Reports have surfaced that Apple could be unveiling a home automation platform at its Worldwide Developers Conference next month.  Little is known about Apple’s possible offering in the home automation space, aside from leveraging the iPhone as a remote. Apple TV is also expected to play a huge role in connecting and controlling home automation devices.

Reports also stated that Apple is in talks with home automation solution providers to sell partners’ connected solutions in its online and brick and mortar stores under “Made For iPhone” accessories.  This will allow Apple to tap further into the existing home automation market, as well as arm itself against competitors such as Google, Microsoft, and Samsung, all of which are building their own smart home ecosystem of accessories to work with their own operating systems.

So far, what we know about Apple’s rumored home automation platform is that it will be compatible with iOS devices, the Apple TV will act as its hub, we can also assume that Siri will play a role in this effort, but this feature might not be available immediately.  As for what devices would be compatible with it, we’ll just have to wait for the official announcement.

Let’s recap on what Apple’s rivals already have prepped for the market.

Kinect for home automation

.

Software giant Microsoft plans on making the Kinect v2 available for use on desktops and laptops running Windows 8.  This will allow more users to experience the ease of gesture controls to perform actions on their PCs.

Microsoft also plans to put the Kinect at the center of its connected home initiatives, allowing users to turn smart lights on or off with a wave of a hand, turn the heat up with a simple hand gesture, or even integrate Cortana, Microsoft’s digital personal assistant, to allow for voice control commands to manage or automate the home.

Kinect for home automation will probably be compatible with the Xbox One as well as Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 devices.  Insteon will be launching its apps for Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8 on June 1, as well as selling its solutions in Microsoft’s online and retail stores. This is only the beginning of Microsoft’s budding ecosystem comprised of devices and software to support home automation.

Smart TV to rule your connected home

 .

Samsung is also seeking the right partners to build its smart home ecosystem, collaborating with VTouch and other startups to incorporate gesture control to its future smart TV lineup.  The inclusion of gesture control will eliminate the need for physical remote control, as hand gestures will allow users to change channels, adjust the volume, and get additional information about the program they are currently watching.

Similar to Microsoft, Samsung plans on using gesture control to put smart TVs/entertainment systems at the center of home automation.  This could eliminated the need for home automation hubs as the smart TV can serve that purpose, and even if you don’t have your mobile device in hand, you won’t have to need to get up to turn on the lights or adjust the thermostat.  You just use your smart TV to interact with other connected devices in your home.

Samsung also has a growing line of home appliances to work with its smart home platform, minimizing its reliance on partners to supply consumers with objects to connect and automate.

The company launched its  Samsung Smart Home Service at CES this year, enabling smart TVs, home appliances, and smartphones to be connected and controlled via a single integrated platform. Under this, Samsung aims to partner with third-party vendors for a more robust home automation solutions offering that works on various operating systems.

Nest + more

 .

Google acquired Nest, the makers of the smart learning thermostat, for $3.2 billion. The high price tag and Google’s newcomer status to the smart home market caused a bit of a panic, as consumers grew concerned that the acquisition was merely a plot for the search giant to access personal information, but Nest assured its users this will not happen.

Google’s acquisition of Nest may just be the beginning of more acquisitions related to the home automation market.  Instead of creating a smart home automation solution from the ground up, Google will buy its way into the market.  According to reports, Nest will be acquiring Dropcam, a connected camera that streams real-time video to a user’s computer or mobile device.  It’s not clear as to how much Nest is offering for Dropcam as the parties have yet to comment on this, but it seems like Nest is the foundation of Google’s home automation division, leading the the search giant’s connected home efforts.

We can expect Android to be the chosen platform for Google’s home automation offering, but it may also support iOS devices if it chooses to acquire home automation startups that already support Apple’s operating system. This multi-OS tactic is one targeting consumer appeal, and could be very different from Apple’s typical approach of exclusivity.

Open source may trump them all

 .

All these efforts towards a connected home will deliver new products and technologies for homeowners, but can also result in app fatigue or disuse of devices if people have to deal with setting them up individually, and also learn how to interact with them.  Further complicating things, the lack a common language that ties all these home automation solutions together can result in app makers or OS providers favoring one device or manufacturer over others.

image via Belkin

If Apple does release its own home automation platform, there is a possibility that any device made for just the iPhone to sell exclusively in Apple stores will sell better than others, because it has Apple’s seal of approval.  This could ultimately limit the growth potential of Apple’s smart home ecosystem, which would evolve behind the walls of a siloed solution.

However, if something arises that can tie all these home automation solution together and streamline the use of these devices into one simple interface on any connected device, then it wouldn’t matter what brand of home automation device you put in your home or what mobile operating software you are using.  This may sound impossible but this unifying software now exists – openHAB.

openHAB is an open source software for home automation that is designed to be vendor-neutral and hardware/protocol agnostic.  It runs on any device capable of running a JVM, which essentially is any computer running Linux, Mac, or Windows.  It comes with different web-based UIs as well as UIs for iOS and Android, is easily extensible to accommodate new systems and devices, and its APIs are available for developers to integrate with other systems.

feature image: woodleywonderworks via photopin cc
photo credit: samsungtomorrow via photopin cc