Traditional bricks-and-mortar homes are set to become more intelligent and more energy-efficient in the next few years. WITHIN FIVE years, our homes could potentially transform into a futuristic Utopia, and as technology companies foresee a 'Jetsons' - inspired home, the smart home is rapidly becoming a reality. US research firm MarketsandMarkets reveals in its February 2015 'Smart Homes Market' report that the market is expected to see a compound annual growth rate of 17 per cent between 2015 and 2020 and reach a staggering $58.68 bn by 2020. The Internet of Things plays a crucial role in this boom, with uptake of intelligent household appliances such as washing machines, security systems and robotic vacuums all predicted to increase, says analyst firm IHS. It reports that less than one million smart-home appliances were shipped in 2014, but that will increase to 223 million shipments in 2020. Already household names are getting on board, with Google's Nest, Apple's HomeKit and Samsung's potential acquisition of SmartThings as examples.
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