy for their customers to manage home lighting and the voice control from Alexa makes it a frictionless experience.”

Amazon's Alexa voice control can switch on or turn off Philips Hue LED bulbs.