New data from Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) finds that roughly 25% of U.S. broadband households with smart home devices experience problems monthly. As a result, interest in tech support services among smart home device owners is strong-57% of consumers with an IP security camera and 58% of consumers with a smart electronic door lock or thermostat would value tech support services for these solutions.
“Smart home packages currently hold broad appeal among U.S. consumers, and last week, Parks Associates announced nearly 4% of U.S. households will have a smart home controller by the end of 2014, with an estimated increase to nearly 6% by 2015,” says Patrice Samuels, research analyst, Parks Associates. “Support providers must be equipped to handle the growing demand for on-boarding and ongoing enablement services to ensure that consumers have optimal experiences with their smart home products and services.”
Parks Associates’ report shows 64% of all smart devices currently in households operate as part of a security or home controls system. Smart devices include motorized door controls, lighting controls, networked security camera, and programmable thermostats, among other devices.