Mitch Klein, Executive Director at Z-Wave Alliance, answered the following industry questions for the 2015 CONNECTIONS Europe conference, hosted by Parks Associates November 10-11, 2015, in Amsterdam:

What challenges does Europe face with rolling out new smart home & connected entertainment services?

Companies looking to invest and develop technology in the European smart home space need to look at what European consumers want and create a unique value proposition for those solutions. For example, home security, which in the US has been the entry point for smart home technology for consumers, does not have the same demand or market penetration. This is both an opportunity and a challenge. If we try to use a one size fits all model across the globe in emerging smart home markets, we’re not going to bring people to that ah-ha moment where they realize why smart home makes sense for their lives.

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing your company in the next 12 months?

The biggest challenge right now for Z-Wave and the larger smart home ecosystem is awareness. Despite the fact that we have over 1400 Z-Wave devices that are certified to interoperate today, larger companies like Google and Apple have dominated the public dialogue despite their small footprint in the space. Z-Wave has built a legacy commitment to the smart home market. The future will be about keeping the legacy alive, innovative and fresh as more and more players move into the space.

How will companies leverage the growth in the market in the next 12 months? What is the impact of the Internet Giants (Google, Amazon) getting involved in the market?

We see the smart home and the internet of things as good for everyone – homeowners, business, telecos, service providers, installers and more. Companies like Apple and Google are investing in it because they see the potential. Z-Wave technology has a proven legacy of innovation, most of the successful smart home hubs form the past two years have successfully built on Z-Wave. We will continue to invest in channels that drive sales and demand today such as home security, CE installation and telco markets while looking towards the future with retail and consumer education initiatives and look to form collaborations wherever possible in order to ensure success for our smart home ecosystem.

Mitchell spoke on the session "Seamless Interoperability: Driving Mass-Market Adoption," alongside speakers from the UPnP Forum, ZigBee Alliance, ULE Alliance, and HGI/TNO.

For more information on the 2015 event, visit www.connectionseurope.com.

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