New report shows that vendors are targeting mainstream consumers
Joel Griffin
A new report released Thursday by ABI Research predicts that shipments of home automation systems will dramatically increase over the next several years, reaching over four million in 2013.
The biggest reason for the expected increase, according to Sam Lucero, senior analyst for ABI research, can be attributed to the growth that is being seen in two relatively new market segments within the industry which are mainstream systems and managed service systems.
In the past, the home automation market was primarily made up of niche segments, Lucero said. On one side there was what Lucero refers to as the "CEDIA" dealers, who focus on installing custom, luxury home automation systems for high-end applications. In contrast to these custom systems, there has also traditionally been a "do-it-yourself" market for hobbyists who buy various home automation devices and install them on their own.