Latest Podcast



Featured Articles

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Predictions for Connected Homes in 2015

Jon Carter of Deutsche Telekom has provided us with his ‘Connected Home’ predictions for 2015:

Interoperable platforms will succeed

Connected home products and services rely on different communication standards, be it ZigBee, HomeMatic or Z-Wave. Only platforms which both handle established standards and are able to learn new protocols will hold their ground in the market in 2015. Customers don’t want to be limited in their product choices or care about compatibility issues. Integrating any device into a connected home setup needs to be smooth and simple.

Jon Carter

Connected appliances offer early defect warnings and improved repairs services

2015 will see the first connected appliances enter the market. Manufacturers can determine the likelihood of a defect or breakdown. Service engineers are alerted so they arrive with the right parts to fix any fault before their visit.

Connected consumer hardware, bought as a service

New options for purchasing connected consumer equipment in 2015 will move away from upfront bundling of financing, warranty, servicing and replacement to consumers paying for a hardware service, rather than the actual device. This option will offer benefits including the guarantee of consumers always having the latest gadgets, without any worry that they will be superseded by another in just a few months' time.

Usage based home insurance

Connected home insurance will grow significantly in 2015. Until fairly recently, insurers had limited means available to validate facts and price the risk. They were depending on customers describing the damage events in detail. According to Insurance Europe, property premiums in Europe totalled over £70 billion in 2012, of which £43.5 billion was paid out in claims. The connected home provides reliable data, introduces a higher level of security, reduces incidents and enables insurance companies to offer lower premiums at a higher profit margin.

Geolocation to control homes

2015 will provide an ever-increasing range of connected products for the home which are controlled based. So, essentially, home security alarms that set themselves and heating systems that turn off automatically whenever users leave their home.

Wearables and the connected home

Wearable tech is huge right now but, towards the end of 2015, we will be seeing the first real examples of wearables interconnecting with smart home devices, to enable users to personalise their home - so music follows them into every room they enter or lights turn on based on the homeowner’s preferences.

Connected home security

Due to the rise in cyber crime, the security of unprotected connected homes may become a major issue as hackers either access connected devices such as cameras or steal data. Companies that play 'fast and loose' with customer's privacy will increasingly suffer as a result. Security features such as secure SSL encryption and Trusted Platform Module (TPM) integration will become more important.

Smarter alarm systems

Home security will be a main beneficiary of connected devices. Users simply activate the alarm system via the “Away” profile when they are out of the house. The security camera will switch on automatically the moment a door or window is opened. Users receive an immediate alert on their Smartphone, and can then check the situation at home in real time. If they want their home to appear occupied, they can automatically switch lights on in the evening and turn the radio on once in a while.

Domestic environments turn into information system

Due to more connected devices new possibilities for instant notifications emerge. Signal lights tell users for example if someone is at the door when they are in the basement. Or that they have received mail when they are in the living room. Or that water is running in the bathroom when they are in their bedroom.

Standardised and customised configurations

Management software will introduce new means of programming a home environment. Some configurations will be provided as standards. Heating systems automatically adjust settings downward when windows and doors are open. Close them and the thermostat returns to normal. Others will feature more personal, customised settings. At 6.30 a.m. precisely, a user’s favourite song begins to play, lamps start to brighten, curtains open, their bathroom heating switches on and the coffee maker heats up to operating temperature.

Jon Carter is UK Head of Business Development for the Connected Home platform at Deutsche Telekom.
Print
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Rate this article:
No rating

Leave a comment

This form collects your name, email, IP address and content so that we can keep track of the comments placed on the website. For more info check our Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use where you will get more info on where, how and why we store your data.
Add comment

Opinion Articles

Last week at The Fonecast: 24th March 2014

The new iPhone no-one was expecting

Mark Bridge writes:

New Apple products! New Android smart watches!

