Parks Associates: 12% of Smart Home Device Owners Report Unresolved Technical Problems in 2018

New Parks Associates data reveals spike in unresolved problems among smart home device owners

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Oct 17, 2018, 07:37 ET

DALLAS, Oct. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- New consumer data from Parks Associates shows 12% of smart home device owners in U.S. broadband households report technical problems going unresolved in 2018, compared to approximately 5% in the previous three years. 360 View: Supporting the Connected Consumer examines consumer appetite for self-help, professional, and premium support services, as well as consumer adoption of extended warranty services and the impact of adoption of smart home devices on support services.

Parks Associates: Resolution of Smart Home Device Technical Problems

"The number of reported problems declined, but the jump in unresolved problems points to issues getting more complicated and difficult to diagnose," said Patrice Samuels, Senior Analyst, Parks Associates. "Strong value is achieved from the smart home when devices communicate with each other, but diversity in device technology and communication protocols adds complexity to the smart home and creates challenges in achieving seamless communication."

Many smart home devices require reliable Wi-Fi to operate, and for many home security and health devices, secure Wi-Fi is critical. Problems with connectivity are now the most persistent problems across all device types, so a support solution that can warn of potential or impending connectivity problems anywhere in a network and take steps to prevent outages will be valuable in the smart home ecosystem.

"The support experience reflects directly on a consumers' perception of that brand," Samuels said. "While most brands now recognize the need to adequately support their customers, minimizing the cost of doing so is critical to maintaining profitability. Knowledge about the devices consumers have in their homes helps boost the ability to anticipate challenges and invest in cost-efficient strategies to resolve them."

360 View: Supporting the Connected Consumer provides insight into the challenges consumers experience with their devices and how to best address consumer support needs.

Additional research:

79% of smart home device owners set up at least one device by themselves or with the help of friends and family.
Only 16% of consumers who set up computing and entertainment devices themselves report that the process is difficult.
Only 14% of smart home device owners report experiencing one or more problems with a device in 2018.
72% percent of consumers who paid one-time fees for support of smart home or computing/entertainment devices paid $50 or more for their service.

For more information about 360 View: Supporting the Connected Consumer, contact [email protected]. To schedule an interview with an analyst or to request specific research data, please contact Julia Homier at [email protected], 972-996-0202.

About Parks Associates

Parks Associates is an internationally recognized market research and consulting company specializing in emerging consumer technology products and services. Founded in 1986, Parks Associates creates research capital for companies ranging from Fortune 500 to small start-ups through market reports, primary studies, consumer research, custom research, workshops, executive conferences, and annual service subscriptions.

The company's expertise includes digital media and platforms, entertainment and gaming, home networks, Internet and television services, digital health, mobile applications and services, support services, consumer apps, advanced advertising, consumer electronics, energy management, and home control systems and security.

Each year, Parks Associates hosts industry webcasts, the CONNECTIONS™ Conference Series, Connected Health Summit: Engaging Consumers, Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer, and Future of Video: OTT, Pay TV, and Digital Media. http://www.parksassociates.com

Contact:
Julia Homier
Parks Associates
972.996.0214
[email protected]

SOURCE Parks Associates