‘I’ll be {getting a connected} home for Christmas’

It used to be that “being connected” on Christmas meant that you enjoyed dinner and merriment with your friends and loved ones. But retailers are pushing the “connected home” big-time this holiday season, with specials and deals on “must have” items like security cameras, smart lighting, smoke alarms, thermostats, and home alarm systems.

Connected home devices are defined as those that connect to the Internet in an attempt to provide greater convenience, security, and efficiency for those within the home. As consumer demand for all things tech continues to rise, big box retailers like Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart, Target, and Best Buy have taken note of this growing trend and are stocking their shelves with connected home devices just in time for the Black Friday shopping extravaganza.

So far, consumers have shown the most interest in smart lighting and smart thermostats, but experts expect that any consumer interested in these items is also interested in buying more devices to truly connect their homes. Consumers want devices that will talk to one another, making interoperability a key driver in purchase decisions.

And if some consumers haven’t yet caught on to this growing trend, they will likely soon know all about it. Many developers and retailers of devices for the connected home are spending some big bucks during the holidays for advertising on TV, billboards, social media, and print media that will highlight just how much consumers SHOULD want to live in a home that is smart enough to adjust its own temperature, lock doors, send security alerts to mobile devices, and turn lights on and off by following simple programming commands.

The concept of the connected home went mainstream this year when Google announced its acquisition of Nest, moving the technology giant into the ever-evolving Internet of Things space, and making its way into homes in yet one more — albeit slightly intrusive – way. Another popular connected home merchandiser is Belkin International, which features the well-regarded WeMo brand.

All eyes are on market research coming out of the retail industry at the end of this year as we not-so-patiently wait to see how well connected home devices fared this season. But word from the North Pole is that the elves are working overtime to build smart smoke detectors that can help Santa avoid any situation in which his pants catch  fire after descending so many chimneys on Christmas Eve.

Via New York Times and MediaPost; Image via Google Images