Before attending CONNECTIONS™ Europe in Amsterdam, Antti Vihavainen, Partner, Business Development at Cozify, answered several industry questions:
Where do you feel the largest opportunity is for the smart home industry in Europe?
It is in assisting other industry verticals to transform their consumer businesses. Examples include insurers, telecommunications, home appliances and consumer electronics.
What challenges does Europe face with rolling out new smart home products and services?
Lack of willingness to take risks before all variables are known. This way it is possible that the American Internet companies will take most of the future value.
How will companies leverage the growth in the market in the next 12 months?
Smart home companies are likely to search for the best growth areas and invest in expansion both in product development and sales in that area. Startups are likely to use the traction to get access to new funding. It’s a game of search, find, and utilize – fast!
Who are the most important players for the European Smart Home industry?
The ones that own the successful end customer relationships.
Do you believe consumers are skeptical about the value of smart home products?
As always it is good to be a bit more specific about different types of consumers. There’s a group that is thoroughly enthusiastic about smart home products, but that is too small for the industry to thrive. Most consumers are not skeptical because they are not even aware of the smart home products. In order to cross the chasm, the successful companies will find their own recipe to increase awareness or piggyback in something that people would be buying anyway.
What is the biggest obstacle to the adoption of products?
In some cases simple solutions to real-world problems are missing.
We are looking forward to hearing you present, but what are you most looking forward to about the show this year?
As always: high quality speeches and panel discussions as well as networking with the ecosystem at large.
Vihavainen will speak on the session “Business Case for Smart Home and Connected CE Products” alongside speakers from Inwido AB, ASSA ABLOY, and Logitech.
For more information on CONNECTIONS™ Europe and how your company can become involved, visit www.connectionseurope.com.
