IoT: Bringing convenience to home

By Ripu Daman Sharma, Country Manager Sales, India Subcontinent, Lutron Electronics

Picture a scenario where you are able to control the lighting of your house while contentedly relaxing on your couch, where you can draw the curtains without any manual support and are able to brew coffee at your kitchen, without being physically present there. It sure sounds like an idyllic dream. Interestingly, this dream-like situation, with the technology called Internet of Things (IoT) has been converted into reality. The description of ‘smart’ has changed ever since smartphones infiltrated our lives. And with further innovations on the front of smart home appliances and gadgets, it is believed that this magic word will continue to amaze us with its development.

Ripu Daman Sharma, Country Manager Sales, India Subcontinent, Lutron Electronics

Internet of things has been the most common buzzword in the world of technology. This term has played a massive role in elevating the automation technology. Essentially, IoT helps in delivering a seamless inter networking of physical objects that have sensors, electronics, software etc. installed in them, to receive and exchange data. IoT is assisting to shape a new phase in the home automation landscape. Its myriad benefits like cost reduction, unbeatable connectivity, and management to name a few are the chief reasons why it is being embraced by the realty sector.

Home automation as a segment has gained spotlight with the coming of IoT age. Till a while back, smart homes were limited to luxury apartments and selected commercial buildings. However, government’s Smart Cities Mission initiative on building smart cities/homes – the core of which is formed by the Internet of Things has given a boost to the establishment of Home automation systems. According to Research and Markets report, the home automation market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 23.63% in the coming 6 years. The future of the industry envisages enormous development for technologically advanced and cost effective organization.

Although this industry encompasses several segments such as lighting, audio/video, heating-ventilating-air conditioning (HVAC) and security, of all of these services, it’s the lighting and security that captures a major chunk of home automation. Lighting companies are perpetually introducing and innovating technology that enables people to dim the lights or increase its brightness, switch it on/off according to their convenience and comfort.

It is a widely held view that, the swelling inclination towards energy-efficient systems and an increasing desire towards cutting down the electricity cost is leading people towards opting for such lighting solutions in their housing environments.

Moreover, besides lighting, security is yet another feature that is gaining admiration in residential and commercial space. The wireless connectivity delivered by home automation system allows people to keep a check on their houses, irrespective of where they are through the automated security systems installed in their living spaces.

Benefits of home automation

Home automation helps in Energy-efficiency: through it, one can control the amount of energy used, thus ridding them off the worries of paying high electricity bills. People often forget to turn off the lights or switch them off since mostly wall mounted buttons provide those control. Home automation offers ultimate solution to this persistent issue by enabling people to automate various functions of their homes as per their convenience. Wireless connectivity and security: The wireless connectivity of home automation give an enhanced level of security to one’s home. Allowing people to control their houses even when they are away from home, this unique technology makes one feel unperturbed and relaxed while they are away. Convenience: Home automation brings with it heightened convenience and comfort, by making the tedious of task a cakewalk for residents. Errands like switching off the lights, closing the door to turning off the dishwasher etc. is just a few clicks away due to this to this path-breaking technology.

We are now standing at the cusp of change. Seeing the way the technology is headed and how its utility is transforming lives, it won’t be a surprise to see ‘smart homes’ becoming a common phenomenon in the next couple of years. And, talking about progress, as far as India is concerned, government’s aim of developing 100 smart cities in a period of five years, has already given a thrust to that vision. The government’s smart city mission has already opened doors of new opportunities and possibilities for enterprises who are keen and optimistic about leveraging new- age intelligent technologies like automation and IoT to make the mission successful.

The coming years will see this industry at a much larger level, given the fact that technology will have developed by leaps and bounds by then. Nowadays, home buyers don’t just seek for aesthetically-appealing homes, but, also demand luxury and comfort for which they are ready to spend overtly. With more and more people accepting this technology in their lives, undeniably, the adoption rate will also rise. Hence, in our world view, the future of the industry seems very perky!