Smart mobile devices have dramatically changed the way we live, work, play, and learn. In the same manner that desktop personal computing changed our lives in the latter part of the 20th century, smart mobile devices are changing our lives at an even more dramatic rate in the 21st century. Last year there were approximately 400 million desktop computing devices shipped around the world (and that number is staying relatively flat). By comparison, there are now over 1.8 billion smart mobile devices shipped every year – a number is growing at 15-20 percent year.*
The focus of this white paper will be on Apple-based AV and home control solutions because of Apple’s ongoing innovation in smartphone technologies and dominance in the tablet marketplace. The high resolution retina screens of the Apple iPad and iPad mini, coupled with the fact that over 200 million of these products have been sold to date, have made the iPad the “de facto” platform for most of the leading home control and AV applications. Since the iPad Mini was launched in late 2012, the dominance of iOS mobile control in the home is even more pronounced—the 7-inch screen is the ideal form factor for most home control applications. With this newer, lower cost iPad mini, we frequently place these tablets in charging cradles in each room of the home that has music, lighting, or TV control requirements.
Many of the solutions proposed in this white paper can also be implemented on Android based platforms—but Apple’s leadership and significant market share have influenced most AV and home control application developers to write their applications for the iOS platform before they embrace the Android platform. As a result this white paper will focus on mobile iOS application solutions for the clients of the custom home technology professional and the key design decision parameters involved in optimizing iOS based AV and home control solutions. These AV and home control solutions are primarily integrated into larger homes – typically over 2,500 square feet in size—since the demand for customized home control and AV distribution increases with the size of the home. A one bedroom can have a whole house music system and TV zone all in one room—there is not much of a need for total home control and AV distribution. On the other hand, a homeowner with a 5,000 square foot home with four or five bedrooms, several zones of audio and video, multiple heating and cooling zones, a security system, an advanced lighting control infrastructure, and surveillance cameras becomes an ideal candidate for the AV and home control solutions outlined in this white paper. These homeowners will often employ the services of a custom home technology professional for their design and integration work.
* Data from a report from IDC. IDC is a global market intelligence and consulting firm. It specializes in providing market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets.
Download the rest of the white paper here.
