The Future of Google, Android Smart Home

According to a recent report released by Juniper Research, Smart Home Revenues are to reach $71 billion by 2018. Juniper Research Finds Network Modernisation Essential to Service Delivery. The report forecasts that revenues generated from Smart Home services are set to reach a global market value of $71 billion by 2018, rising from $33 billion last year. Smart Home Ecosystems & the Internet of Things found that nearly 80% of total Smart Home service revenues will come from entertainment services by the end of the forecast period.

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Google’s Android Smart Home framework allows users to control anything from their Android device. The development was launched a few years ago and is a trend of the Internet of Things. The Android@Home development platform was created specifically for connecting Android devices. Google enables its own APIs which is set to be available for developers. The Android platform expects its developers to create new apps and services.

According to the report, growth has been spurred by the emergence of high-profile OTT (Over-The-Top) content providers such as Netflix, LOVEFiLM and Amazon Instant Video, while demand is being further fuelled by mass adoption of connected TVs. There were also indications that the smart TV market is still in its initial phases. Popular users options includes the Set-Top Box and the console to connect their TVs to the Internet and access both subscription services as well as pay-per-view, download-to-own and rentals. Security and Control elements of the Smart Home also revealed in the report that a service provider opportunity is also approaching $12 billion by 2018 as automation elements are added to service propositions.

The Juniper Research report also found that 4K video services and an array of ‘Internet of Things’ smart home devices will place the network under additional strain. For stakeholders, making sure networks are modernised and transitioned from legacy technologies such as IPv4 and CGNAT if they are to remain a viable player in meeting consumers’ expectations are important. Juniper Research’s other key findings include: Industry collaboration between stakeholders is crucial to realising the potential of the ‘Internet of Things’; no single stakeholder is likely to be able to dominate thanks to the number of verticals within the home.