The Connected Digital Home: CE Manufacturers and SPs Battle for Dollars and Attention

The connected home will create a war between service providers (SPs) and consumer electronics (CE) manufacturers for consumers’ dollars and attention. Service providers can use the connected home as a tool to decrease churn while increasing ARPU. CE manufacturers will position themselves to sell more devices more often. In this war, there will be many battles waged to convince consumers that the SPs’ or the CE solution will better accommodate their needs. The battlegrounds that will prove integral in determining the winner include:

• Connectivity of devices in the home
• TV connectivity to the internet and home network
• Greater utilization of local and remote network-attached storage
• Advanced user interfaces, enabling simple connectivity
• Introduction of new wireless standards to facilitate movement of content
• Improved security measures to secure the newly connected home and the myriad devices in it

I. Reasons for the War

Service Providers’ Reasons

CE Manufacturers’ Reasons

Jockeying for Position

II. Battles for Devices in the Connected Home

Televisions

Set-Top Boxes

Storage Devices

Portable Devices

And the Ultimate Winner Is . . .

III. The Need for Speed Inside and Outside the Home

MoCA

HPNA

Powerline

802.11n

IV. Advanced EPGs Emerge

Service Providers

CE Manufacturers

Software Developers

V. Connectivity Standards in the Hybrid Home

VI. Home Automation, Management and Control

VII. The Role of Voice in the Connected Home

VIII. Conclusions and Recommendations

Recommendations for Service Providers

Recommendations for CE Manufacturers

Recommendations for Content Owners/DistributorsRecommendations for Advertisers

Recommendations for Home Security Providers

IX. Further Reading