Frost & Sullivan: Platform Integration across Industries Lays Foundation for Development of Smart Homes in Asia-Pacific

- Continuous collaboration between stakeholders and with governments in the region will be crucial for further growth

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, March 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Smart homes are no longer a futuristic novelty. Technological advancements, infrastructure expansion, increasing wealth, and decreasing costs are bridging the supply-demand gap for such homes in the Asia-Pacific. Mega trends related to population and urbanization also fuel the smart home market in the region. As a rising population and the emergence of new cities, satellite cities, and economic zones spur construction, high-tech (smart and green) technologies will be incorporated in future buildings.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Smart Homes in Asia-Pacific -- A CEO's 360-Degree Perspective, finds that the integration of several platforms from multi-dimensional applications and industries will hasten the arrival of the smart home era. Future homes will focus on eco-friendly building materials in addition to the deployment of energy-saving devices and ICT.

Major appliance manufacturers, echoing the need for energy-efficient home appliances, are investing heavily in R&D to reduce energy consumption. The continuous innovations in high energy-consuming home appliances will propel the Asia-Pacific smart home industry forward.

"As the smart home ecosystem continues to evolve, new standards and legislations will be created by both regional and local regulatory bodies," said Frost & Sullivan Energy & Environment Research Analyst Janice Wung. "These mandates, especially from developed countries such as South Korea and Singapore, will drive the demand for smart homes."

However, in emerging countries, the low emphasis on energy-efficiency related standards from regulatory bodies is likely to stall the construction of smart homes. The highly subsidized electricity price in these nations has reduced energy efficiency awareness among home owners, further reducing scope for adoption.

Although developed markets may provide more market opportunities, the tight intra- and inter-industry competition, especially from established international brands may not be favorable for local or smaller firms. Due to this, one of two scenarios is likely; either a consolidated industry standard will emerge or a fragmented marketplace with multiple standards will materialize.

Regulatory bodies must play an active role in stabilizing the market. For their part, market participants intending to penetrate or expand in this heterogeneous space must customize business models for the different countries that are at varying stages of legislation and economic development.

"Since the smart home ecosystem enjoys the participation of companies from various market value chains and the breadth of expertise required is vast, continuous collaboration is crucial," urged Frost & Sullivan Research Manager Melvin Leong. "Therefore, cooperation between commercial and political bodies as well as synergies through mergers and acquisitions will be the key to success in this nascent field."

If you are interested in more information on this study, please send an e-mail to Donna Jeremiah, Corporate Communications, at djeremiah@frost.com, with your full name, company name, job title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state and country.

Smart Homes in Asia-Pacific -- A CEO's 360-Degree Perspective is part of the Environmental (http://www.environmental.frost.com) Growth Partnership Service program. Frost & Sullivan's related studies include: Solid Waste Management Market in Australia, Water and Wastewater Treatment (WWWT) Market in Brunei, Hong Kong, Maldives, and Taiwan, and Global Waste to Energy Plant Market. All studies included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.