Prior to Parks Associates’ 23rd-annual CONNECTIONS: The Premier Connected Home Conference, Matt Wolf, Head of Partnerships, SimpliSafe spoke with the firm’s analyst team to his thoughts on the future of home security.

Paul participated on the DIY Disrupting Home Security panel on Wednesday, May 22, at 11:15 AM. Panelists who joined him on this session included:

Chris Carney, CEO & Co-Founder, Abode
Spencer Moore, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Rapid Response Monitoring
David Shapiro, Co-Founder and CTO, Scout Alarm
Thad White, Vice President, Product Management, Ooma, Inc.

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

A:When a customer buys a smart home product, they're inviting us into their homes. It's imperative that we live up to that level of trust. A focus on privacy, as well as great customer communication, is necessary to grow the industry in a responsible way.

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

A: Smart home products aren't just for cutting-edge gearheads. If they're simple, usable, and fill a need, they can be for anyone. Make a great product, and people will come.

Q: What innovations have you seen that will address the existing needs of the elderly to enable independent living in the smart home?

A: Mature Americans deserve intuitive, affordable, and flexible solutions that can help them age in place comfortably. Home security and home monitoring technologies are a great way to enable independence and peace of mind in this growing population. Many even provide the possibility of looping in adult children or other caregivers who are seeking a non-invasive way to check in on their loved ones.