Brett Worthington, VP of Global Business Development and Partnerships, SmartThings, provides insight on several key industry trends for Parks Associates’ 20^th-annual CONNECTIONS Conference, which will be held May 24-26 in San Francisco:

How is your company engaging consumers through new technology solutions?

SmartThings is committed to being an open platform forthe smart home, and that means supporting as many devices, communications standards, and services as possible on our platform. By supporting a wide variety of new technologies and allowing customers to engage with them through SmartThings, we hope to keep customers excited about adding new devices to their smart home and exploring new use-cases.

What is the biggest change you have seen in the past year in the connected home and entertainment industries?

The biggest change is the proliferation of connectivity across all kinds of consumer electronics devices. The future is a world in which almost everything in the home – from TVs to coffee-makers – is connected, and the options for users are endless.  

What do you think is the biggest driver for the connected consumer market?

Right now, the biggest driver is usually a specific product or service that serves a specific use-case – for example, home monitoring. But once a user gets started, and once they realize the other benefits of building a smart home, they often expand their devices and services.

What is the greatest challenge for the connected home industry in the next year?

The challenge for all smart home companies is to make the case to consumers that these products and services provide real value. The technology is here, and as leaders in the space we have to make it easier to use – the next step is driving compelling stories and use-cases and educating the masses for adoption.

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Worthington will speak on the session “Smart Home Devices: Changing Business Models” on Wednesday, May 25 at 1:15 p.m. Other speakers on the panel include Nortek Security & Control, HomeAdvisor, Inc., August Home Inc., and WiZR.

For more information on CONNECTIONS, visit www.connectionsus.com or register by clicking here.

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