M2M - In the Mass Market.
I consider Home Automation a consumer driven segment of M2M. Typically new technology gets introduced in the Enterprise and then trickels down into the Consumer segment - e.g the Personal Computer : A Machine for enabling business which is now part of nearly every household. Same applicaes to automation - Industrial automation has been around for some time (e.g Building Automation, Process Automation) and is now making its way into the consumer segment.
If Home owners are buying into remote control and automation services - can the Industry be far behind? Agreed these are early adopters of the home automation / remote monitoring technology but as the technology becomes available to the mass market consumers the adoption rates are bound to go up.
How does it work? Installers connect your house’s electronic and digital devices to a command center, a hard drive that looks like a stereo receiver and can stream music, store movies and manipulate security cameras, among other functions. All can be activated by a remote control, wall keypad, off-site computer via the Web or cell phone. This hub of the home is the next major battle ground for major consumer electronics OEM’s - Sony, Microsoft, Dell and all the other Communication providers such as Comcast, Verizon, AT&T all want to be the heart and soul of your house - i.e provide you with the tools to manage all your systems in teh house - Audio, video, HVAC, Lights, Security. These providesrs are all approaching the same market from different angles. Remains to be seen who wins this race.Â
Aside from the market battles taking place in the Home Automation segment - The Enterprise automation is where most of the big $$’s are going to get spent. The need for M2M in the enterprise is not a convenience feature but a necessity to drive forward innovation and better product (Quality & Service).
The question remains as to which company , which technology platform will drive the growth of the home automation segment…