Western Europe trails the US in terms of sales of smart home products, according to a survey by research consultancy Parks Associates.
In the US, 19% of broadband households reported ownership of home automation products in the final quarter of 2015.
While the UK has the highest level of smart home penetration among all Western European countries, take-up is still lower than across the Atlantic, with 13-16% of broadband households in the UK owning devices for the connected home.
In France and Spain the rate is 10-13%, while overall take-up in Western Europe for smart home devices is 10-15%.
“We are seeing adjacent markets, including connected cars, connected health, home security, energy, entertainment, and insurance, creating new value cases by adopting and expanding on smart home technologies,” says Parks Associates president Stuart Sikes.
Parks Associates notes that while many European service providers have incorporated the smart home concept into their solutions, consumers in the four largest Western European countries are still have a low level of awareness about what a smart home actually is and the benefits of having one.
“In Europe, the smart home market is still in its infancy, and service providers as well as product manufacturers continue to experiment with new offerings. At this market stage, demonstrating value to consumers is key to increasing familiarity and awareness,” Sikes said.
“An increasing number of connected products, from companies such as Nest Labs, are hitting the market and helping to drive awareness, and subsequent adoption of, these smart home products.”
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