My phone knows I have a client meeting today because I added it to my calendar. I hop in the shower to get ready – wash my hair, my face, the usual drill. I’m about to turn the shower off when my razor beeps. My razor knows I have a client meeting – my cell phone told it. My phone analyzed my calendar then sent an alert to a sensor in my razor to remind me that I need to shave…because stubble never makes a good impression.

This is just one scenario in a million that probably resonates with tens of millions of people. While it may seem far-fetched, the technology that powers this kind of connected world where our gadgets “talk” and inform each other already exists, with more on the way. Parks Associates finds the majority of California broadband households already have at least one CE device connected to the internet, and this is just the beginning. Soon everything – yes, even our toothbrushes – will be connected.

The big question on everyone’s mind is – when are we going to get there? Just as I saw in this interesting white paper, as with any new technology, introduction to the market will have its obstacles and widespread consumer adoption will require time and persistence. Here are a couple examples:

• As hybrid cars came into the market, one of the first ventures, the Honda Insight, offered better mileage than later choices such as the Toyota Prius, but failed at the dealership. The Insight may have been the more practical choice, but it did not feel like a car that consumers were accustomed to, and the change was too dramatic to drive adoption.
• The App Store achieved rapid popularity by removing the cumbersome trip to the electronics store and making applications available almost instantly with minimal consumer effort.

What we can glean from these examples is twofold: more often than not, consumers are hesitant of change, and the less effort it takes to adopt, the better. To drive adoption, we must reduce the friction of change, simplify the adoption process and make new products appear relatable and tied to needs. Just as Thomas Edison modeled his electric light off of a gas bulb, the Internet of Things must blend with what is already known and amplify its value.

Today, many connected devices are siloed. On their own, these gadgets do cool things, but without the ability to talk to other devices and share data, the full potential is lost.

To drive adoption, we must follow Edison’s strategy and fill a familiar void while removing roadblocks and adding benefits. We must enable common objects with new capabilities, pair this new functionality with perceived necessities, and offer accessible points of entry.

My fridge may already be connected, but it needs not only to tell me when I am low on milk, but also to remind me when I get to the store, or better yet integrate with Peapod and save me the trouble, all while costing roughly the same as the average Kenmore.

To drive adoption of the connected lifestyle, we need to leverage a universal hub: the home. Owners and renters alike prioritize protecting the people they love and the property they have invested in – 90% of consumers report family security is a top priority according to our 2014 State of the Smart Home Report. Lucky for us, the trail has already been cleared. Home Security companies and service providers have laid the infrastructure for the smart home while tying technology to something that is not only necessary, but priceless.

Smart home platforms are the key to the next-generation connected lifestyle. Once all our devices can “talk” to each other via this shared conduit, we can create an informed network of apps and devices that can anticipate behaviors and maximize ease and efficiency for users. When we offer this network as an added value to the critical feeling of security, we demonstrate necessity to consumers. If all of this is controlled via a centralized device or application that is accessible and already widely used, we can introduce connected living with minimal friction and maximum ease of adoption.

So don’t worry about remembering to buy milk; technology has you covered. The next generation connected lifestyle is here and growing, and your home will be at the heart of it.

Greg Roberts, Vice President, Marketing of iControl Networks discussed the connected home market and the smart home as a hub for connected living during the closing keynote, “The Internet of Toothbrushes? A Look at the Connected Home Market,” on May 14^th during the 18th-annual CONNECTIONS conference.