Interest in smart home products is already high among households, especially when the products promise increased security or safety.

Brett Sappington, a director of research at market research and consultancy company Parks Associates, notes that whenever the firm surveys the public about connected devices, smart smoke detectors and window and door sensors always score highly. "Protection of loved ones and property is consistently the leading value proposition for smart home services," he says.

But the reason why the market or demand for these gadgets hasn't already exploded is partly to do with price -- many are judged too expensive for what they deliver -- and partly to do with the perception that individual devices won't work together. "Developing interoperable systems and products is critical," notes Sappington.

When asked, over 80% of UK, Spanish and German broadband households said that they would prefer to buy devices as part of an interoperable system rather than individual gadgets that don't work together -- even if the individual gadgets each offered more or better features.

From the article "The tech trends of 2015: The Internet of Things becomes a thing."

Previous: Facebook cashing in on mobile messaging

Be the first to leave a comment.

Have a comment? Login or create an account to start a discussion.