Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) says the importance of interoperability for consumers increases with each smart home device purchased. Currently 13% of U.S. broadband households own at least one smart home device, and 60% of those who have purchased three devices feel it is very important for the devices to work together as part of a system, says the research group.

"Smart home products are entering the market through a variety of channels, often separate from any system, but regardless consumers expect interoperability among devices," says Tom Kerber, director, Home Systems and Energy, Parks Associates. "Multiple players, including device manufacturers and service providers, have a stake in the connected home, but their objectives are not always aligned. This webcast examines the technology and business challenges in this ecosystem and analyzes the solutions necessary to deliver a unified user experience."

The Internet of Things (IoT) and the connected home are about "things" and software that need to interoperate and work together harmoniously-at huge scale, he adds.