Connected-Home Solutions Ownership Still an Early Adopter Market, Says Report

Connected home solutions ownership remains an early adopter phenomenon, a Gartner survey found. Gartner canvassed nearly 10,000 online respondents in the U.S., U.K. and Australia and found that only 10 percent of homes currently have connected home solutions installed, it said in a Monday report. “Although households in the developed world are beginning to embrace connected home solutions, providers must push beyond early adopter use," said the firm. "If they are to successfully widen the appeal of the connected home, providers will need to identify what will really motivate current users to inspire additional purchases." The survey found that home security alarm systems, the more established of connected home solutions, have nearly double the adoption rates (18 percent) of newer connected home platforms such as home monitoring (11 percent), home automation or energy management (9 percent) and health and wellness management (11 percent). Overall adoption rates are 5-6 percent higher in the U.S., where the solutions were first marketed, compared with other developed markets, it said.