A Glimpse Into a High-Tech Future

Industry-Relevant Smart Home Trends from CES 

Parks Associates hosted the 18th annual CONNECTIONS Summit at CES, bringing industry leaders from the connected home together to share insights and updates on the state of the smart home and security market.

Parks Associates highlighted several key insights into consumer technology – including that for the first time, smartphone ownership (90%) has surpassed TV ownership (88%) in households. Parks Associates research shows that 92% of U.S. households now have internet service and that connectivity is a critical part of consumers’ lives. Among all internet households, 66% own a smart TV, 42% have at least one smart home device, 31% have a security system, and 89% watch streaming video services.

According to Parks Associates data, more smart home buyers now self-identify as mainstream technology users. In addition, nearly 30% of U.S. internet households now have three or more smart home devices. This shift necessitates changes in product development, marketing, and sales strategies, as companies aim to appeal to a broader audience beyond tech-savvy individuals.

Throughout the lively panel discussions at CONNECTIONS, we were able to identify seven key smart home trends with relevance to the security and home integration space:  

The ubiquity of smart cameras and security systems. These products are becoming more sophisticated, with enhanced features such as facial recognition and advanced motion detection. The presence of numerous Chinese brands in this space was noteworthy, reflecting the global nature of the smart home market.

While the expansion of the security device market offers consumers more choices and drives market growth, the industry faces challenges due to ongoing supply chain issues and higher interest rates, which hinder innovation by escalating costs and impacting companies’ abilities to make ends meet.

Traditional security providers will continue to look to reduce costs, expand revenues through new opportunities, and focus on partnerships.

The advancement of smart lighting controls. These systems are becoming more intuitive and user-friendly, enabling homeowners to easily adjust their home’s ambiance while also enhancing security through automated lighting schedules. Currently, 13% of U.S. internet households own a smart light bulb and 6% own a smart lighting system. In 2024, there will be a significant shift with lighting emerging as a pivotal component, especially in the context of home security and energy efficiency.

This trend is underscored by notable industry movements, such as NRG’s $5.6 billion acquisition of Vivint and its introduction of a lighting division.

Beyond basic lighting, these advanced systems are being designed for diverse purposes – enhancing home aesthetics, providing fun and customizable experiences, and importantly, creating safer environments for aging in place. As this trend continues, we can expect lighting to not only contribute to a home’s security and energy management, but also to play a vital role in shaping the living experience, merging functionality with personalization.

Energy management and energy efficiency continue to drive the adoption of smart home solutions. Shelly Group, a leader in Europe, introduced more than 10 switch and sensor products that enable advanced control, integration, and metrics. In addition, the Home Connectivity Alliance (HCA) announced a new standard to enable appliance OEMs to share energy consumption data, which can boost the use case for energy monitoring in smart homes. This could lead to more sustainable and efficient home management systems.

Energy management systems offer dual benefits to consumers by providing real-time insights, enabling cost savings, and facilitating integration with utility providers to participate in demand-response programs that contribute to overall energy reduction.

In addition, the ability to monitor and manage energy consumption through smart home systems caters to the growing environmental consciousness of consumers and offers potential cost savings.

Health and wellness for older demographics, but with a focus on safety and security. The Samsung Digital Health House, in collaboration with AARP’s AgeTech Collaborative, showcased a range of innovative solutions designed to support aging at home. The exhibit featured products from 10 startup companies, each offering unique technologies aimed at enhancing the health and well-being of older adults – showcasing products in the living room, kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom areas, and featuring applications in interactive gaming, health monitoring, AI-assisted wellness coaching, ambient vital sign sensing, and smart home healthcare technologies.

The importance of professional support in the smart home sector. The involvement of tradespeople and professional services through companies like OliverIQ , Daisy, and Nice could be crucial in installing and maintaining more complex smart home systems. Parks Associates research shows that the average household now has 17 connected devices. Device setup and integration with other products, in addition to device management, continue to be challenges to solve.

Smart TVs as the smart home hub. Beyond support and professional services, interoperability remains a key focus. More Smart TVs are becoming home hubs, and more industry players are bringing Matter-embedded products to market. Smart TVs play a central role in the home ecosystem and have the potential to become key interfaces for various systems like security and energy management.

Companies like Samsung, LG, and Hisense are integrating connected home platforms into their TVs, potentially changing the landscape of smart home integration and control. This puts the TV operating system and the largest screen in the house at the heart of the home.

Looking Ahead: The Matter Protocol and Data Sharing

Matter protocol’s role in 2024 will be pivotal for smart home integration. The Connectivity Standards Alliance is working to temper expectations for what is accomplished next and how quickly the standard is created and adopted across different product categories.

While Matter promises greater interoperability, the reluctance of some companies to fully embrace open data sharing continues to pose a significant hurdle. The success of Matter largely depends on finding a balance that benefits both companies and consumers, and this tension could shape the evolution of interoperable smart home ecosystems in 2024.

Smart home players are tackling various challenges, from ensuring data privacy and security to managing the complexities of integrating different technologies. Innovations in 2024 will focus on creating more robust, user-friendly, and secure systems that can seamlessly integrate into the daily lives of a broad range of consumers. As companies navigate these trends and challenges, innovation remains key. The focus in 2024 will be on enhancing user experience, ensuring data privacy and security, and integrating AI and machine learning to provide smarter, more responsive home security solutions.

Elizabeth Parks is President and CMO of market research and consulting firm Parks Associates. www.parksassociates.com