Top Companies Join Forces to Uncover the State of the Connected Home Market
and Identify Business Opportunities for the Future
AUSTIN, Texas, April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Underscoring the importance of
collaboration in the smart home space, 10 top companies -- Whirlpool
Corporation, Bell Canada, Cisco, Direct Energy, HP, Legrand, Leviton,
Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Zensys as well as the Z-Wave Alliance --
announced today that they are teaming up to conduct an in-depth study about
the state and future of the smart home. The smart home is defined as a home
where the systems (security, lighting, sensors, heating, air-conditioning,
audio-video, etc.) are interconnected to allow the automatic or remote
control of the home to save energy and improve comfort, safety and
convenience for the homeowner.
The 2008 State of the Connected Home Market Study is being conducted
under the auspices of the Internet Home Alliance Research Council, which is
part of CABA, a not-for-profit industry association that promotes advanced
technologies for the automation of homes and buildings in North America.
The results of the study, which will conclude on May 30, 2008, are
expected to be released to the public in January 2009. The study is being
conducted by Zanthus, a market research-based consulting firm that serves
high-tech companies.
"Cross-industry collaboration is key to the adoption of smart home
products and services," said Henry O. Marcy, vice president, Global
Technology, Whirlpool Corporation, the study's lead participant. "Our
research reveals that consumers want comprehensive connected home
solutions. They don't want to have to cobble together smart home products
and services themselves."
Bob Becker, Vice President and General Manager for Leviton's
Residential Business concurs. "As the market for home automation grows, it
is imperative that product suppliers understand their customers' needs as
well as what other major industry players are doing to support the overall
growth of the market. This intelligence will allow us to innovate in ways
that provide value to end-users and help grow our respective businesses."
"That kind of intelligence is why companies from across the value chain
have joined forces in this study," says Ron Zimmer, president and CEO of
CABA. "These companies could certainly conduct this type of research
independently, but they recognize that collaboration and conversation are
particularly important in this space."
"As Canada's leading provider of communications products and services,
Bell is constantly striving to improve and simplify our customers' busy
lives," said Kevin Crull, President, Bell Residential Services. "This study
will help us further understand our customers' needs in an effort to
deliver our promise of the Bell Better Home."
In addition to validating past and current trends in the marketplace
and evaluating general consumer understanding of the connected home, the
study will assess potential products and services and provide trend lines
in specific application areas, including music, video, gaming, lighting,
temperature control, security, communications/scheduling, health/fitness
and productivity.
According to Brian Burch, marketing director for HP's managed home
business, "Consumers are just beginning to understand the value of
connected entertainment systems and get excited about viewing digital
content from their PCs on the biggest screen in the house, their HDTV. But,
we still see a big, untapped opportunity out there and we want to see where
those opportunities are."
Orly Cocco, Future Home Innovation Manager, Procter & Gamble agrees.
"We know that consumers today are constantly seeking ways to simply their
lives and we are very enthusiastic about the role the home and products in
the home can play in making people's lives easier and more fulfilling."
To get those answers, the group will be conducting a series of Web
surveys among both primary market consumers, defined as consumers who adopt
technology as products first come on the market, and mass market consumers
who wait for prices to fall or to assess a product's popularity before
making new technology purchases. The study will also gauge the size of the
'chasm' between the two consumer groups in terms of technology adoption.
Consumers will be asked about the connected home solutions they own
currently, their immediate and long-term home technology wants and needs,
their home technology product and service purchasing habits and intentions,
and their preferred channels for making and installing smart home
solutions.
Following are some of the potential applications that will be tested in
the study:
-- When the phone rings, the caller ID shows up on a television screen
-- The home's temperature can be controlled remotely, allowing the
homeowner to save on energy costs by adjusting the home's temperature
according to changing weather conditions
-- Multiple rooms in a home can be video-monitored via the Internet from
anywhere in the world
-- A homeowner can adjust the home's lighting remotely, allowing travelers
to give the home a "lived-in" feel
About CABA's Internet Home Alliance Research Council
CABA's Internet Home Alliance Research Council is a cross-industry
network of leading companies engaged in collaborative research to advance
the connected home space. The Alliance's research projects enable
participating companies to gain important insights into the connected home
space and leverage those insights into viable new business opportunities.
Internet Home Alliance Research Council is part of the Continental
Automated Buildings Association (CABA), a not-for-profit industry
association that promotes advanced technologies for the automation of homes
and buildings. For more information about the Alliance, visit
http://www.caba.org/iha
About Whirlpool Corporation
Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer
of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $19 billion,
73,000 employees and 72 manufacturing and technology research centers
around the world. The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid,
Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht and other major brand names to
consumers in nearly every country around the world. Additional information
about the company may be found at http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com
Media Contact:
Hilary Abbott, Dynabrand
(770) 753-8144
habbott@dynabrand.com
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