Securing connected homes will be key for the success of the Dubai Smart City initiative, according to Trend Micro Incorporated.

Integrating technology and government services to improve citizens’ daily lives, the Dubai Smart City initiative and Dubai Initiative 2021 reflect the Dubai Smart Government Department leveraging the Internet of Things (IoT), which IDC projects will connect 212 billion “things” globally by 2020, it said.

There has been proliferation of intelligent connected devices introduced into homes, known as “smartification” of the home. Trend Micro had earlier discussed the possibility of threats against the Internet of Everything in its 2014 predictions, it stated.

In order for Dubai Smart City to enable world-class connected homes, Trend Micro has pinpointed forces that can influence – for good or bad - the prevalence of smart devices.

Marketing of household smart devices focuses on convenience, security, and energy conservation. Smart hubs and smart devices are sold in stores, while broadband providers provide consumer smart home automation packages.

Regional availability of smart devices will affect the rate at which homes become smarter over time, said the Trend Micro report.

The cost of a smart device will affect its availability to the average consumer in different regions. As devices become more affordable, they will likely become more attractive for consumers to purchase, resulting in an increased prevalence of these devices in a given region.

Limiting the prevalence of smart devices globally is the fact that each country or region has their own regulatory requirements, including safety and security codes.

As existing devices and appliances in the home need replacement, homeowners may choose to replace these with smart devices.

“Keeping things dumb” is a valid security consideration for a consumer that ultimately can’t or won’t make use of the features provided by smart devices, or doesn’t want to bother with the on-going need to administer and maintain a security infrastructure for their home.

In many cases, broadband providers not only provide Internet access but phone and TV services as well. As consumers renew their contracts, many will add smart home services covering automation, security, and energy efficiency it stated.

One of the biggest factors in determining whether smart technology is adopted, or not, is if it delivers the needed or wanted benefits to consumers.

Devices and gadgets fall into somewhere along the following continuum when it comes to perceived benefits: unused gizmo, nice to have, fundamental enhancement, mission critical.

Local factors will be significant in determining whether smart devices succeed or fail in individual markets, sadi Trend Micro in its report.
 
Different regions may come to different conclusions about the trade-off between the value of smart devices and their possible consequences, based on culture, religion, way of life, and politics, it added.-TradeArabia News Service