News

CABA Completes Connected Home User Interface Study (4/7/2009)

The Continental Automated Buildings Association, through its Connected Home Research Council, has completed its Connected Home User Interface Study. The study undertook a number of interviews with households to consider and react to multiple home management concepts and platforms. The study found that consumers in all age groups are increasingly familiar with the benefits and technologies of a networked computing environment within the home. The report found that consumers have a heightened degree of sophistication with regards to the enabling technology behind connectivity and networked solutions.

The research asked consumers how they expected to interact with connected home technology and found that most identified an enhanced TV experience as the most preferred point of control. The study however determined that consumers also expect levels of ubiquitous control across an entire platform of interfaces such as mobile PDAs, cell phones and laptop, desktop and netbook computers.

“Within a broad framework of new features and value propositions, consumers are looking for simplicity and intelligent, personalized analysis that will allow them to run their households in a more efficient and affordable manner,” stated David Dollihite of Direct Energy, Chair of CABA's Connected Home Research Council. “Our study helped companies determine what constitutes the best method for home management through user interfaces and examined what motivates consumers to adopt them.”

The study found that the opportunity to save money is the universal motivator for consumer adoption of connected home features and services. Saving energy resources was identified as the second main motivator for adoption. The study also found that consumers expect that rich information flowing within a connected home should remain within the home until the consumer decides to share it with outside entities, including device manufacturers, utility companies and service providers.

“The goal of the study was to define a baseline criteria for future connected home user interfaces,” stated Ronald J. Zimmer, CABA President & CEO. “We believe that this collaborative research project achieved this objective by answering key questions surrounding consumer expectations and by specifically probing how whole home solutions can create and enhance new, emerging digital lifestyles.”

Funding participants in CABA’s Connected Home User Interface Study included: APC, Best Buy, Direct Energy, Energy Eye, Lifeware, Sigma Designs, Inc., Trane,Whirlpool Corporation and Z-Wave Alliance. The study was conducted by POCO Labs.

www.caba.org