Wednesday, March 7, 2007

AsiaPac governments drive smart home projects

GROWTH in the Networked Home market in the Asia Pacific is expected to outstrip other geographies as governments in the actively back initiatives in home networking R and D and deployment services.

Consulting group Frost and Sullivan analysis says although the market is in its very early stage of development there were encouraging growth signs as Asia Pacific governments threw support behind the technologies.

South Korea remains the regional leader in home networking in terms of both research and development and consumer adoption, the group says, with the South Korean government – along with industry consortia – the biggest proponent in shaping the industry.

Home networking is seen by service providers as the next market frontier, and governments see it as the likely catalyst for moving their industry’s up the broadband value chain.

Governments are looking at home networking as the driver for greater adoption of current and next-generation broadband connectivity, which would in turn drive the convergence of services from computing to consumer electronics, networking, IT, telecommunications and entertainment, Frost and Sullivan said.

Affluent consumers’ lifestyle needs for a ‘smart home’ with entertainment, productivity, home automation and connectivity were urging their service provider to move up that broadband value chain, Frost and Sullivan industry analyst Krishna Baidya said.

One of the biggest hurdles to pushing the market forward would be in educating consumers of the home networking options. It was critical that service providers, device vendors, networking companies and software developers worked closely with each other to make sure that home users “enjoy a plug and play experience,” Baidya said.

“As the success of individual market players in the value chain is tied-in with how the industry evolves with rest of the participants, it is important that they collaborate closely even while they may be competing in many fronts,” Baidya said.

“The growing convergence of networking and consumer electronics is facilitating the union of different industry players.”

“The growing convergence of networking and consumer electronics is facilitating the union of different industry players.”

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