The Internet of Things (IoT) has started percolating into the collective consciousness of the common man, at least some staying in Europe, anyway.
A new survey showed that about 25 per cent of broadband households in the United Kingdom (UK), Germany and Spain found individual smart home devices “very” appealing, with smart devices such as smoke, water and CO detectors “the most” appealing.
The results of the Parks Associates’ 3Q 2014 European consumer data will be discussed at the ninth-annual, ‘CONNECTIONS Europe: Monetizing Strategies for the Connected Home’, to be held on November 18, 2014 at Amsterdam, the research firm announced. The event features five sessions focused on the smart home, with executives from AlertMe, Ayla Networks, Arrayent, Bluelinea, CentraLite Systems, Domoalert, INSTEON, Icontrol Networks, ROC-Connect, ULE Alliance, ZigBee Alliance, Zipato, and Z-Wave Alliance, participating.
“Smart home awareness is low among European consumers, and willingness to purchase smart home packages is not as strong in Europe as it is in the US,” explained Tom Kerber, Director, Research, Home Controls & Energy, Parks Associates. “At CONNECTIONS Europe, we will discuss strategies for service providers, security companies, and device manufacturers to overcome low awareness and low familiarity with smart home products and services. Communicating the numerous benefits of smart home solutions is part of a longer, consultative selling process.”
The Parks Associates research found 43 per cent of US broadband households were interested in purchasing a smart home package, compared to 22 per cent of broadband households in Germany, 30 per cent in Spain, and 34 per cent in the UK. Security companies had an advantage in this early market, it found, as 80 per cent of broadband households in the UK, Spain and Germany ranked home security companies as one their preferred providers for a smart home system.
Image Credit: Parks Associates
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