Popular electronics accessing the Internet of Things (IoT) make it possible to create a “smart” home, and 35 percent of smart home owners use a hub or app to control their connected devices, according to research from Parks Associates.
Although most Things have an app that can be used to access and control a connected device, the issue becomes a bit more complicated with the addition of multiple products – making use of a voice-activated speaker, for example, presents hands-free control opportunities. Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple’s Siri, and similar services can be used to control speakers, smart locks, home security, thermostats, and more. Research from Parks Associates found that 62 percent of people using a smart speaker as a hub rely on Alexa – considering the large number of speakers available, that shouldn’t be a major revelation.
“The majority of smart home owners still operate their products as stand-alone devices, but the rise of voice control, paired with the growth in number of connected devices in the home, has helped push more households toward centralized control. U.S. broadband households now have more than 10 connected devices on average, and the growing number in consumers’ lives intensifies the complexity in the smart home. Voice has emerged as a key interface to alleviate this complexity.”
Dina Abdelrazik, Research Analyst, Parks Associates
The PC and smartphone markets have well-established major contributors, though the smart home industry has much untapped potential. Before market consolidation occurs, however, consumers shouldn’t have a shortage of viable products to choose from.
If you’re looking for tips to use a smart speaker as a hub from your increasingly connected living space, then this Consumer Reports story did a good job covering options currently available to you.
