If you could have an Internet of Things (IoT) button to do anything you wanted, what would you program it to do? That question was posed to 1190 consumers, who responded with their own ideas for the ideal IoT button. The survey, conducted by independent consultancy Censuswide, was commissioned by IoT company Thingstream, makers of a connected button called Pressto.
Let’s dig into the survey results – here’s what consumers want to happen when they press their IoT button:
- Get food delivered to their location (26%)
- Pay a bill (20%)
- Control home electronics (10%)
- Transportation functions, e.g. getting train times and calendar details (10%)
- Order a taxi (4.7%)
- Get help with medical conditions (1.1%)
“We’re seeing so much exploration into the potential of technology applications in the home at the moment, it is particularly interesting to see consumers suggesting that they’d rather be able to instantly order food than control their lights or heating,” said Thingstream’s Neil Hamilton.
Franky, the consumer responses are a bit underwhelming. We’ve written about a ton of interesting, creative IoT ideas (some perhaps too creative), so these answers seem to lack imagination. And they’re all the more lackluster considering each of these applications can already be handled by one’s smartphone.
Perhaps existing solutions, such as smartphone apps like Uber or SkipTheDishes, aren’t quite simple enough for consumers. If you view the IoT as an avenue to improving your current experiences, rather than changing them entirely, a one-button alternative to Uber isn’t a bad idea.
But we already know that consumers are struggling to understand and accept the IoT, so it’s not surprising that their expectations for it are unimaginative. If you asked me in 2007 what improvements I would want from phone technology, I would have said, “better calls and easier texting.” I would not have said, “I want it to be the control center for my whole life.” Sometimes, consumers don’t know what they want until they have it.
In the end, it’s not up to consumers to come up with IoT innovations – that’s your job. IoT engineers and solution providers will ultimately be responsible for shaping the IoT landscape and unleashing its full potential. Though that may seem daunting, it also speaks to the incredible opportunities available in the IoT market, and an exciting future that’s yours to envision.