You’re in charge of installing a homeowner’s most important broadband service – internet access. Next thing likely to top their must-have lists is Smart Home as a Service (SHaaS). With SHaaS, the network cabling, connectors and enclosures provide the gateway to managing their lives, so they’ll want the very best.

Why SHaaS?

Your customers want devices that operate independently; they want systems capable of using data to make decisions about how to best run the home. The way smart homes currently operate is simply not smart enough! The smart part isn’t in the devices, it’s in the decision-making, and the majority of smart home devices still rely on homeowners to make the decisions.

Homeowners are stuck managing devices and making decisions because many of the smart home options on the market use different standards. This means devices can’t talk to one another. Each device has its own software that needs to be programmed with the homeowner’s preferences.

What’s frustrating is that all of the standards are doing pretty much the same thing – in pretty much the same way.

Is SHaaS the solution?

Using SHaaS, all household devices can be operated from a single source, most likely a tablet or phone. Homeowners can monitor and control their smart home from anywhere with cloud-based or installed software.

The SHaaS system is made up of these parts:

1. Sensors like motion sensors, thermostats, cameras or wearables.
2. The data generated by these sensors.
3. The intelligence. This is software that makes decisions based on the data collected by the sensors.
4. Support. A service provider needs to be available to answer questions and assist homeowners.

SHaaS adoption provides a single interface for managing devices, and it reduces the number of sensors and devices homeowners have to install. One sensor can monitor home security as well as air quality and lighting systems. That same sensor can be integrated with the home entertainment system, turning on your favorite music when you arrive home in the evening.

Where do telcos fit in?

If you think about it, telcos are in the ideal position to provide SHaasS. They already offer a service integral to SHaaS as well as the support that will be needed. They already employ or contract installers like you to set up the network required to run a smart home. It makes a lot of sense to extend that offering to include SHaaS.

Your customers will appreciate the convenience of SHaaS delivered along with network service.  And for the telco, SHaaS is an opportunity for revenue.

Telcos all over the world are offering SHaaS. Telstra, an Australian telco launched a smart home platform this year. SKT in Korea launched a SHaaS offering last year.  And early 2016 saw numerous announcements from telcos planning to offer smart home services of one type or another.

Closer to home is AT&T’s Digital Life, which launched in 2015. Digital Life, like so many Smart Home platforms, is primarily a security platform, but customers can also choose camera packages, water detection options and energy control features. Earlier this year, UK telco firm O2 started selling Digital Life to their customers.

What does SHaaS mean for you?

Help your customers by setting up a smart home router and testing the software as part of the overall installation. You will definitely need to provide fiber or fast copper cable that meets the demands of the SHaaS.

Remember, looks matter! Use a low-profile media distribution enclosure that will blend with your customer’s personal style.