The Future is Now - Trends in Home Automation

The home automation industry has absolutely exploded in popularity over the past few years, and new smart home products continue to debut on the market in rapid-fire fashion. The convergence of important industry factors such as lower hardware costs, increased cloud computing power and higher bandwidth availability have created a “perfect storm” for continued innovations in the arena of smart home technology. As we continue to move toward digital integration in practically all areas of our lives, the notion of having a home that essentially interacts with its occupants doesn’t seem nearly as far-fetched as it did even a decade ago.

According to data analysis firm Strategy Analytics, the smart home industry may realize sales of over $39 billion by the year 2019, more than double of what was spent on home automation devices in 2014. So what can we look forward to as the “connected home” continues to become more commonplace? Below are some of the most notable trends emerging in the home automation space.

1. Device interoperability and open platforms

The days of the isolated device are slowly but surely coming to a close. As consumers continue to seek smart home devices that emphasize compatibility along with functionality, companies will continue developing technologies that allow for a unified control interface that can connect previously isolated devices and protocols. Single apps or platforms will be developed that give consumers the ability to “marry” all of their devices into a single interface, which will greatly enhance control and convenience. We see the beginnings of these things now with open protocols such as ZigBee and Z-Wave, and the trend toward smart home device interoperability only looks to continue accelerating from here.

2. Voice-controlled home automation systems

Imagine controlling your home automation system by simply talking to it on the phone; that’s exactly where we’re heading. The same type of voice recognition and language processing technology that’s used in thousands of call centers every day will soon become instrumental in helping consumers control their smart homes by voice commands. Large companies such as Apple are investing millions of dollars into this type of technology, moving us closer to a time when a person can simply speak into their smartphone to control the lighting, thermostat or other systems in their home.

3. Hardware interfaces that are software-defined

Perhaps you’ve seen those fountain drink machines that have several beverage options but only one spout, and the drink choices are controlled by a touch-screen interface. Depending upon which button you press on the touch screen, the same spout can serve you a variety of different drinks; this is a simple example of a software-defined hardware device. The same type of concept is beginning to emerge within the home automation industry; a single wall switch may eventually control several different functions such as lighting, temperature or even music volume, depending upon the software program that defines its functionality.

BeHome247 is widely recognized as a pioneer in the home automation industry, and it continues to remain on the cutting edge of smart home technology and innovation. Using BeHome247, you can enroll practically any Z-Wave-enabled device (of which there are hundreds) into an integrated user interface, giving you outstanding convenience when managing your connected home. As innovation in the home automation sector continues to flourish at a rapid pace, the iconic “Jetsons”-style home may become a reality quicker than we think.

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