"interoperability" articles

Apple’s annual World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) took place on June 6, with the tech giant unveiling a score of new product releases and software updates. Apple’s latest announcements were focused on enhancements and upgrades to its existing products and services.  Notable was the emphasis on the Home App upgrades, along with security and efficiency. Parks Associates research shows that while consumers use multiple platforms in the home, 66% are interested in a single...

Accessing and experiencing digital media have become more complicated, both for consumers and the companies providing the content. The fracturing of entertainment options, coupled with a decline in traditional pay TV, has forced many consumers to subscribe to a bevy of services in order to access the video content they want to watch. While this situation offers consumers a greater than ever selection of content, it offers a unique set of challenges from an authentication and...

After more than twenty years of pushing computing from local servers into the cloud, many industries now strategize more carefully about the most appropriate options among cloud computing, edge computing, and hybrid edge-cloud configurations. Cost, latency, privacy, and reliance on connectivity are all factors informing these decisions. Hybrid edge-cloud architectures enable the best of both worlds for many applications, such as connected devices. They can optimize data processing,...

The smarter home powered by AI will emerge gradually over the next decade and decades beyond. Many more companies are touting AI in messaging. Still, it can be argued that what AI practitioners would define as true artificial intelligence is some form of big data analytics. Specific use cases for AI in the connected home cross all verticals and will ultimately be what helps drive the adoption of new devices and services in the home. Currently, 37% of US households have a...

The 800-pound gorilla issue in the security device space is the prospect of colliding market segments. Market segments in the residential security industry continue to experience a blurring of lines between professional and DIY solutions. Professional installation and monitoring providers, such as ADT, Brinks, and Comcast, have added self-installation and monitoring options. At the same time, companies that started in the DIY space now offer professional installation and...

It stands to reason that video and audio analytics tech on other devices will eventually come to the smart home as engineering advancements make it feasible on a smaller and cheaper platform. Consumers may encounter this technology at work or in public and come to expect similar features and capabilities. There are also advancements in audio and video data that will act as competition or supplement these audio and video in gathering data for analysis. Rise of...

The multifamily housing market has become increasingly important to device manufactures as they seek to drive overall market adoption of the smart home products. Multifamily rental properties represent a particularly lucrative opportunity for smart device manufacturers since they deploy smart home device packages to multiple units at a time. Parks Associates research shows that 83% of multifamily builders report the ability to integrate smart home technology with property management...

Reduction of false alarms is a major goal for players in the home security industry. Currently, 36% of US internet households have a home security system with the vast majority professionally monitored. False alarms are a source of frustration for home security owners regardless of the type of alarm, and most (65%) have paid a fine as a result. With 62% of home security owners able to recall a false alarm in the past 12 months and nearly one-in-ten reporting they...