Interest in home automation is increasing but the biggest hindrance in adoption is cost. According to a study conducted by Parks Associates, consumers are very interested in bundled offers from their service providers, combining familiar brand names with packaged price deals.  The research revealed that 66 percent of all US broadband households find a smart home bundled package quite appealing.

Bundled packages mostly include a variety of home safety, security, and device-management offerings, but those that offer home management which includes safety alerts, remote home monitoring, and remote management of the home’s thermostat, are the most appealing.

“Consumers, while interested in smart home services, are averse to long-term contracts, but there are other, alternate options for building revenues,” said Tom Kerber, Director, Research, Home Controls & Energy, Parks Associates. “To avoid monthly monitoring fees, consumers are willing to let their service provider adjust their thermostat during peak hours. There is also interest in in-app purchases and advertising, which could be a source of incremental revenue for product manufacturers and service providers.”

The smart home market needs telecom support

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Sergio Silvestre, global chief marketing officer at WeDo technologies, stated that the company is interested in launching security products in the future, but said that telecommunications companies’ support of the Internet of Things plays a huge role in the adoption of these connected devices.  Though telecoms are interested in offering bundles, some are doubting whether consumers will actually pay for them.

“We all have several devices at home, or with us, that need protection, and it’s an important side of the business. The problem, I think, [is] the take up rate is… small because for some years the telecoms operators felt…subscribers will not be willing to pay for this,” Silvestre stated.

Still, telecoms cannot deny that an Internet-connected Everything is the next frontier for consumer business, and if they do not leverage people’s interest in this emerging world of connected devices, others will be stepping in to provide consumers a cheaper alternative.

There are already some providers who offer smart home bundles with their existing service.  Question now is, which provider offers the best home automation bundle solution?

AT&T Digital Life

AT&T Digital Life offers two security packages; the Smart Security and the Simple Security.  If you want something that also supports home automation, then the Smart Security is your best bet.

The Smart Security package starts at $39.99 per month, and a one-time equipment fee of $149.99.  The package includes 24/7 monitoring, equipment with 24-hour battery backup in case of a power outage, and can be managed via a smartphone app for remote control and monitoring. You’ll also get a keychain remote for those times you don’t want to use your smartphone, an indoor siren alarm, contact sensors, a smoke sensor, a glass break sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, and a motion sensor.

You can add more to the Smart Security package to enhance home monitoring and automation.  For an additional $4.99 per month, plus $99.99 for the equipment, you’ll get remote door controls as well.

If you want something to help you save on your electric bill, add $4.99 per month, and $199.99 for the equipment, for the home energy package which allows you to remotely adjust or turn off your thermostat, lights,  and appliances.

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Time Warner Cable Intelligent Home

Time Warner Cable not only offers cable, phone and Internet services but also home security and management through its Intelligent Home service.  The Intelligent Home service offers equipment such as a keypad, an in-home touchscreen to manage connected devices, key fobs, smoke detectors, a carbon monoxide detector, a flood/water sensor, a barrier break sensor, door/window sensors, motion detectors, glass break detectors, a thermostat, lamp adapters, appliances adapters, and indoor/outdoor cameras. The service starts at $33.99 a month.

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Coming soon…

Verizon has its Home Monitoring and Control services, but the company is no longer taking in new clients as it seeks to enhance its offering before going fully mainstream.

Dish Network is also looking to enter the home automation arena, showing  a home automation system running on its popular Hopper DVR at January’s CES 2014 event.  It uses a ZigBee/Z-Wave USB dongle plugged into the back of the Hopper DVR, and shows connected devices on your TV screen, which you can control remotely.