Connected Homes: The Next Network Frontier

The new connected home push is driven in part by the need of broadband service providers to find new revenues that can bolster the triple- and quadruple-play bundles already commoditized by competition, as well as by the confusing complexity of consumer products that can be linked in the home, opening the opportunity for managed services that remove the complexity. This time around, the driving forces are likely to be more practical concerns such as controlling energy use and costs, being more environmentally friendly, tying together digital media devices within the home, and offering such adjunct services as security and home health care. The challenges are also of a practical nature. Problem No. 1 is making the technology easy for consumers to use without a lot of costly hands-on help.