Smart Home Purchase Intent Doubles Among US Broadband Homes, Parks Says

Purchase intent for smart home devices among U.S. broadband households doubled from 21 percent in early 2014 to nearly 50 percent at the end of 2015, a Parks Associates news release said Friday. Safety and security continue to be the main drivers of consumer smart home interest, and once smart home products are in the home, "consumers quickly develop habits with these devices,” Parks Associates President Stuart Sikes said. Usage varies by product, but 40-50 percent of most safety and security device owners control or monitor their systems daily, Sikes said. Age and income are key demographics in the early adopter market, Sikes said. "Mass-market advertising with a clear call-to-action, prompt installation, and service delivery will help speed up the market adoption rate of smart devices." Some 23 percent of U.S. smartphone owners own a smart home device, and more than three-fourths of those consumers use a mobile device at least once a month to control their smart home devices, Parks said.