Parks Associates prepared this June 2020 report for ESA Research, with support from Resideo. The authors examine the challenge of marketing professionally-installed home automation equipment, especially security and safety systems, versus selling do-it-yourself (DIY) equipment. The analysis provides three choices around DIY: DIY as a fallback if the customer refuses professional installation, DIY as an alternative to professional installation, and DIY as the only option built around voice recognition. Companies are advised to tailor their product offerings to specific rooms in the house according to customer needs. Moreover, security companies should position their offerings in smart home devices as appropriate for specific locations in the house. These companies should be sensitive to consumer’s privacy concerns.
Key words: access controls, CCTV, security controls/systems, home networking