Security driving force behind smart home growth

USA: Within the Smart Home, Semico has been tracking over 70 items that every household can expect to purchase that will include some type of sensor and wireless chip by 2020.

This new connected home includes white goods (clothes washer, clothes dryer, refrigerator, dishwasher, etc.), HVAC, lighting, small appliances, door locks, security system, windows and more.

This market is primed to be a high growth industry with low barriers to entry, which is why Semico is releasing a new report titled: The Smart Home: Big Brother or Swarm Intelligence?

"These are not the smart homes depicted by shows like The Jetsons, or the wired "smart" homes that have been available since the 60s." says Michell Prunty, senior consumer analyst for Semico Research.

"Today, the market is becoming predictive with potentially endless applications that can be connected to the 'hive mind' of the home now that the Cloud can take on much of the data load. The barrier to entry is minimal, and we'll be seeing a swarm of little sensors monitoring our every movement."

Semico's research report The Smart Home: Big Brother or Swarm Intelligence examines the ecosystem of the Smart Home including smart meters, environmental controls, smart lighting, home automation, gardening, and home security. Some of the key findings include:

* Automation controls will see a 32.5 percent growth between 2014 and 2020.

* The Smart Home end market will experience a CAGR ('14 - '20) of 28 percent.

* Total Smart Home shipments in 2020 will reach over 4.6 billion units.

* Total installed base will reach over16 billion units worldwide by 2020.