Apparently we should have all eyes glued to the home management space over the next year. Verizon is the latest to jump on the bandwagon saying it will launch a “connected home service” in the near future for controlling functions like lighting, temperature, and home security automatically. Details are scarce, which makes me wonder if Verizon will initially just throw some IP cameras and machine sensors together as a solution, but certainly the operator already has a management portal for controlling other aspects of your FiOS broadband home.
Meanwhile, Verizon is far from the only company investing in home management. Dave wrote about Blake Krikorian’s Crestron app only yesterday, and several big guys (Microsoft, Google, etc.) have already come at the problem from an energy management standpoint. As a veteran of home automation attempts earlier in the decade, I’m still a skeptic on how quickly consumers will jump on board with industry efforts. But hey, it’s gotta happen some time, right?
You make a great point when you said “it’s got to happen sometime right?”. In my opinion Verizon, and everyone else who is jumping in on the Home Technology Integration bandwagon are thinking in the right direction. To me, Streaming Media is going to be one of the bigger catalysts that spurn awareness to the general population of just how cool their homes can be with a little integration! Combine that with the fact that this industry is finally to the point where it’s not just for the rich boys and girls any more, and I think major growth is bound to happen…soon! What do you think?
How about if Verizon provided DSL to my house first? I’m in their service area and have phone service, but that’s all they offer.
wow, that’s special (not)
when will the STB mount samba/NFS shares to play my own HD media?
my control of my media would be ever so nice