Wi-Fi® connectivity increases purchase likelihood for smart home devices

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers' expectations for a connected life are expanding beyond the world of PCs and mobile gadgets to include a wide range of smart home and smart automotive devices. New research conducted on behalf of Wi-Fi Alliance^® demonstrates that consumers are ready to embrace a range of connected applications such as home security, smart energy, and in-vehicle infotainment. However, ease of use and integration with existing home networks top the list of concerns as consumers gradually step into the "Internet of Everything" era.   

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Smart devices - electronics that connect to other devices or networks, operating interactively and somewhat autonomously – are seeing a surge in consumer interest. Among the survey respondents, 75 percent believe all homes will eventually be equipped with smart technology. Ninety-three percent of the respondents agreed that controlling the home remotely will have a positive impact on the quality of their daily lives. Home security systems, lighting, thermostats, cars, irrigation systems, personal health devices and appliances topped the list of areas for which 25 percent or more of respondents stated that Wi-Fi^® connectivity would be a useful feature.

This growing interest comes with a few caveats. Eighty-four percent of consumers cite concerns about integrating smart technologies into their homes - ease of use and compatibility chief among them. A key finding of the study is that consumers want to integrate all their smart devices and appliances in a single home network. Ninety-one percent of consumers are more likely to purchase smart products if they are able to synchronize everything with their existing Wi-Fi network. More than half of respondents already have Wi-Fi enabled household items such as appliances, thermostats or lighting systems.

"There is no question that Wi-Fi will be a major connection for smart home and automotive applications," said Phil Solis, Research Director, ABI Research. "Wi-Fi has a massive installed base of more than four billion products and is expected to surpass ten billion in 2018, and a legacy of interoperability which will ensure it will play a strong role in the Internet of Everything."

Wi-Fi's massive installed base enables consumers to leverage smartphones and tablets to gradually integrate, interact with, and control smart devices at home and when away. Wi-Fi can elegantly handle intermittent transmission of very small amounts of data to high-definition multimedia, enabling a range of connectivity for home automation, wearable technologies, personal health devices and telematics.

"The Wi-Fi industry has sold more than one device for every person on Earth and we are building on this massive adoption to deliver on the vision of the smart home," said Edgar Figueroa, president and CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance. "Wi-Fi has already given consumers connectivity they never imagined, and our innovations in ease of use, discovery, and power are putting Wi-Fi at the very core of the Internet of Everything."

Seventy-seven percent of survey respondents stated that Wi-Fi connectivity will be an important purchase consideration when they next replace major household items including televisions, home security systems, thermostats, lighting and cars. Sixty-three percent of respondents stated that within ten years the majority of devices or appliances they purchase will include smart technology. Seventy-three percent of respondents predict they will buy Wi-Fi enabled devices in 2014.

For more information on the role Wi-Fi plays in the evolution of the Internet of Everything, download the Wi-Fi Alliance white paper here: www.wi-fi.org/connectyourlife.

Methodological note: The Wi-Fi Alliance CES 2014 Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,000 U.S. smartphone and tablet users, ages 18 and older, between November 25th and December 4th, 2013, using an email invitation and an online survey.

Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.

About Wi-Fi Alliance^®
www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance^® is a global non-profit industry association of hundreds of leading companies devoted to seamless connectivity. With technology development, market building, and regulatory programs, Wi-Fi Alliance has enabled widespread adoption of Wi-Fi^® worldwide. The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED^™ program was launched in March 2000. It provides a widely-recognized designation of interoperability and quality, and it helps to ensure that Wi-Fi-enabled products deliver the best user experience. Wi-Fi Alliance has certified more than 15,000 products, encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services in new and established markets.

Wi-Fi^®, Wi-Fi Alliance^®, WMM^®, Wi-Fi Protected Access^® (WPA), WiGig^®, Wi-Fi Direct^®, Miracast^®, the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED logo, the Wi-Fi logo, the Wi-Fi ZONE logo and the Wi-Fi Protected Setup logo are registered trademarks of Wi-Fi Alliance. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™, Wi-Fi Protected Setup™, Wi-Fi Multimedia™, WPA2™, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Passpoint™, Passpoint™, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Miracast™, Wi-Fi ZONE™, WiGig CERTIFIED™, the Wi-Fi Alliance logo, and the WiGig CERTIFIED logo are trademarks of Wi-Fi Alliance.

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Contact:                                
Chris Nishimura
Edelman for Wi-Fi Alliance
[email protected]
650.281.3267

SOURCE Wi-Fi Alliance