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Analyst Context has brought together three of Europe’s smart home associations to help track the emerging category.
The Smart Home Research Group is formed of the UK’s Smart Home & Buildings Association (SH&BA), France’s Fédération Française de Domotique (FFD)and Germany’s Smart Home Initiative Deutschland (“SHID”).
At a conference hosted by Context in Paris, the group outlined its aim to promote research that will help vendors and retailers track the smart homes market.
“We are looking at ways to create an exchange between leading industry players, define the market and successful market offerings, remove barriers to growth, identify different channels to market and educate the consumer” said the Research Group’s Chair Adam Simon from Context.
“Our focus will be on publishing a Smart Home barometer. With the input and experience of the Smart Home Associations, as well as leading industry players – retailer Euronics, D-Link and Deutsche Telekom – we seek to bring clarity to this emerging market.
"The sale of smart home products is struggling, according to initial figures from our database, and we will work with the industry to create the conditions for a breakthrough."
Stephen Pattenden, secretary of the SH&BA, said: “We discovered that we all share one perspective in our respective countries. Smart home technology has been with us for the last 15 years but we still need to make vast progress to communicate the benefits and opportunities of smart home in order to achieve a consumer breakthrough."
Howard Davies, CEO and co-founder of Context, commented: "When new technology categories emerge it is our duty to clarify the market, sharpen the definitions, identify the winners and bring clarity. We are going to shine a light on smart home.”
