The Smart Money: Smart Video, Automation, and EcoSystems

Those owning security systems are particularly likely to coordinate smart actions, with 53% of security system owners with smart home devices currently integrating multiple devices in some sort of coordinated action.

Smart access control households (those owning a smart door lock or smart garage door opener) are also more likely than the average smart device owner to have coordinated routines set in their home. Smart access routines also rank among the most appealing actions tested, where locks and garage door openers coordinate with cameras/doorbells, lights, thermostats, and security systems. These routines are designed to enhance household convenience, security, and energy efficiency.

Routines are also appealing based on certain times of the day or lifestyle factors.

Unfortunately, there is an enormous gap between the appeal of routines and actual use. 82% of U.S. internet households find a smart home device-enabled bedtime routine appealing, but just 16% of smart home device owners currently have set bedtime routines. Additionally, 65% find an entertainment routine appealing, but just 21% of device owners have set such a routine. The process for setting routines is not intuitive, made worse by the deep fragmentation of brands, ecosystems, and protocols in use across the home.

The industry is working towards making these easier. Samsung SmartThings recently announced a range of updates aimed at improving the smart home experience, including updates related to routines, such as shareable routines that allow users to distribute their automated tasks to friends or family via a QR code.

There is also potential for generative AI to help consumers more intuitively set up and start routines; however, most users prefer to manually start a routine from an app or setting a pre-programmed schedule. Smart devices and systems making decisions in an automated or predictive way distinctly lag, showing a gap between consumer comfort levels and the industry movement to AI-driven automation.

Ecosystems Remain Important

A unified smart home experience is the holy grail of convenience and value for consumers, but fragmentation and interoperability plague the smart home ecosystem. While paths exist to achieve a unified experience across some device types today through a curated, systems-based approach, most consumers buy point solutions for particular use-cases.

Entertainment, smart homes, and health devices remain siloed from each other, and smart home device owners use multiple platforms to control their devices. The more devices owned; the more control platforms are used.

Control platforms are a critical influencer on device choice, and the leading platform players that also offer branded hardware seek to create an “ecosystem” effect that encourages brand loyalty and repeat purchases. Amazon, Google, Samsung, Apple, and security systems offer the top control platforms today. When forced to pick their most used control platform, Amazon/Ring holds the top position, with its dominance holding steady the past few years, followed by Google/Nest, also tied with top security platforms), and Apple HomeKit/Siri. But other ecosystems exist with hubs that allow integrated features.

LG’s acquisition of Homey shows that the battle of platform ecosystems is far from over. LG already offers its ThingQ platform that allows LG appliance owners to control and see insights from LG smart devices; however, third-party integrations are necessary for LG to have a chance to be a lead home controller outside of its own ecosystem. The acquisition of Homey by LG has the potential to create an integrated ecosystem that could rival the big tech players.