Phillip Raub, CMO and Head of Retail at b8ta, answers several industry questions prior to the 2016 CONNECTIONS Summit at CES, taking place January 6-7 in Las Vegas:

What is the most important next step to engage consumers in smart home solutions, connected entertainment services, and/or value-added services like tech support and connected health?

Relevancy. The average consumer doesn't understand why they need connected or so-called "IoT" products. It's not until you can show tangible benefits, like saving money and energy or providing peace of mind/security, when consumers really understand why they need or want a new product.

What is the biggest challenge your company faces in 2016?

Scale. We launched at the end of 2015, and generated strong buzz within the industry. However, our success will be determined through growth and our ability to adapt and meet the changing needs of our consumers and partners.

What is the biggest driver for the connected consumer market?

Integration. For both hardware and software. I'm starting to see fatigue amongst early adopters as there are too many similar products and no standard platform or protocol. Until this occurs I think you will continue to see certain products succeed, but the category as a whole will lag.

What are the most important initiatives your company is taking in 2016?

Continuing to grow our partnership with great companies and products. Our focus is always on discovery and user experience, and we want to ensure we're always featuring the latest and most innovative products that our visitors are excited to try. 

Phillip Raub will participate during the session "Growth in IoT: Entertainment, Smart Home, Health" on January 6 at 11:50am. Other speakers on the panel include AT&T Digital Life, Greenwave Systems, Lutron Electronics, MivaTek, and Vodafone. Register to attend this session today!

For a full list of speakers participating at the 2016 CONNECTIONS Summit, visit www.connectionssummit.com.

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