Comcast is bringing home automation to 15 million Xfinity customers.
Comcast brings internet or cable TV services to 29 million customers, and now it wants to offer many of them home automation services, too. The media company knows that the internet of things, or making everyday objects smart and connected, is on a growth path. By adding these services, Comcast can become a more essential hub of the home and stave off threats from Internet video rivals.
Comcast will provide additional home automation services for IoT controls at no extra cost through its Xfinity X1 cable boxes, which reach 15 million of its customers. Those services include controls for home security cameras or using a TV remote to find your lost smartphone. Market researcher Gartner estimates that 8.4 billion connected devices were in use in 2017 around theworld, with that number expected to grow to 20.4 billion by 2020.
Comcast’s IoT partners includeAugust, Carrier, Chamberlain, Ecobee, GE, Honeywell, Kwikset, Liftmaster, LIFX, Lutron, Nest, Netgear Arlo, Philips Hue, Danalock, Sengled, SkyBell, Tile, Yale, and Zen Ecosystems. About a million of Comcast’s customers already use home automation service, but now the integration of services and the variety offered are going to expand dramatically. All told, more than 50 services will be available eventually.
Part of the tech is made possible through Comcast’s acquisition of Stringify back in September. Stringify has a cloud-powered automation service for more than 500 IoT products and digital services, and its tech will be integrated into Xfinity products and services to accelerate the smart home experiences.
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