INTERIORS 47
HOW TO ADD SMART VALUE TO HOMES
Paul Hilditch of Systemline explains how smart technology can add value to new build homes, revealing the key elements housebuilders and developers should consider when choosing products, and the challenges to address
and a ‘connected experience.’ In fact, the UK is now the fastest-growing and second largest market for sales of smart devices for the home, according to a survey from GfK Global. The study claims that UK smart home market was worth £900m in 2017 – up 19 per cent in value between 2016 and 2017, and up 35 per cent in volume too.
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While this growth has been triggered by some fantastic inventions, it has created a number of challenges for developers who are tasked with providing smart and forward-thinking buildings and homes, including increased costs and additional time being spent on projects.
Manufacturers of smart products need to address the key issues of simplified instal- lation, security and standardisation to help housebuilders and developers to embrace this trend and fulfil their customers’ demands for a 21st century home.
SIMPLIFIED INSTALLATION One of the primary reasons consumers choose smart home products is because they are so convenient and accessible. However, these products may not always be simple to install, posing a big challenge for a developer working to a tight deadline, especially if there is no additional budget available to specifically train installers. Because of this, manufacturers are best served designing products that not only satisfy the consumer’s desire for an easy to use product, but also the developer’s need for a solution that is simple to install. One way to achieve this is to design products that use a small number of cables and components, making them straightforward to design into the home.
STANDARDISATION Historically, technology has been standard- ised towards one form that everyone can use, for example the progression from cassette to CD to digital streaming platforms. However,
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echnology is rapidly advancing to meet consumer demand for personalisation, voice integration
it is often argued that there is currently too much competition in the smart devices market for manufacturers to properly address standardisation. Everyone is trying to out-do the other and create the perfect product for their consumers. Furthermore, smart technology is too eclectic in its purpose to currently be considered standardised. There is a lot of ambiguity about what a ‘smart’ device is. Some believe that every device connected to the internet must be consid- ered a part of the smart home. While this may be true, some argue that everyday objects such as kettles could be consid- ered ‘smart’ as they automatically switch off when the water boils. From a more practical viewpoint, a smart device is something that saves you money and enhances your everyday life, such as solutions that help you control your energy usage, or monitor the amount of food you have in your fridge. We are still discovering exactly what we mean by ‘smart’ and how it can be incorporated within the home. The only way to currently address standardisation in smart technology is to ensure the products are simple to install and are user friendly.
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