Smart Home Technologies

Intelligent living is the trend. Smart home technologies improve living comfort, increase security and help save energy. At the same time, the networking and control of home technology as well as consumer electronics via smartphone are considered trendy - manufacturers and futurologists forecast considerable economic potential.

The market potential is considerable

Digital networking, the desire for convenience, growing environmental awareness and an increasingly aging population are boosting interest in smart living. Already, according to the results of the W3B study conducted by Internet market research company Fittkau & Maaß Consulting in 2013 among 27,000 Internet users surveyed, three quarters of participants expressed interest in the innovative technologies.

Accordingly, many manufacturers focused on smart home technologies at the IFA International Consumer Electronics Fair in 2014. The consulting firm Deloitte estimates the market volume at EUR 4.1 billion by 2023 in https://exness-vietnam.asia/mt4/, and experts expect annual sales of EUR 19 billion on the German market by 2025.

Remote control of home technology (heating, windows and blinds, lighting) is particularly popular, whereas there has so far been little interest in controlling individual appliances (refrigerator, TV, printer) or plant and pet care via remote control.

Cross-platform infrastructures

    Telekom founded the Qivicon initiative in 2011 together with partners EnBW, eQ-3, Miele and Samsung to connect devices of different manufacturers and types and provide infrastructures and base stations.

    Samsung, Dell, Intel and Broadcom launched the Open Interconnect Consortium last year for a similar purpose, and Huawei recently joined. 

    Apple is also getting involved in smart home solutions and introduced the HomeKit software for iOS 8 for networking and central control of various eHome products. The group is working together with manufacturers such as the French company Netatmo. 

    At IFA, digitalSTROM presented systems that, for example, regulate the corresponding water temperature through the voice command "Wash vegetables"; in the bathroom, shower programs offer diverse light and sound accompaniment.

    Cooking programs enable automatic control of the stove and extractor fan. Together with the wheelchair manufacturer Ottobock, the company develops barrier-free living concepts and thus also serves the growing senior citizens' market.

Conclusion and forecast

Smart home technologies are still in their infancy, but promise enormous growth potential in the coming years. Not all areas will catch on equally, as some technologies, such as those for monitoring the best-before dates of food in the refrigerator (Bosch company), create problems that are not problems, and the utility value is thus low.

There have also been hurdles to date in the technical implementation due to cross-trade technology, but these will be reduced by means of cooperation between different companies to develop complete solutions. Data protection technology also offers potential, although no players have been able to stand out in particular here so far.