IoT research firm surveys consumers on preferred smart home device functions

New research from Parks Associates finds smart home solutions that coordinate safety and home/away event scenarios could help a device manufacturer create cross-platform brand loyalty similar to Apple’s dominance in CE device ecosystems. The IoT research firm finds U.S. consumers are more likely to own multiple CE products from Apple than from any other CE brand, with loyalty based largely around its mobile platforms. The emerging smart home markets do not have a dominant cross-platform player yet and represent an opportunity to establish a new population of brand loyalists.

“Apple has built a strong base of brand loyalists—82% of Mac users who purchased a smartphone chose an iPhone. By comparison, only 38% of non-Mac users who bought a smartphone chose an iPhone,” said Brett Sappington, Senior Research Director, Parks Associates. “But cross-platform loyalty is difficult to achieve. Beyond Apple, ecosystem-based thinking among U.S. consumers is not natural; manufacturers must bridge this gap through product development and marketing that emphasize brand-specific benefits in use cases that apply across computing, mobile, and entertainment platforms.”

The firm’s 360 View Update: Connected Home Devices Deep Dive tested different interoperability scenarios for smart home devices to identify the use cases that could inspire cross-platform purchases. The survey among smart home device owners found 44% of smart smoke/CO detector owners want their device to work with a smart door lock and 38% would want it to work with a smart thermostat. Interoperability preferences for smart door locks show consumers value the convenience of setting home/away scenarios that impact multiple devices in the home.

“Anxiety over protecting loved ones and property drives up the value of interoperability with smart home safety devices,” said Brad Russell, Research Analyst, Parks Associates. “Device manufacturers can leverage these use cases to develop merchandise bundles and application integrations. For example, a company could attach safety use cases to an energy use case to bundle convenience with energy savings. Consumers have yet to see the value in some interoperability scenarios, notably in energy, so those will require more outreach. Peace of mind continues to be one of the strongest value propositions for smart home products.”

The research notes that Lutron Caséta is a good example of accentuating energy management by integrating multiple device categories, including smart lights, shades, and thermostats, to create use cases for safety, convenience, and cost savings.

The firm’s 360 View Update: CE Device Ecosystems finds nearly one-third of U.S. broadband households have two or more Apple-branded products, 23% have multiple Microsoft products, and 20% have multiple Google devices.

For more information, visit www.ParksAssociates.com. To schedule a meeting with an analyst or to request specific research data, contact Holly Sprague at hsprague@gmail.com or 720-987-6614.

About Parks Associates

Parks Associates is a global research, consulting, and marketing firm with 40 years of experience delivering proprietary consumer data and industry insights for businesses. The firm produces market research reports, forecasts, surveys, and competitive business intelligence on connected consumer, small business, and commercial technologies and related business solutions. Parks Associates provides custom research, strategic consulting, and forward-looking analysis across connected home, small business, and commercial markets, including security, smart home, broadband, entertainment, energy, multifamily, smart buildings, connected health, and emerging AI-driven technologies.

Parks Associates supports industry growth through proprietary research, consulting, and executive networking and convenes thousands of leaders each year through its flagship conferences, including CONNECTIONS™, Connected Health Summit, Smart Energy Summit, Smart Spaces, and Future of Video. Learn more at https://www.parksassociates.com.

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