Bill Scheffler, Director of NA Sales and Business Development at Sigma Designs/Z-Wave, discusses strategies for bringing new customers into the existing connected home market:

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?

Engaging consumers in smart home solutions and connected services is something Z-Wave Alliance and its member companies constantly work towards. Z-Wave is and remains the leading protocol for wireless smart home technology and features interoperability between all certified products and backwards-compatibility between versions. Communicating those technology features for all devices makes for one of the most important steps to engage consumers. With prominent manufacturers and up-and-coming companies creating products for smart security, connected aging, energy management and home management, it is important for consumers to understand that all Z-Wave enabled products, new or old, will work seamlessly with each other within the smart home ecosystem.

For value added services, Z-Wave offers tools like Installation and Maintenance Application (IMA) which enable a technician to locally or remotely survey the Z-Wave signal quality at every node in the system. This can speed up installation and ensure robust performance of the smart home system. When service is needed, installers can use this network health information system to diagnose and repair problems and in some cases the ability to remotely repair the issue.

Engaging consumers with connected health options is also becoming more important than ever as the aging population is growing drastically with 77 million Baby Boomers becoming seniors. Making consumers aware that there are smart home devices help care for their aging parent when they cannot physically be there is vital. Devices working within the Z-Wave ecosystem can easily be the centerpiece for monitoring wellness and security of loved ones.

What is the biggest challenge your company faces in 2015?

For the past ten years, Z-Wave Alliance has been the authoritative presence in the smart home, security and IoT industries with the interoperable, backwards compatible Z-Wave technology reigning as the market leader. With each coming year, it is the number one goal to remain the market leader and keep Z-Wave smart home products at the forefront of IoT and connected homes. In order to achieve this goal, Z-Wave Alliance constantly works to educate consumers about products and Z-Wave technology.  The bottom line is understanding consumer needs, informing them of their product options and giving users products that work and uphold the Z-Wave standard.

What is the biggest driver for the connected consumer market?

The biggest driver for the connected consumer market is the proliferation of mobile devices which in turn have driven the consumer expectation to be able to control devices and systems in their home. In the past three years there has been a surge of smart, lifestyle security systems installed in the market. This has been a gateway for the smart home as consumers have added Z-Wave compatible devices like smart locks, lights and thermostats into their home. While we continue to see these as market drivers, point solutions will bring new consumers into the existing smart home market, affordable whole-home automation systems will increase builder adoption, and aging-in-place devices will serve the baby boomer generation.

What are the most important initiatives your company is taking in 2015? 

Z-Wave Alliance’s latest initiative is Z-Wave Labs, a yearlong global competition to support and incentivize IoT innovation on the Z-Wave platform. Officially launched on May 1, 2015, Z-Wave Labs is accepting application entries from start-up companies and entrepreneurs looking to bring Z-Wave products to market. This competition is an important initiative for Z-Wave as it is designed to lower the barrier of entry for new companies to develop IoT products. One monthly winner will be rewarded with a 12-month membership to the Z-Wave Alliance as well as one of the newly available IoT-ready 500 Series Z-Wave Developer Kits from Sigma Designs. Full details on the contest can be found at www.z-wavelabs.org.

Overall, the most important initiative for 2015 is to increase the Z-Wave product ecosystem. Through Z-Wave Labs and work within a variety of markets like smart security, home management and aging-in-place, Z-Wave Alliance strives to offer the best IoT interoperable devices and encourages new innovators and manufacturers to join the Alliance. Z-Wave Alliance is able to offer the largest variety of products and have sold over 35 million devices worldwide through its work with over 300 companies from large corporations to start-ups. One of the biggest demands Z-Wave Alliance and its manufacturers have recognized is the need for easy to install and use products that create lifestyle ease, improve health and make home utilities more affordable. Through marketing initiatives, social platforms and event participation Z-Wave Alliance continues to make it easy for consumers and manufactures to connect directly and communicate needs.

Describe your vision for the smart home and entertainment markets in 2020.

Z-Wave Alliance understands that devices will continue to get smart and the Internet of Things will evolve to be the Internet of Everything. Z-Wave Alliance’s vision for the smart home and entertainment future includes an increased ecosystem of industry leading products working on Z-Wave wireless technology with full interoperability and backwards compatibility. With this continued growth, a primary goal is to communicate the accessibility and affordability of Z-Wave products. Z-Wave Alliance takes a proactive role in educating decision makers, marketing Z-Wave products, installing new and upgrading existing systems, and inspiring innovation.

Bill Scheffler will be speaking on the panel “Standards and Interoperability: Creating Competition through Cooperation” at 11:15 AM during CONNECTIONS in San Francisco, CA, May 21, 2015. He will be joined by other company representatives from CEL, Insteon, Intel, and ULE Allliance.

For more information on CONNECTIONS speakers, sessions, or topics, visit www.connectionsus.com. Registration is still open!

Next: CEL: Partnership with Insurance Industry Will Drive Adoption in the Connected Consumer Market
Previous: Intel Corporation: Decreasing Costs and Rising Demand Fuel Potential Growth of Connected Consumer Market

Be the first to leave a comment.

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