RE: The Home Automation "Killer App"

["Nigel Giddings" <nigel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mark,

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I think the issue here is one of definition and purpose.

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What is a Smart Home and what is its purpose?

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Looking back in time many of the things that would be seen as at the
cuttin=
g edge are used by many people, and I don't just mean UKHA members. The
hum=
ble telephone answering machine as an example... Of course looking forward
=
we can see how this can be so much 'better'. A voice mail box for each
memb=
er of the family, IVR to deal with those annoying sales calls, or calls
fro=
m the mother-in-law... The ability to have virtual extensions on our
mobile=
phones back to the house, integrated phone/e-mail lists that synchronise  =
all our phone number and contact details...

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You could of course talk about Washing machines and Dishwashers, remote
con=
trolled TVs, but how many households now have one or more PCs / Laptops?

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I think what many people on UKHA see as a 'Smart Home' is when these
things=
are integrated. When you can read your e-mail on the PC in the Study / Liv=
ing room or on the laptop in bed (or while out and about). When your
photos=
can be seen on the TVs around the house or on the PC or via the internet o=
n someone else's PC in another location...

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There is an appetite for technology, SKY Plus is popular but is, in my
opin=
ion, an example of a poor implementation of a whole house PVR.=20

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I am sure many people would go the Sonos route if it could touch the right
=
price points.

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The issue is compounded because when people buy, people look for the
cheape=
st price / best value. Very few people are prepared to pay someone to
'inte=
grate' it with the rest of the house. Cost is a major issue, when you can
b=
uy a 32" flat screen for =A3350 and it would cost =A3200 plus for
someone t=
o spend time in your home setting it up with everything else it isn't
going=
to happen.

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Ninety something percent of people have no idea how to get the most out of
=
there own devices. UKHA members are an exceptional bunch with much more
kno=
wledge of how things work when compared to your average Joe and even they
s=
truggle with the various devices.

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Cost saving, followed by green benefits are definitely motivators for
chang=
e and if there is a cost benefit to installing a Central Heating
controller=
then the issue of installation and integration cost is mitigated. But is t=
his Smart Homes for Smart Homes sake or just technology that has a cost
ben=
efit?

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I am sure there is a (Niche) market for Smart Homes which will be driven
by=
life style and understanding. My newly born Grandson won't be able to imag=
ine a world without fast internet and always connected type services in
the=
same way our kids couldn't imagine life without a mobile phone, for me the=
equivalent would probably be electricity, I say that because my mother can=
remember the days before even that was readily available...

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Nigel

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-----Original Message-----
From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of M=
ark McCall
Sent: 06 January 2009 13:14
To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subject: [ukha_d] The Home Automation "Killer App"

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This piece in today's New York Times echoes my thinking too.

"Mass market consumers have almost no interest in using 'technology'
for
home 'automation' or 'control,' " concluded a market
study.....[However]...The killer app, Mr. Woods said, will be energy
efficiency...."

Read the full article here...

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/06/the-smart-home-is-still-looking-fo=
r <http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/06/the-smart-home-is-still-looking=
-for>=20
-a-market/

Or

http://bit.ly/LsfM <http://bit.ly/LsfM>=20

M.

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