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Home networking is poised for tremendous growth as key enabling technologies like Wi-Fi and VoIP reach maturity and consumer adoption. But the greatest challenge for technology companies across a multitude of disciplines remains usability. And from that perspective, an integrated home network currently remains “in the realm of science fiction,” a new report concluded.

 

In an exhaustive 100-page report entitled “Home Networking: One Remote to Rule Them All,” Deutsche Bank analyst Brian Modoff examines the current state of home networking and breaks down the market into four principle islands: 1) Broadband Access and Connectivity; 2) PC Peripherals and Cable replacement; 3) Entertainment and Multimedia; and 4) Home Control Automation.

 

That said, the Holy Grail remains achieving device and application manageability and framework convergence among all four islands. And if anybody can marry that ubiquity with simplicity, they will enjoy significant fruits of their labor, Modoff believes.

 

“In our view, the ultimate success or failure of home networking will depend on the industry coming up with a user interface and software layer that makes connecting the legion of devices as effortless as turning on a TV,” the analyst wrote.

 

The DB report examines a series of interconnection methods to enable disparate devices to interoperate including Broadband over Power Lines (BPL) initiatives like HomePlug, the Home Phone line Networking Alliance (or HomePNA), 802.11n, Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA), Bluetooth, Zigbee, Ultra-Wideband and others.

 

“The challenge for home networking remains recreating the ease of use, which most home appliances now boast. In our view the company that can replace the five remote controls most homes now feature with a single truly universal device will emerge as the winner in the field. At this point, however, this remains in the realm of science fiction,” Modoff said.

 

To be sure, the analyst is quick to point out that key hardware elements are already in place and the last remaining obstacle, a software solution, is attainable. Ideally the integrating middleware should be technology-, device-, OS-, and application-agnostic to deliver the vision of a fully integrated and connected home network.

 

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Robert Liu is Executive Editor at TMCnet. Previously, he was Executive Editor at Jupitermedia and has also written for CNN, A&E, Dow Jones and Bloomberg. For more articles, please visit Robert Liu's columnist page.