CES 2015: the year of the connected home?

One theory behind these numbers is that the current generation of home automation devices is perceived as adding very little value beyond simply being a 'gimmick'. Hendrik Bartel, research director at Gartner, said that the current value propositions are too vague and not enticing enough to achieve broad market penetration.

"Perhaps the first attempt has fallen flat in terms of promoting the value of enhanced energy savings or automation of repetitive tasks, as it would appear to be unable to convince the larger market to take advantage of the connected home," he said.

Bartel suggested that offering discounts for purchasing multiple devices could help to fuel growth, boosing customer loyalty as well as getting more devices into the household. Ensure that home automation devices easily integrate with other devices already installed in the home is also imperative, he said.

Gartner predicts that 2015 will see more household brands moving into the connected home space. In particular, Apple's HomeKit platform is likely to become a hub for connected household objects, and Bartel expects to see products taking advantage of deep iOS integration at CES 2015.

Accenture also expects to see more products from companies that would not traditionally attend CES, in categories such as clinical healthcare, home security and home automation. However, it said that the vast amounts of data being produced by consumer electronics devices will push security further up the agenda.

Indeed, the Consumer Electronics Association has revealed that, for the first time in 2015, there will be two new 'marketplaces' at CES one for personal cyber security products and solutions and one for attendees to learn about the newest technologies and strategies they can adopt to protect their information online.

"As we all embrace the convenience and 'always connected' powerful capabilities of our electronics devices, our privacy and security take on even more importance," said Karen Chupka, senior vice president, International CES and corporate business strategy, CEA.

Meanwhile, Accenture predicts that there will be a strong focus on how car manufacturers are embedding connectivity into their vehicles, allowing for the car to become an extension of the smartphone, and an integral part of the so-called 'Internet of Things'.

The comapny elso expects to see a slew of large-screen smartphones, known as 'phablets', which will put a squeeze on the tablet market, as well as a range of 4K TVs, with a focus on larger, bendable and therefore more flexible screens.

Read the rest here:
CES 2015: the year of the connected home?