Digital assistants will serve as the primary interface to the connected house
According to Gartner, consumers will increasingly use digital personal assistanrs in order to interact with the connected home. The research and advisory firm predicts that by 2019, in at least 25 percent of households in developed economies, digital assistants on smart devices will serve as the primary interface to connected home services.
Mark O'Neill, Research Director at Gartner, said: "In the not-too-distant future, users will no longer have to contend with multiple apps; instead, they will literally talk to digital personal assistants such as Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant. Some of these personal assistants are cloud-based and already beginning to leverage smart machine technology.
"Consumers don't want to deal with separate proprietary apps for each type of connected device in their home. Rather than individual apps, it is the interactions between devices — as well as with service providers and external data sources — that are most compelling to consumers. These interactions make it possible to create, detect and respond to 'business moments,' which Gartner defines as transient opportunities that are exploited dynamically using digital technology.
"APIs are the key to interoperating with new digital interfaces and a well-managed API program is a key success factor for organizations that are interested in reaching consumers in their connected homes. In the emerging programmable home, it is no longer best to spend time and money on developing individual apps. Instead, divert resources to APIs, which are the way to embrace the postapp world."
Digital personal assistants show the potential to satisfy requirements by delivering experiences that connect services, configure devices and even order and deliver products. Personalized, context-aware information can also be presented as it is wanted or needed — for example, suggestions for restaurants near planned meetings, or recommended temperature settings for the home to optimize energy consumption and comfort in line with the weather.
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