Future of home technology

By pandu

Home technology has been over hyped and under delivered for almost a decade. The initial vision had consisted of home appliances being controlled by a central system, much like the security system in most North American homes. The central system could be configured to offer various services such as security, environmental control, home entertainment, etc. Unfortunately this vision has not translated to practical and wide ranging implementations.

One reason home technology has not advanced is due to the relative slow progress of bandwidth speeds in the United States. This is changing very quickly. As companies like Verizon and Sprint begin to offer very high speed and wireless internet the time for home technology might be arriving.

Along this trend, a British company called Pace Micro Technology has built a server that can bring high speed internet access using Wimax. The server can then transmit this signal within the home using existing WIFI connections. It is designed to offer video, phone and internet access. Predictably the server could also integrate with the home security system and other appliances in the home that support wireless communication. Such a server could then be controlled remotely and be programmed according to home owner’s needs and conveniences.

Pace already has expertise in building home devices, being the leading supplier of DVRs and setop boxes to Comcast and Direct TV. It would be interesting if they could pack more punch in their boxes and start introducing other technologies for the home. Who would have imagined that the setop box might one day offer telephone, internet and video services!