Google and Amazon are creating product development strategies based on builder and developer needs, working to outfit new homes and apartments with integrated, connected experiences for the resident. Are these technologies just getting started? Look at what leaders think is ahead.
With home builder Lennar’s announcement that it would equip all new homes with built-in smart devices, such as wi-fi and smart locks controlled by Amazon’s Alexa, a new collaboration between builders and tech companies seems to be brewing, something with wide possibilities.
For consumers, numerous technological conveniences and marvels will be built right into their home, making the functions easy to access. For builders, this offers a way to provide clients with a greater range of services. For tech companies, it allows deeper integration of their products into the lives of consumers. In the latter cases, it offers these market players the opportunity to increase revenue, well as reach more customers.
Below, seven members of Forbes Technology Council discuss what this collaboration between builders and tech companies means, as well as touch on how it is likely to evolve in the future. Here’s what they had to say:
1. Many Will Build On The Opportunity
The latest developments in the business landscape are no less than an evolution in lifestyle. If customers are acclimated to one-word style shopping from Alexa, anyone who can figure out a way to hook into that opportunity will do so. This collaboration is so oriented around home life that builders, developers and anyone in the world of residential life are going to link up with Amazon smart tech. - Arnie Gordon, Arlyn Scales
2. Homes Are The New Cars
Automakers have seen a huge increase in profits and brand lock-in thanks to connected, in-car infotainment units. Home builders are taking a page from this book and have found a way to add a profit center to a traditionally thin margin industry. No longer do builders need to press for high-labor items like custom kitchens to increase prices — these low-cost, high-impact tech add-ons can boost profit. - Jason Gill, The HOTH
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