5 Factors Influencing the Development of Smart Home Technology

Twenty-five years ago, there were some pretty wild ideas about what everyday life would be like in the 21st-century. The flying car and holographic advertising are just two examples. But despite the advances we’ve made across the technological spectrum, we are not nearly where some predicted we should be by this time. The smart home we envisioned would already be here is still a way off. But we are working on it.

The difficulty with technology is that it is a lot easier to predict the future than actually develop it. Where smart home technology is concerned, development is moving at a relatively quick pace. It just hasn’t been as fast as the futurists of the 1970s and 80s predicted. Are you curious as to why that is? If so, consider the following influences on smart home technology:

1. Communication Protocol Development

Predictions of home automation 25 years ago included the devices communicating wirelessly. But back then, the choices for wireless communication protocols was limited. This is not the case today. There are more than a half-dozen protocols device makers can choose from. Until one or two end up dominating the market, there will be some challenges in getting devices to communicate.

2. Power Source Development

The ultimate smart home of the future will also be one that has a considerably lower energy demand. The best power sources we have right now for wireless devices are lithium-ion batteries, but these can certainly be improved upon. For home automation to reach the next level, the industry needs to develop new sources of reliable power.

3. Economic Conditions

The stability of our economy plays a big role in smart home technology development. First, companies need to be doing well enough financially to invest in R&D. But there is a second component: consumer demand. When an economy is in recession, people are not likely to invest in home automation. And without customers, there is no need to develop new products. We expect smart home R&D to pick up now that the economy is rebounding.

4. Market Adoption

Did you know that the internet is the one modern technology that has enjoyed the greatest market adoption globally? It’s true. There are now billions of connected devices worldwide. As for the smart home, developing new technologies is greatly influenced by market adoption. What will the market bear? What do consumers want? The technologies that take off are those that enjoy the greatest market adoption.

5. Development of Associated Technologies

Lastly is the development of associated technologies. For example, GPS technology paved the way for creating devices we could carry in our cars to give us directions to virtually anywhere. But while GPS was being developed, so were smartphones. The development of the smartphone with GPS capability has rendered the standalone set navigation device worthless.

The same kind of influences is felt in the smartphone industry. Device and software developers have to look closely at new products to see how they align with other technologies being developed in parallel. And yes, there are times when a great piece of technology is sidelined by another associated technology that renders it less usable.

Here at Uxari, we follow smart home technology ardently because we want our customers to always have access to the latest, cutting-edge technology from brand-name manufacturers. We couple that technology with our industry-leading customer service and affordable price plans to make home automation accessible to just about anyone.