techUK has launched its inaugural annual State of the Connected Home report, looking at current consumer understanding of the connected home market. Developed in partnership with market research firm GfK, it explores the appeal and ownership of different categories of devices, and makes recommendations to encourage further adoption in the UK.
Key findings within the report include:
- Awareness was high but in-depth knowledge was lacking – 77% of respondents were ‘aware’ of the connected home, although only 10% ‘knew a lot’ about it.
- The most appealing connected home categories were smart entertainment (45%), smart energy (42%) and home monitoring and control (39%).
- Individual device ownership was high (80%), however, many respondents did not own multiple devices as part of a connected home ecosystem (only 35% owned more than three).
Despite the proliferation of devices and awareness, there are several barriers preventing the seamless development of fully connected homes. These include:
- A lack of clarity on the most suitable business models for connected home services and technologies – 80% of respondents expected to pay only once for a connected device with no further recurring costs.
- Concerns around price (39%), privacy (22%), interoperability (16%) and security (15%) were cited as barriers to choosing a connected home service or device.
techUK chief executive Julian David commented: “Connected devices and services empower consumers by giving them more control over their daily lives than they have ever had before. Improved security, better remote health monitoring, greater energy efficiency and more personalised experiences within the home are just some areas where consumers can feel the benefits of a connected life.
“There are, however, challenges in ensuring the widespread adoption of connected home devices and services, which we shouldn’t underestimate. This report shows we have some way to go to ensure that consumers embrace this technology as we overcome concerns around cost, privacy, security and interoperability.
“Government, industry and consumer bodies must collaborate to address the concerns identified by addressing trust issues, communicating clearly to consumers and promoting the benefits that connected home tech will deliver.”