You’d be forgiven for not having noticed either of those news stories last week. Apple did indeed announce a new iPhone – but it was simply a new iPhone 5c with just 8MB of memory.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

LTE fuels the race for the fastest network

Noam Green of Flash Networks writes:

The introduction and deployment of LTE networks offers real promise for both subscribers and operators worldwide. It brings the potential for revolutionary improvements in quality of experience for mobile broadband, and even faster downloads and video streaming.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Last week at The Fonecast: 10th March 2014

Bye-bye Barcelona, hello Hanover

Mark Bridge writes:

As one show closes, so another show opens.

It’s now more than a week since we bid a sad farewell to Mobile World Congress 2014 – I imagine hotel rooms for 2nd to 5th March 2015 are already being booked – but there’s now CeBIT in Germany to look forward to. Prime Minister David Cameron kicked things off last night with a speech that talked about UK-German partnerships, more funding for research around the ‘Internet of Things’ and the development of 5G technology.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

WiFi technology, problems and solutions

explained by Professor Andrew Nix from the University of Bristol

In this presentation, which was originally given as part of the ‘Multimedia Content Delivery onto Mobile Platforms’ session at Mobile World Congress 2014, Professor Andrew Nix from the University of Bristol explains many of the often-forgotten truths about WiFi service.

If you’re an IT manager, working in a mobile phone shop, looking at tech product design or simply want to get the most from your mobile phone, Professor Nix has plenty of practical advice in this 20-minute video clip.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Key themes from Mobile World Congress 2014

by Andrew Skinner, Relationship Director of the Technology, Media & Telecoms team at Barclays

The GSMA reported that 85,000 visitors attended Mobile World Congress this year, breaking all previous records for the show.

Andrew Skinner, Relationship Director of the Technology, Media & Telecoms team at Barclays, reflects on his time in Barcelona and some of the key themes to come out of this year’s show.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
RSS
First2345791011Last

Recent Podcasts

Reviewing our 2015 mobile industry predictions... and looking forward to 2016

Podcast - 15th January 2016

Iain Graham, James Rosewell and Mark Bridge return to review their mobile industry predictions from last year. Which mergers, partnerships and developments did they forecast correctly... and which didn’t work out as planned?

Later in the programme, the team anticipates some of the topics that will be hitting the headlines during 2016.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Podcast from Mobile World Congress 2015

Podcast - 6th March 2015

Mark Bridge learns about the mobile technology trends at Mobile World Congress 2015 by chatting to James Rosewell of 51Degrees, Dr Kevin Curran from the IEEE and Chris Millington of Doro.

They talk about wearable devices, wireless charging, mobile operating systems and much more... including some of their favourite products from the exhibition.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Looking back at February: from security scares to multiple MVNOs

Podcast - 27th February 2015

We're taking a look back at the biggest mobile industry news stories from February 2015, including allegations that the UK's security service tried to breach SIM card security by hacking into one of the world's biggest SIM producers.

We also talk about the planned BT and EE merger, the creation of two new UK virtual networks, some acquisitions in the mobile payment arena and a new Ubuntu smartphone.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Interview with Chris Millington of Doro about mobile retailing, wearables and technology for older consumers

Podcast - 24th February 2015

In today's programme Mark Bridge talks to Chris Millington, who's Managing Director for Doro UK and Ireland.

They discuss the state of mobile retailing in the UK, the future of wearable devices and - as you might expect - smartphones for seniors.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

A month of mobile: O2 counts on 3, Microsoft counts to 10 and Apple counts its profits

Podcast - 30th January 2015

We're back with a month of mobile industry news, including takeover talks and takeover rumours. O2 and Three are said to be discussing a merger... but is there any truth in the suggestions that BlackBerry could be up for grabs?

We also discuss Apple's record-breaking quarterly figures, the highlights of CES and the launch of Microsoft Windows 10, as well as saying farewell to the current version of Google Glass.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
RSS
123457910Last

Follow thefonecast.com

Twitter @TheFonecast RSS podcast feed
Find us on Facebook Subscribe free via iTunes

Archive Calendar

«March 2024»
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
26272829123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
1234567

Archive

Terms Of Use | Privacy Statement