The Internet of Things: Predictions for Home Automation in 2014
In its short but already prolific history, the Internet has enabled connections between billions of computers (and people) around the world. Thanks to the widespread use of digital devices such as smartphones, tablets and smart thermostats, the much-discussed Internet of Things (IoT) is on the horizon, if not already here.
Built on connections between digital devices and nearly anything that can be monitored or controlled electronically, the IoT holds promise for making homes smarter, improving safety and bolstering digital security. Because these technologies can be used to control everything from garage doors to HVAC systems to small appliances, their consumer implications are immense.
Driving innovation and reducing waste
Of course, the IoT does more than just offer increased safety and control. It also holds promise for homeowners and businesses who want to cut down on their energy or water usage. Smart water monitoring systems, already in use in Doha and Beijing, have cut water losses by 40 to 50 percent.
While investing in the digital devices needed to use the IoT may have seemed prohibitive in the past, today’s savvy consumer is primed to understand how digitally driven controls make a smart economic investment.
Consider some current statistics and projections:
- 1.9 billion digital devices are currently in use in the U.S.
- By 2018, a projected 9 billion digital devices will be in use.
- In Cincinnati, residential waste volume fell by 17 percent thanks to a pay-as-you-throw program that used IoT technologies to monitor waste services usage.
Interconnectivity opens new doors
Besides cutting down on energy and water usage, the IoT can save homeowners time and hassle in their everyday lives through the use of home automation technologies. And increased interconnectivity might just be the most important catalyst for innovation when it comes to smart home technology. That’s because the IoT doesn’t only broaden the horizon for new technologies; it also broadens the horizon for home technologies working together.
According to an article about this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), home automation companies are focusing on manufacturing products that are more compatible with products from other manufacturers, allowing for more flexibility in home control solutions than ever before. Industry experts agree that this will be a pivotal change for the home automation industry. Without increased connectivity between products, it is nearly impossible to imagine a fully automated home. After all, who wants to have 60 apps to sort through on their smart phone, each controlling a different home feature?
Increased product compatibility will also make it easier for homeowners to adopt new products into their homes, perhaps encouraging them to try new smart-home solutions they were previously skeptical about. Furthermore, increased interconnectivity between products could give rise to increasingly sophisticated home automation solutions. For instance, what if your garage door could easily communicate with your home lights, allowing them to automatically switch on and off every time you entered or exited?
New partnerships drive profitable innovation
What happens when big-name brands partner with blossoming industries? As new relationships are forged, the potential for innovation appears endless. Here are a few of the promising partnerships that promise innovation in the home automation industry in 2014.
Ford and ADT
North America’s largest source of electronic alarm monitoring, ADT Home Security, has worked to develop IoT technologies that connect clients to their home and business security systems. Security has always been a promising area for IoT technologies, and ADT recently unveiled a selection of new services designed to make the most of digital devices. One of the most promising applications of these new technologies is represented by the partnership between Ford and ADT. ADT’s Pulse app and Ford’s SYNC AppLink should become compatible in 2014. For ADT customers, this means control over various aspects of the home from the comfort of a personal vehicle. Everything from opening a garage door to turning off a small appliance can be automated, potentially offering consumers a level of convenience only dreamed about in science fiction.
Google acquires smart-home innovator Nest
Google is also making a move into the IoT with its acquisition of Nest, the company best known for creating smart thermostats and smoke detectors for the home consumer. For many industry insiders, Google’s purchase of Nest signals that the IoT is here to stay. While Google hasn’t yet publicly announced its plans for Nest, users of Android and iOS devices will likely have increased access to the IoT of home automation within the next few years.
IoT barriers continue to fall
In addition to the Ford-ADT deal and Google’s acquisition of Nest, IT and router giant Cisco recently announced that its engineers are working on fog computing systems that will eliminate the difficulty of transferring huge amounts of data over the IoT to the Cloud and back. And with a possible solution to this obstacle, the future of smart home technologies is inarguably bright.
Reader Comments
Hello Tom,
I really enjoy reading your article. I am wondering if we could brainstorm more IoT ideas together.
David
Posted by David Wang on June 13, 2014
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