According to research firm Statista, “The global smart home market is forecast to grow to 53.45 billion U.S. dollars in size by 2022. Smart home, also called home automation, is an automation system that controls the lighting, climate, entertainment, appliances and home security such as alarm systems of a household.
Smart home devices, when connected to the internet, are a part of a network of devices called the Internet of Things (IoT). These connected devices share data among each other, providing benefits such as better quality of life and greater insight into business.”
What will change over the coming year?
1: Data - and lots of it. New technologies, especially AI, will enable the generation and collection of all sorts of data about what millions of users are doing on the internet, what home devices they are employing, what kinds of apps they are utilising and more. With insights gained from this data, media, app, device and other providers will increasingly track and perfect their customers’ experience as they shop, learn and play online.
2: Wifi 6 will be flying off the shelves. Known in technical circles as 802.11ax, the new Wifi standard is already operating on a new generation of routers. Delivering improved security, lower battery consumption, increased capacity and higher data rates, Wifi 6 is ideal for accommodating all those new smart devices home-internet users are installing.
3: Measurement of customer experience over the internet. Communication Service Providers, media companies and smart device manufacturers all want to measure customer experience (CX) and now they can. They can also find out how their service stacks up against competitors and how customers go about choosing a provider.
4: Malfunctions will be moving across devices. Till now, most home connectivity problems (75-90%) have been concentrated around the home router and wifi signals. As routers become more powerful and capable, they will be responsible for relatively fewer problems. Now that internet users are working and learning more from home, pesky malfunctions will increasingly originate in new smart devices being installed in increasing numbers.
5: Self-care is prompt care. Communication Service Providers, online media companies and smart-device manufacturers are being crushed by the volume of support calls and the time and complexity of dealing with them, not to mention the astronomical expenses. AI technology and all that new data will tell users at home what is causing connectivity problems along with recommendations for fixing them, deflecting and shortening support calls and making users happier with the prompt and effective care.
In short, more devices, more services, more apps and more time spent on the internet - meaning more people inviting AI and other technologies to streamline and reduce their online tasks at work, school and with entertainment.
