Providing Market Intelligence for 40 Years

In The News

Trust and Value Will Bring IoT Home

The connected car and smart home markets are both at an early stage of development, but in many ways they have been growing in parallel. Both markets are enabled by the falling costs of sensors, networking technologies and data, as well as by expanded cloud services, the mass penetration of smartphones, and consumer demand for the connected lifestyle.

In 2015, these ecosystems are beginning to converge, with use cases such as remote home controls, entertainment on the go, and home energy management emerging at the intersection.

U.S. vehicle owners living in broadband households reported using a variety of connected features in their vehicles, and many expressed interest in car-to-home crossover features, in a first-quarter 2015 consumer survey conducted by Parks Associates.

Parks Associates tested emerging connected vehicle features, including several scenarios which overlap the smart home and connected car markets:

Automatic away mode for the home. The car and home communicate so that when the consumer is leaving or coming home, lights, locks, thermostat, etc., automatically turn on and off or adjust to the appropriate setting.
Home entertainment on the go. Passengers in the car can access the same TV shows, movies, games, photos and computer files that the consumer has at home, including programs from pay-TV services.

Parks Associates also presented owners of plug-in hybrid or electric cars with two connected car-smart home scenarios specific to plug-in vehicles:

Optimum recharging of electric cars. The plug-in vehicle communicates with the home's thermostat, appliances and other devices to optimize energy consumption and ensure that the vehicle charges when electricity rates are lowest.
Electric car as backup power. If the home loses power, the consumer could use a plug-in vehicle to provide backup power for the home.

From the article "Trust and Value Will Bring IoT Home" by Jennifer Kent.

Previously In The News

Video Protection Requirements Are Evolving as Streaming Services Reach Mainstream Audiences

In the early streaming era, distributors often accepted lighter security requirements from emerging platforms hungry for content. That leverage has reversed. Major studios now mandate specific protect...

New Homes Save Homeowners Money, But Builders Face Rising Defect Claims

According to new research from Parks Associates, the connected home market is moving beyond gadget obsession and into something more practical. Consumers increasingly want smart systems that deliver e...

Best 4K Streaming Device: What Consumer Reports Really Scores

Streaming devices now reach roughly 68% of U.S. internet-connected homes, according to Parks Associates data cited by Consumer Reports. At that penetration, this is a mature market. Most buyers aren't...

The Smart Money: FCC Router Ban Leaves 109 Million Homes at Risk

According to Parks Associates, ISP-issued routers account for approximately 70% of home internet households in the U.S., with the remaining 30% represented by retail brands including NETGEAR, Eero...