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| EMagazine Volume 6 Issue 2 Apr/May 2001 |
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HomeToys Interview Consumers care about solutions that provide real value to their lives. They want to save time, provide a safe and secure environment for their families, and manage their homes more efficiently so they can spend more time with their families. The Alliance is developing an environment where consumers can realize the benefits of Internet lifestyle solutions without worrying about how the technology works or how to fix it if it breaks. We want people to understand that an Internet lifestyle will be as useful and ubiquitous as telephone service. |
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1. What is the mandate of Internet Home Alliance?
In October of 2000, 14 leading high-tech and consumer companies joined forces to enhance consumers' understanding, appreciation and adoption of the Internet lifestyle. From hardware and software developers to national retailers and service providers, this open, not-for-profit Alliance is working together to build market awareness within the home technology industry and to educate consumers on the value and availability of Internet lifestyle solutions. The Alliance encourages cross-industry communication, assists in the research and development of valuable Internet lifestyle solutions and enables home integrators to install, maintain and upgrade home solutions.
2. Who makes up the Alliance? Can other companies join?
Internet Home Alliance is comprised of 13 companies representing a cross-section of the home technology ecosystem. Current members include 3Com, Best Buy, Cisco Systems, Inc., CompUSA, General Motors, Honeywell, Invensys, Motorola, The New Power Company, Panasonic, Reliant Energy, Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Sun Microsystems.
The Alliance is open to all companies and industry associations who share the vision of expediting mass adoption of home technology solutions, and we encourage interested organizations to join us in our efforts. The Alliance has received support from several industry associations, such as CEA, CEDIA, CompTIA, HANA, HomePlug and OSGi. The Alliance will coordinate with these organizations to educate consumers and the channels which serve them about home technology products and services. For example, the Alliance is currently working with several organizations to develop training materials for home systems integrators.
3. How will the Alliance educate consumers about the "Internet Lifestyle?" Will we be seeing coordinated mass media ad campaigns?
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4. Who is the average consumer of "Internet Lifestyle" products and services and what does he/she want from the experience?
A recent survey sponsored by Internet Home Alliance to measure consumer attitudes toward the concept of a connected home, showed that 42 percent of U.S. single-family homeowners, or 26.1 million households, are inclined to adopt home technology. The survey showed those inclined to adopt are:
o College educated families with children between the ages of 14 and 18 years old o Families with an annual household income between $75,000 and $100,000 o Homeowners between the ages of 35 and 54 years old o Majority tends to be outgoing and involved in a variety of social or civic activities
Consumers care about solutions that provide real value to their lives. They want to save time, provide a safe and secure environment for their families, and manage their homes more efficiently so they can spend more time with their families. The Alliance is developing an environment where consumers can realize the benefits of Internet lifestyle solutions without worrying about how the technology works or how to fix it if it breaks. We want people to understand that an Internet lifestyle will be as useful and ubiquitous as telephone service.
5. When will we begin to see products and services that will represent the "Internet Lifestyle" and what will some of them be?
A wide-range of Internet lifestyle products and services are available to consumers today. General Motors, for example, has a product, "Onstar," which combines Global Positioning and wireless technologies to provide safety, security and information to drivers at the touch of a button. In addition, Invensys and Sears have developed connected homes that allow families to benefit from solutions such as whole-house audio and video distribution, integrated home security and control systems, Internet-enabled appliance warranty and repair service, enhanced personal and family communications, shared Internet access and more.
The market is rapidly evolving to integrate these and other existing technologies with new categories of services and products that enhance our lives. Internet lifestyle services that are being developed range from energy management solutions that help us conserve energy and reduce utility bills to entertainment services that provide added convenience such as video on demand.
6. What is the timetable for the evolution of the "Internet Lifestyle" from the early adopter stage (present) to the stage where plug in solutions will be available for the average consumer to buy and plug in?
Industry experts believe that the U.S. is anywhere from three to ten years from mass adoption. The results of the Alliance's survey demonstrate the solutions that will have the most impact for the industry are those that help consumers enrich their quality of life through time-savings, increased safety and security and enhanced leisure time with family and friends. To address consumers' needs, we will first focus our efforts on educating consumers about Internet lifestyle solutions that are currently available. Over the next few years, we believe there are going to be some significant advances in the home technology industry. The fact that 42 percent of single-family homeowners in the U.S. are interested in adopting connected home technology is a powerful indicator of the kind of demand that exists for Internet lifestyle solutions. We look forward to continuing our work with industry associations and ecosystem partners to further enable the creation, distribution and adoption of Internet solutions that will add tremendous value to consumers' lives.
