TP Link announced the Deco M4, a $179 three-pack Wi-Fi bundle priced to eliminate the cost barrier to mass consumer adoption of a mesh network system. Maximum range is given as 5,500 square feet with the ability to connect up to 100 devices. Deco’s seamless roaming technology allows devices to be under a single network name so users don’t have to reconnect when moving to a different area of the home, it said Monday. Adaptive path selection ensures that nodes always choose the fastest data stream and that the system directs devices onto the optimal Wi-Fi lane, said the company. If one of the Deco nodes in a multi-node mesh network drops, the system’s self-healing capability will reconfigure automatically to prevent network interruptions, it said. The system is compatible with Amazon Alexa and IFTTT (If This Then That).

Smart home devices will increasingly rely on voice control, video and data analytics, sound recognition and artificial intelligence to simplify the user experience, blogged Parks Associates Wednesday. U.S. broadband households own more than 10 connected devices -- including consumer electronics, smart home and connected health products -- and as they buy more, they’re basing purchase decisions on a product’s ability to work with others they own, said Parks. But interoperability remains “a leading challenge," said analyst Chris O’Dell. Three-quarters of consumers who intend to buy a smart home device in the next year said the ability to work well with others is key to the purchase decision, but that's increasingly difficult when consumers buy stand-alone devices "at different times, from different brands, rather than purchasing smart home systems." Some 30 percent of computing and entertainment device owners report experiencing loss of wireless connectivity, naming routers as the most common source of the problems. Mesh networks and 5G could mitigate wireless issues, O'Dell said. Sixty-seven percent of consumers rated “alerts when someone enters your home” as the most appealing among a range of home security features; 75 percent of broadband households want tight control over personal data and 45 percent are “very concerned” about hackers gaining control of their connected devices. Smart home purchase intentions grew from 21 percent at the beginning of 2014 to 43 percent at the end of 2018.

Haier’s GE Appliances tapped Cirrent to simplify Wi-Fi onboarding of products for consumers and for “reliable connectivity” of their smart home products, it said Wednesday. Cirrent software lets consumers set up connected appliances without typing in their home network name or password and ensures products stay connected when network names and passwords change.

Cloud-based telecom company Ooma is looking toward subscription services to drive residential and commercial revenue growth, said Chief Financial Officer Ravi Narula on a Q4 earnings call Tuesday. Revenue for the quarter ended Jan. 31 was up 15 percent year on year to $34.7 million, 89 percent from subscriptions and services. Product revenue, which recently hovered around $12 million-$13 million, is expected to be flat from FY 2019 to 2020, while the company eyes near-term subscription revenue growth from business and residential. CEO Eric Stang said development plans are shifting to new premium services the company can enable through its office platform, and its partnership with Sprint, announced at CES, for a 4G wireless home phone that doesn’t require an internet connection will play a bigger role in the broader company portfolio over time. The company is expanding its Telo residential phone service into home security, and its $149 indoor/outdoor Smart Cam, launched at CES, has had a good "take rate" with additional services on Amazon, said Stang: “We always like it to be higher, but it's gotten off to a good start." Shares closed down 0.1 percent to $16.04.

Some 46 Kenmore smart appliances are certified as Works with Alexa, Sears said Thursday. Consumers can ask Alexa for information such as remaining time on a dryer cycle, status of a washer, whether a dishwasher needs a rinse aid or a refrigerator’s temperature, it said. Kenmore recently announced Kenmore smart refrigerator customers can have water and air filters reordered automatically via Amazon Dash when they need replacement.

Some 65 percent of smart thermostat owners are interested in a dealer service that periodically cleans and performs preventive maintenance on their HVAC equipment, blogged Parks Associates Tuesday. “Connectivity, data analytics, and ecosystem convergence in the smart home are creating opportunities to expand traditional services and realize new revenue streams,” and that’s driving a transition in vertical industries from products to services, said President Elizabeth Parks. Service opportunities, paired with smart home solutions, include installation and technical support, maintenance and repair services, remote monitoring and network security, which can bring recurring revenue opportunities to companies and potential cost savings to consumers.

Thirty-five percent of U.S. broadband households with home or renter's insurance are interested in proactive communication of potential risk situations in a connected home, blogged Parks Associates Thursday. A service that repairs damage is the most appealing, but interest is “strong” in proactive services enabled by smart home devices and artificial intelligence capabilities to detect and prevent risk situations, said analyst Brad Russell. Changes in trends in consumer expectations, combined with the data derived from IoT solutions, are opening market opportunities for the insurance industry, it said.

While 28 percent of U.S. broadband households are familiar with time-of-use rate programs, only 18 percent report their utility offers one, said Parks Associates Wednesday. Of those who have been offered a TOU plan, 38 percent signed up, said analyst Brad Russell. Familiarity with these programs hasn’t budged much since 2015, Russell said, but smart home devices such as smart thermostats could open a new line of communication with consumers to boost familiarity and convey benefits. They could also help reduce consumers' fears of loss of control, the top inhibitor to TOU enrollment, said the analyst.

Some 23 percent of U.S. broadband households plan to buy a smart thermostat in 2019, and 24 percent are likely to buy a smart lightbulb, blogged Parks Associates Monday. Data from such devices is a “new and important form of currency in the IoT ecosystem,” said analyst Brad Russell, saying artificial intelligence and machine learning can unlock the value of data for energy providers.

Panasonic turned to Indiegogo to launch a $279 home monitoring system that doubles as a floor lamp. The crowd-funding campaign, which began Jan. 22, was introduced in a Tuesday news release. With 18 days to go, seven HomeHawk Floor units out of 25 had been claimed at the early bird $185, and nine units overall brought it to 9 percent of goal, said the webpage. Estimated delivery is May. Panasonic is pitching the system, with an eye-level camera built into the top section, as an alternative to security cameras that are “a pain to mount.” Among features are voice assistant control; full HD recording; two-second “pre-recording” before the motion sensor is activated; a 140-degree camera angle; adjustable height, built-in speaker and mic; geofencing that turns off the camera when the owner leaves; and color night vision.