Editor’s Note: the following is an excerpt from an interview with Zonoff CEO Mike Harris. Zonoff provides a comprehensive software platform for electronic devices that makes it possible to do things like turning on the coffee pot automatically when your alarm clock goes off, or a mobile notification to a parent when their child gets home from school. Harris discusses how the Internet of Things will open up significant new lines of business for big box retailers, and how consumers will benefit from embracing a “connected lifestyle”.

A “Brain” for the Internet of Things

As you know, there are a wide range of new devices that are being connected to the Internet of Things ecosystem, by a number of different protocols and wireless systems. Mainstream consumers aren’t interested in hacking their devices together; they just want everything to work.

Zonoff is the “brain” that connects the Internet of Things to everyone, and our platform enables all wireless standards and protocols to communicate with each other. The software we’ve created is device and frequency agnostic, meaning that it can connect devices from both closed proprietary systems with devices on open standards like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, Z-Wave and others. Our platform gives consumers the certainty that the smart device they invest in today will integrate into a common system that will still work ten years down the road, regardless of which protocol may become the most popular. This is also where big box retailers come in as consumers want to buy connected devices from brands know and they trust.

Bringing IoT to the Mass Market

The Internet of Things is a very fragmented landscape. There are a lot of innovations coming to the market, but it’s basically the Wild West in terms of standardization. While this may be desirable for the hackerati and DIY community, the mass market consumer can feel overwhelmed because there’s just too many different operating systems, too many protocols and too many options.

The key for the Internet of Things to reach the mass market is adoption of this technology by big retailers, hardware manufacturers, and service providers that consumers know and trust in a simple, intuitive way. Zonoff’s platform is simple enough that consumers can start small with one or two key lifestyle applications for as little as $150 and gradually expand to the point where they’re able to connect their entire home.

With the abundance of connected devices coming to market, I believe we’re at a tipping point for the Internet of Things to reach the mass market. Over the next 12-18 months we’ll see continued adoption as the market matures and consumers become more educated about the types of smart solutions they can create in their homes — and the lifestyle and peace of mind benefits included therein.

Connecting Lifestyle with Peace of Mind

The two main types of services we’ve found that consumers want in the connected home are lifestyle and “peace of mind” applications. Lifestyle applications include things like your blinds automatically descending and the lights dimming when you turn on the TV. Peace of mind applications include things like knowing what time your kids came home, or that the door is locked or that you dog is not ripping your couch apart.

Because Zonoff’s platform is protocol agnostic, it allows the consumer to connect smart devices in the home to make virtually anything possible. The beauty of our technology is that it enables consumers to start small with a couple of key applications and gradually grow into more robust use cases. This is a key selling point for our partners, who are positioned to become a trusted source of recommendations for new products and services through the central hub and commerce platform we power.

IoT – Where Everyone’s a Winner

There are many players in the connected home space; some are attempting to build consumer brands and/or their own hardware, while we choose to build partnerships with big brands that consumers already know and trust. Based on our team’s deep experience creating solutions for device manufacturers at previous companies, we believe our approach provides us with a strategic advantage in the market. However it is important to recognize that this is not a zero sum game. There will be many “winners” over time as the $14.4 trillion Internet of Things market continues to mature and grow.

photo credit: kevin dooley via photopin cc