Amena Ali, Senior VP and General Manager at WeatherBug Home, answers several industry questions about issues that are currently affecting the connected entertainment and smart home markets:

What is the most important next step to engage consumers in smart home solutions, connected entertainment services, and/or value-added services like tech support and connected health?

When it comes to engaging consumers in smart home solutions, we need to first consider their perspective. We need to explain why connected devices matter to win them over. 

We have to consider the value of our products and services. What will make it such that they can’t live without it? Consumers want to be more comfortable, safer, and better informed. It’s these tangible benefits that will make consumers want these products - and that ultimately will drive sales of smart home solutions.  

What is the biggest challenge your company faces in 2015?

WeatherBug is one of the most popular apps, with tens of millions using our app every day. Our opportunity and challenge is to leverage that success to bring WeatherBug Home to the mass market. And, the IoT ecosystem is incredibly dynamic, with many players in the field. Success requires the right partnerships, continued innovation, and an engaging consumer experience.

What is the biggest driver for the connected consumer market?

The biggest driver for the connected consumer market involves the usability of connected services and integration into the consumers’ daily behavior. Connected services must be organic and fit seamlessly into consumers’ daily routines and lives.

What are the most important initiatives your company is taking in 2015? 

At WeatherBug, our tagline is Know Before – and we pride ourselves on informing customers via live, local current conditions, forecasts and severe weather warnings so they can take action in a variety of ways. We’re extending our Know Before value proposition into our WeatherBug Home offering for greater comfort and savings for consumers.

Describe your vision for the smart home and entertainment markets in 2020.

Think about the way we engage with mobile phones today. They can be a distraction, but they can delight us and enhance our lives. Ultimately, they can help us live our lives more comfortably and efficiently by giving us vital information. As providers, our role is to harness valuable information and big weather data to give people the information they need to live better lives.

Amena Ali will be speaking on the panel “The Ideal Smart Home User Experience” at 4:45 PM during CONNECTIONS in San Francisco, CA, May 19, 2015. Other speakers include representatives from Logitech and SmartThings.

For more information on CONNECTIONS speakers, sessions, or topics, visit www.connectionsus.com. Register to attend today!