The report, authored by technology consultant Tim Barrett, says that historically separate industry sectors are increasing overlapping as they seek to target new markets created by the broadband-enabled home, and that each sector is bringing its own set of standards and practices, confusing the consumer.
"These market segments include manufacturers and suppliers of TVs, home theatre systems, games consoles, home Hi-Fi audio systems, computers, mobile and tablets, household appliances, providers of Internet services, pay TV, security services, energy, utilities, heating and cooling and home automation systems," the report says. "Each of these segments is increasingly overlapping from historically different positions in the market, driven by desire to satisfy consumers."
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"The connected home is therefore ripe for a revolution similar to that experienced by mobile phones, where common platforms across a range of devices are the catalyst for a significant leap in device capability and usability in the home," it says.
"This will be particularly important as the next wave of connected devices such as connected appliances, lights, energy monitoring and audio/video systems begin to have broader penetration in homes...To be successful, our challenge is to facilitate industry sectors working together to create platforms that consolidate, simplify and enhance offerings for consumers across a broad range of devices and services."
The report adds that industry's success in developing applications and services for the domestic broadband home market creates an opportunity for Australia "to become a global leader in the development of applications, platforms and services for the broadband connected home."
It concludes: "There is a role for development of standards, and more importantly, for industry participation and collaboration to realise the wealth of additional value that is yet to be discovered."
