A recent survey commissioned by members of the Internet of Things Consortium found that nearly two-thirds of the roughly 1,000 respondents were moderately or extremely interested in smart home solutions (such as security and energy management), according to an article on LightReading.com. Two thirds of the respondents also said that they were concerned about privacy with such solutions, and about one quarter of them said they would only consider a solution that can be accessed via a smart phone.

From Light Reading
In a new survey commissioned by members of the Internet of Things Consortium (IoTC) and conducted by International Data Corporation (IDC), nearly two thirds of respondents said they are "moderately or extremely interested" in adopting new smart home solutions.

Of those consumers, 71 percent said that word-of-mouth referrals and recommendations made by retail store employees are most likely to influence their smart home purchasing.

The findings from the smart home research, which was sponsored by IoTC members Greenwave Systems, August GK digital Media, and NXP Semiconductors, offer mixed results for service providers. While growing interest from consumers is a positive, the survey of roughly 1,000 adult American consumers suggests that retailers -- not service providers -- play a significant role in purchasing decisions. Fifty-four percent of respondents said that word-of-mouth is their top source of information for smart home purchases, while 43 percent reported that in-store retail employees are second on the list.

Among the other results of the survey:
• Two thirds of respondents (66 percent) said they are concerned about privacy with smart home solutions.
• Yet more than 60 percent suggested that security and energy efficiency are attractive smart home benefits.
• A significant 44 percent said they are interested in smart devices for improving efficiency and delivering cost savings.
• However, 51 percent reported worrying that smart home costs might outweigh benefits.
• Interestingly, more than a third of survey respondents said they would be open to commercial advertising on connected home devices if it would help bring down the cost of products and services.

To read the complete Light Reading story, click here.

Additional Resources
• Best Buy to Add Connected Home Department at HomeTheaterReview.com.
• Tips to Help Reduce Your Theater's Power Consumption at HomeTheaterReview.com.