The Internet of Things — IoT for short — is reality. Even though your perception of IoT may still be a little fuzzy if you’re not totally attuned to technology, you probably have encountered many examples of its effects — in everyday life as well as in the business world.
Now the Internet of Things has come home — and not just for the geeks among us.
What Is IoT
As catchy a phrase as it may be, it is really a simple concept: A way to link two or more machines so that they “communicate” with one another and have the ability to perform prescribed functions. Control over the links does not require pre-programming; rather, their use is governed by specific parameters that define actions to be taken or controlled by a human user.
Simple examples include home sensors that automatically activate lights at dusk or turn on air conditioning if inside temperature reaches a pre-set level. More advanced functions include the ability to issue commands via wireless devices, usually a smart phone. You can lock or unlock a door, send a grocery order to the market, review a security tape from the previous day, or simply issue a voice command to turn on your favorite television show. The most common link between users and connected machines is the internet. Hence, the Internet of Things.
Technology in the Marketplace
Somehow, technology outside the home has always been easier to accept than automation that intrudes on our private space. But convenience and the myriad possibilities for enhancement of home enjoyment have changed those perceptions. Smart home features are becoming mainstream. If your current home does not include at least a few smart features, your next certainly will.
Recent studies confirm that 86% of Millennials and up to 65% of Baby Boomers have no problem paying higher rents for places with smart home technology. There is little reason to believe that those renters would settle for buying homes that are “technology-deprived.”
The dramatic increase in the number of devices most families have and use regularly has also spawned some concerns, particularly around the issues of privacy and hacking, as well as price. However, current research and development points to a future where more devices will be integrated, rather than less. Security problems will no doubt be solved by newer technology and home hubs now under development will lead to economical options.
The Internet of Things also has the potential ” to make smart houses greener and cheaper to run than conventional housing,” according to Express Modular, an innovative building company.
Becoming Smart
Although “smart” is still a developing definition among realtors and homebuilders, it is used most often to describe homes that focus on security and efficiency of operation. One such definition, formulated by Coldwell Banker and CNet, a respected online technology news source, categorizes a smart home as one that features either security or temperature controls, in addition to at least two additional features from a “laundry list” that includes lighting, safety features, entertainment options and outdoor systems, among others.
In 2014, according to one survey, only 10% of the population was “very familiar” with smart home technology. However, a study by digital agency Accuity Group noted that by 2019, fully two-thirds of American homeowners expect to own an “internet-connected device.”
Here at Aterra, we embrace smart technology not only for lighting options, but throughout the modern home. The power of advanced technology helps us design better electrical wiring systems and lighting plans, building efficiency into all aspects of our business, and to assist homebuilders in building better homes for the future.
Home buyers have come to expect time, energy and cost-saving innovation; the Internet of Things will continue to respond to those expectations. IoT represents the new world that we embrace wholeheartedly!