The present invention provides a platform that enables devices, services and applications to be connected together. An in-home gateway device provides the hub for this connectivity, by connecting and coordinating in-home (and/or in-office) devices and cloud-based services. Creating a “connected environment” via this platform requires co-ordinating multiple device manufacturers and service providers, and multiple standards/protocols. Advantageously, the platform removes the requirement for different manufacturers of different devices to adopt common protocols to enable device connection, and further, the platform removes the burden of configuration away from the consumer.