The global home automation market is expected to reach $36 million by 2015. Without a doubt, consumers are attracted to enhanced security, better living standards, and the added convenience of a smarthome. Subscribers are also rapidly adopting consumer IP devices while advancements in network infrastructure are continually leading to higher network speeds. Although the market is growing quickly, home automation is still in its infancy and there are still hurdles to overcome. The many types of home automation technologies such as X-10, Insteon, Z-Wave, Zigbee, Bluetooth, WiFi, and Home Plug all have unique protocols, making them a headache to manage as a whole.
To capitalize on the smarthome trend, SPs need a digital eye inside the home to learn what’s happening behind the firewall. The solution: home gateways. Home gateways use TR-069 standards to report usage on devices behind the firewall. This gives SPs the ability to see subscribers’ internal home networks. It’s a foot in the door, but unless home gateways are made to track and manage the various home automation protocols, smarthomes will not reach their full potential.