The maturation of key technologies such as mobile, cloud computing and IoT has widened the appeal of the connected home in recent years. Momentum for the smart home is expected to increase further in the second half of 2015, as products compatible with HomeKit, Apple’s new smart home framework, come to market. According to a new report from NextMarket Insights, HomeKit compatible device shipments will grow significantly in the coming years, reaching 180 million devices shipped by 2020. “Apple’s track record of creating excitement for nascent markets is unparalleled”, said Michael Wolf, Chief Analyst for NextMarket Insights. “HomeKit will create awareness about the smart home among average consumers and will accelerate development in the category among home system, appliance and service providers”. Some of the early supporters for HomeKit include Philips, Chamberlain and Lutron. Over the next few months, these manufacturers and others will begin to ship HomeKit compatible products to retail and through online channels, and by the end of 2015 there will be various HomeKit compatible products available to consumers. However, in the long run, NextMarket Insights expects many manufacturers to build products compliant with multiple standards. Large manufacturers who have the software and development resources may choose to make their systems compatible with a handful of smart home frameworks and protocols to ensure their products are attractive to consumers and service providers invested in these ecosystems.
