Thursday, October 30, 2014
Consumers foresee the arrival of the smart home as even more imminent than that of smart cars or wearable technology. And while they welcome it, their enthusiasm is tempered by some confusion around the smart home concept, as well as concerns about price, ease of use, and physical and data security, according to new research from iModerate, a leading qualitative research firm.While consumers aren't quite sure if the smart home is a product, a series of products, or a comprehensive system they can purchase, they envision the smart home as a means to solve numerous problems and issues they face on a daily basis. Study participants said they think a smart home would be most beneficial when they're away from home; specifically, a smart home would alleviate worries of leaving an appliance on (72 percent); help lower energy bills (71 percent); and reduce burglary worries (58 percent).
In terms of safety and security, however, consumers see the smart home concept as something of a double-edged sword. They believe it will offer peace of mind to them and their families, but they are wary of the security and privacy issues a smart home could expose.
Findings reveal that consumers are excited about:
- Being able to peek in to their homes
- •Remotely controlling home functions
- Receiving alerts if there’s an attempted intrusion or mechanical problem that occurs while they’re away
- Security measures backfiring
- Exploitation of data collected by smart home systems
- Ease of hacking for smart locks
Source: iModerate
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