With the smart home market growing, the focus is shifting to the seamless connectivity of different products under one platform rather than the quality of hardware construction. At the same time, automation is driving technology to react to human interactions — rather than us reacting to it.

Wink, an app connecting various smart home devices, launched more than 2,000 display booths today in nearly 2,000 Home Depot stores. Next week, Staples will roll out the expansion to its Staples Connect home automation system into 500 stores with a reduced price, with 38 brands and 150 products. It will also have apps to power those devices for iOS, Android and Windows devices.

General Electric, in partnership with Quirky and Wink, announced a new LED connected light bulb last week with prices below $15 and $25 depending on the type. Currently, Phillips Hue offers a connected experience with a starter pack priced at $199.

According to research firm Parks Associates, sales in eight categories of networked home products are expected to reach 25 million units and $3.6 billion by 2018, which is up from 11 million units and $1.4 billion last year. So yes — the industry is growing fast.

From the article, "Bridging The Gap As The Smart Home Industry Expands" by Julian Chokkattu.

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