New research from connected home technology provider iControl Networks, Redwood City, Calif., demonstrates the importance of security to smart home adoption, with more than two-thirds of consumers (67%) ranking personal and family security as the number one reason for using a smart home system, and 100 percent of consumers responding that security is a must-have in a home automation system.

The 2014 State of the Smart Home Report is based on data collected by a third-party research firm from more than 900 U.S. adults. Additional findings include:

Top Smart Home Features: People, Pets, and Property

• 18% of people would be more likely to leave their kids at home unsupervised at a younger age if they had live video feed and could automate home functions.
• 52% of pet owners listed pet monitoring as one of the top five most important reasons for using a smart home service.
• 29% mentioned entertainment and the ability to remotely control and/or automate home entertainment systems in the top five most important features of a smart home.
• 78% of consumers ranked energy management as one of the top features that matter most in the smart home.
• 86% ranked property loss protection as a top reason for a smart home system.
• 51% of Americans would pay up to $500 more for a fully-equipped smart home, and one-third (32%) would pay between $500 and $3,000.

What's Next? The Connected Future

• 56% agree that the 'Internet of Things' will become a reality within five years.
• 20% of respondents report the things in their lives are already connected to the Internet.
• 63% believe they will be able to control appliances via text message within five years.
• 53% predict a single remote will control everything in their home within 10 years.

"Research like this — that goes beyond data about the growing number of connected devices coming to market — helps us really understand consumers' smart home preferences and expectations for the future," said Greg Roberts, vice president of marketing for iControl Networks. "It's an exciting time in the industry, and it's also an opportune time for companies like us that are bringing connected solutions to market. We must innovate to bring interoperability among devices and apps to give people the connected life experience they want."

Data for this report was collected in December 2013 through a quantitative survey of 932 respondents fielded to an even split between male and female respondents, all age 25 or older. Additional data was collected in April 2014 using a Google Consumer Survey sampling 1,000 U.S. adults, weighted to the most recent Current Population Survey to ensure a representative sample of U.S. adults.

To download the full 2014 State of the Smart Home report, visit  http://www.icontrol.com/docs/pdf/2014_State_of_the_Smart_Home_-_Final.pdf