A connected home cannot happen without the protocol or language to make everything work together. From proprietary protocols from specific manufacturers to open standards such as Zigbee and Z-Wave, to next-generation offerings such as Google Thread/Weave and Apple’s Home Kit, the field keeps growing and will likely have to narrow at some point. The question is will there be two or more equally popular standards such as Apple and Android or will one push out another as VHS did with Betamax? And does it even matter?
“There is likely more market and technological consolidation coming, because devices have to work together more smoothly to truly connect,” says Napco’s Judy Jones-Shand. “Disparate, closed and proprietary ecosystems will only stave off the mass consumer adoption needed to make the connected home a real success.”