Prior to Parks Associates’ 23rd-annual CONNECTIONS: The Premier Connected Home Conference, Kevin Kraus, Director Technology and Partner Integration for Yale and August Locks, ASSA ABLOY spoke with the firm’s analyst team to his thoughts on the future of home security in the smart home.

Kevin participated on the Home Security and Controls: Opportunities beyond Traditional Use Cases panel on Thursday, May 23, at 8:30 AM. Panelists who joined him on this session included:

Jennifer Doctor, Sr. Director Product Management, Tyco Security Solutions, Building Technologies & Solutions, Johnson Controls
Gabe Halimi, CEO, Flo Technologies
Chris Johnson, Chief Strategy Officer, Brinks Home Security
Kevin Kraus, Director Technology and Partner Integration for Yale and August Locks, ASSA ABLOY
Dave Mayne, Vice President of Product Management, Alula

Q: As the number of connected devices in consumers' lives increase each year, what solutions need to be created to allay rising consumer concerns around data security and privacy?

A: Creating an integrated smart home / IoT network (i.e. your smart lock linking to your voice assistant and security system) is paramount for a seamless user experience. However, customers expect that manufacturers and technology providers will keep their data safe amidst these integrations, and right now there are a lot of skeptics. We need to invest in educating every customer on the security of our smart home products, making sure they know that we are keeping their data safe by using the latest data security practices.

Q: What impact will emerging technologies like AI, machine learning, and blockchain have on the smart home? What are the associated challenges with implementing these technologies in the home?

A: The continued growth of voice assistants and predictive behavior has been a major catalyst in driving the smart home space forward. Consumers expect to be able to control all aspects of their home, and not just through an app -- they want their home to already know what they need it to do, or they want to be able to just ask their voice assistant to perform the task. For example, our Connected by August locks automatically unlock as you approach the door (if authentication requirements are met), and lock as you leave it. They also work with all three major voice assistants (Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple’s SIRI) so controlling front door access is convenient and seamless.With voice assistant technology and AI becoming increasingly ubiquitous, running a smart home has become easier, more convenient and more accessible.

Q: With smart home adoption flattening in 2018, what must the industry do to reach new buyers?

A: In order to reach widespread consumer adoption, we need to double down on security education, customer support, and ensuring our products are designed to solve everyday problems. If a consumer can see a smart home product makes their day-to-day lives better -- and it’s reliable and easy-to-use -- that’s a huge win. People want products that are going to solve their problems without introducing new complications (i.e. tricky install, difficult to use apps, bad customer service).

Q: How will the continued rise of DIY security expand the smart home?

A: One of the fastest growing smart home categories is smart door locks -- we’ve already seen double digit growth over the past few years. Parks Associates released a study earlier this year that shows that 1 in 4 U.S. households with broadband intend to purchase a smart lock in the next 12 months, and 35% of U.S. broadband households find smart locks to be affordable. The growth in this category will continue to increase greater smart home adoption.