Smart Homes Make Up Only 10% Of Households
Despite increased sales of smart home technology, the category’s appeal is still mostly limited to early adopters.
Just 10% of Australian, US and UK households surveyed by Gartner said they currently have connected home solutions, while most reported having no problem manually controlling household functions like lighting and heating/cooling.
“If they are to successfully widen the appeal of the connected home, providers will need to identify what will really motivates current users to inspire additional purchases,” said Gartner’s principal research analyst Amanda Sabia.
Home security alarm systems are the most popular smart home technology with an 18% adoption rate, compared to 11% for home monitoring, 11% for health and wellness management and 9% for home automation or energy management.
Smart home technology remains the most popular in the US according to Gartner, with adoption rates between 5-6% greater than the UK and Australia.
Despite a lukewarm reception to some smart home functionalities, 55% of respondents gave a rating of 51 or more out of 100 for having one app that integrates connected home devices and services.
“Messaging needs to be focused on the real value proposition that the complete connected home ecosystem provides, encompassing devices, service and experience,” said Gartner research director Jessica Ekholm.
“The emphasis needs to be on how the connected home can helps solve daily tasks rather than just being a novelty collection of devices and apps.”