In percentage terms, home networking has been growing at a dramatic pace over the past few years. Internet Home Alliance estimates that about 12% (7.8 million) of single-family, owner-occupied households with Internet access have a home network, which is defined as a persistent connection between two or more computers or other digital appliances. The Alliance predicts that home network ownership will increase among this segment to about 16% (or about 10 million households) by the end of July 2004 for year-over-year growth of about 33%, which is slightly above the 25% growth from 2001 to 2002. |
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The Connected Home
Key to HTI is the concept of the connected home. The above technologies are connected inside the home through networking, either through low-voltage network wiring or wireless networking. The home is connected to the outside world via broadband (high-speed) Internet connections, allowing information to flow between the home and external resources such as media outlets, service companies, retailers, utilities, public authorities (police and fire), security vendors, and remote PCs or palm devices. Interaction can be managed by the homeowner (who can adjust HVAC and lighting settings, monitor systems, request “on-demand” media such as movies, or browse the Internet) or by third parties (vendors can respond automatically to service requests from faulty systems or security alerts). |
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Internet Appliances
In order to create a connected home, devices in the home must be networkable or “Internetenabled.” Internet appliances are either standard appliances in the home adapted to connect to networks, or specialized devices that act as “control panels” for the home. Some Internet appliances offer time-saving enhancements; an example is a refrigerator that inventories contents and allows the user to generate a shopping list. Another type of Internet appliance includes media players such as audio receivers and video monitors, which allow homeowners to access media from any point. A third type includes standard appliances that do not necessarily provide additional user functionality. Rather, they communicate with central processing units or utilities to regulate operation (centralized thermostatic controls for water heaters and HVAC systems) or report conditions such as malfunctions, alarms (security, water leakage, fire, etc.), system status, or system activation. Finally, “control panel” appliances allow home users to communicate via keypad or touchscreen with systems. |
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The Internet Lifestyle
Vendors of home technology products and systems envision an “Internet Lifestyle” that allows users to be connected to all aspects of the home and to the Internet at all times. In the words of an industry publication, “The Internet Lifestyle infuses technology with daily living, resulting in an enhanced quality of life. Individuals will select technologies that best fit their lifestyles, and the benefits will include an increase in time savings, personal safety and security, entertainment options, and educational choices.” While most home users currently interact with the Internet from dedicated PCs, the Internet Lifestyle will (ideally) enable them to access the Internet from anywhere in the home. |
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