Home Automation Dominates Internet of Things Conversation

The Internet of Things is dominating the conversation in many technology circles today and will likely do so for the foreseeable future.  What exactly is the Internet of Things and just who is dominating the Internet of Things conversation?

Cisco has defined the Internet of Things as follows:

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of physical objects accessed through the Internet, as defined by technology analysts and visionaries. These objects contain embedded technology to interact with internal states or the external environment. In other words, when objects can sense and communicate, it changes how and where decisions are made, and who makes them.

Imagine a world where your car communicates with your home alarm system, home climate control system, and home lighting system.  Imagine a world where every machine on the factory floor communicates with each other to automatically solve problems on the production line.  This is the Internet of Things. Wired magazine has simply called it the “programmable world” and GE has called the industrial side of the Internet of Things, the “industrial internet”.  Got it?  That’s a whole lot of lingo for such a nascent industry.

A recent study conducted by Appinions sought to understand who the influencers are in the Internet of Things space.  Simply put, the study determined that home automation is the most popular branch of Internet of Things technology.  Large companies like Apple, Google, Phillips, Samsung, and Belkin are all getting in.

Home automation, as defined by the study, is “technology that makes household appliances, temperature controls, or electronics “smart” and connect them to the web so they can be programmed to function remotely.”  Influential products highlighted by the study include the Nest thermostat, Apple HomeKit, Honeywell Lyric Thermostat, and Phillips Hue Lighting.  And this is just the beginning.

The study also found that privacy and cybersecurity are important concerns that weigh on the Internet of Things industry.  Setting these concerns aside, there seems to be an ever increasing popularity in the connected home.  Although the Internet of Things revolution is only beginning,  the popularity of home automation shows an undeniable connection with energy consumption.