13 Million Smart Homes Certified in North America in 2015

Some 13 million smart homes were registered in North America last year, and 91 million homes in Europe and North America are forecast to become smart by 2020, according to a Berg Insight report.

Researchers investigated top IoT business opportunities and classified automated homes into six main categories: energy management and climate control systems, security and access, control systems, lighting, window and appliance control systems, home appliances, audio-visual and entertainment systems, and healthcare and assisted living systems.

North America recorded tremendous growth, with smart home systems increasing by 62% to 16.9 million by the end of 2015. By 2020, IoT home systems will likely reach a CAGR of 30%, resulting in 46.2 million smart homes. In 2015, the IoT market grew 42% in the US to US$ 6.2 billion (€ 5.4 billion). In four years, it will reach an estimated CAGR of 31%.

While North America is ahead in terms of penetration and market maturity, the European market is approximately 2-3 years behind, with only 2.4% of households joining the smart home trend. The number of European smart homes is forecast to reach a CAGR of 54% by 2020, while the market will reach € 12.8 billion (US$ 14.7 billion).

Analysts found that smart home purchases start with point solutions such as smart thermostats, security systems, smart light bulbs, network cameras and multi-room audio systems. These have generated 58% market revenue in North America and Europe.

“Smartphone apps are today the most common user interface for smart home solutions. In the future, users are however unlikely to be willing to launch a number of individual apps to be able to use their connected devices. A cross platform compatible and voice driven user interface would instead have the ability to connect and control a wide range of devices and services using simple voice commands,” reads the report.

Companies are now seeking better insights into their data to properly incorporate this new trend. IoT is getting more real as business have fully embraced it and work towards better integration between their applications and automation services to maximize IoT benefits for their products and services.