If you rely on an app to control your smart garage door, locks or security cameras, you're not alone.
Survey results published on May 10 by the Chamberlain Group and Parks Associates found that the garage door opener is the most active and frequently-used smart home device (48 percent). Smart door locks (44 percent) and network security cameras (42 percent) came in second and third place, respectively.
About 33 percent of respondents said that they were users of smart thermostats. Connected devices often have apps that allow users to control their technology via smartphone from afar, increasing their practicality and efficiency.
A report published by Markets and Markets on May 10 also discovered that the smart home market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 14 percent between 2016 and 2022. This amounts to approximately $121 billion by 2022, and the Asia-Pacific region is projected to see the largest increase. Honeywell, Legrand and Johnson Controls are some of the companies leading the way.
In 2015, smart meters made up the largest portion of the market. Smart meters are designed to record energy consumption at intervals and communicate them back to users. This information can be utilized for billing and monitoring purposes. In residential situations, smart meters are helpful for reducing energy consumption and increasing conservation.
Within the coming years, smart lighting is expected to see rapid growth, as lighting systems happen to be some of the largest consumers of electricity. Increased energy and environmental awareness is predicted to drive the rise in smart lighting sales.
As the smart home market continues to explode, more headlines surrounding the vulnerabilities of IoT devices continue to flood news feeds. Samsung's SmartThings platform, for example, was recently the target of University of Michigan and Microsoft researchers, who found several security flaws.
"Global citizens are increasingly worried about their online privacy and security, especially when it comes to how their personal data is handled by private corporations and governments," wrote the authors of the report. "There are unanswered questions about the extent to which global citizens can trust the Internet's limitless reach — and whose responsibility it is to govern this unchartered space."
