Builders News

U.S. Home Control Market to Top $3 Billion in 2007

DALLAS -- The U.S. market for home controllers, while not reaching full mass-market deployment, will grow from $3 billion in 2005 to $3.5 billion in 2007, according to Parks Associates' upcoming report "Home Systems: Home Controls Update."

This growth will come despite a difficult market for new homes and largely because of industry efforts such as Best Buy's new ConnectedLife.Home package, which will raise awareness among consumers of the possibilities and affordability of intelligent home systems.

"Activities like the Best Buy announcement are setting the stage for broad-based adoption of connected home systems," says Bill Ablondi, director of home systems research for Parks Associates.

"The market for home controls lacks consumer awareness, not technical capability, and the entry of high-profile companies, together with the increasing adoption of broadband and connected-entertainment services, will help overcome this hurdle."

"Home Systems: Home Controls Update" states that by 2010, more than 30 million U.S. households will have a network that bridges numerous products and extends the entertainment experience to multiple rooms in the home.

Home controls will benefit greatly from this increasing connectivity, and the market will grow steadily over the next six years, exceeding $4 billion in 2010 and reaching $6 billion by 2012.

"Historically home control systems have been associated with the new-home market," Ablondi says. "We will see this trend change dramatically over the next few years as powerline and wireless technologies will eliminate the need to re-wire existing homes in order to provide control and audio/video distribution capabilities. With the population of pre-existing homes open to home controls, this market will have immense potential."