DIY Home Security Tracker analyzes DIY trends in residential security market

New research from Parks Associates’ DIY Home Security Tracker finds smart door lock installation occurs most often by the homeowner, with self-installation increasing from 39% at the end of 2016 to 59% at the end of 2018. As manufacturers launch new and second-generation products, they are trying to balance security with convenience, customization, and expanding use cases, such as voice control and security notifications.

“DIY products continue to be popular, and consumers report installation is easy, but as products add more features, aiming to broaden their appeal, they will attract more consumers with do-it-for-me preferences,” said Brad Russell, Research Director, Connected Home, Parks Associates. “Many new business models, such as those launched by Comcast, Control4, and Vivint, cover complete installation of an entire ecosystem, which will appeal to a variety of consumer segments, as each group has differing needs and preferences.”

Door locks in particular have a security function, which has made some manufacturers hesitant to enable new features. For example, many have been slow to enable voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to unlock doors due to challenges with fully authenticating users.   

However, the development of facial and fingerprint authentication allows device manufacturers to create additional convenience while still maintaining a high level of security. RemoteLock will integrate with Ipsidy’s solution, which will enable access using facial biometric authentication. Xiaomi has also integrated a fingerprint authentication solution into its Aqara S2 ProSmart Door Lock.

“Ultimately, voice technology will develop, where smart door locks can authenticate unique voices and respond accordingly, but current far-field voice recognition technology is not yet up to the security challenge,” Russell said.

DIY Home Security Tracker assesses the impact of DIY security solutions to expand the market and the potential cannibalization of existing security channels. It gives an analysis of industry trends, market strategies of key players, and competitive analysis on leading products in all key product categories.

For information about the DIY Home Security Tracker, contact sales@parksassociates.com. To schedule an interview with an analyst or to request specific research data, please contact Sherrelle Lewis at sherrelle.lewis@parksassociates.com, 972-996-0214.

About Parks Associates

Parks Associates, a woman-founded and certified business, is an internationally recognized market research and consulting company specializing in emerging consumer technology products and services. Founded in 1986, Parks Associates provides business intelligence and research services through its proprietary methodologies developed over decades, including quarterly surveys of 10,000 internet households.

The company's expertise crosses many industries: home security and smart home, streaming video, broadband and pay-TV services, digital media and platforms, gaming, Wi-Fi and home networks, connected health, support, consumer electronics, home control systems, energy management, and tech solutions for the multi-dwelling (MDU), small-to-medium business (SMB), and commercial building markets.

Each year, Parks Associates brings thousands of leaders together for its webinars and annual events. The firm hosts the annual executive research and strategy conferences CONNECTIONS™, Connected Health Summit, Smart Energy Summit, Smart Spaces, and Future of Video. https://www.parksassociates.com

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