Smart homes will be one part of the growing trend of Smart Cities, which are expected to double in size and number over the next few years, according to a recent report from market analysts at GBI Research.
Where smart-home technology intends to leverage the data gathering and processing power of Internet-connected appliances to make the lives of individuals as efficient, convenient and affordable as possible, many companies are looking at how to apply the same goals and techniques to an entire city, to build or shape the smart cities of tomorrow.
“This means digitalization of the present systems, so that they can sense, analyze and integrate data for them to respond intelligently to the needs of their jurisdictions, thus making them smarter and more efficient,” the GBI Research report is quoted on CleanTechnica. “Cities can thus grow while avoiding having their infrastructure overloaded, thus maintaining an acceptable quality of life for their inhabitants.”
The smart cities industry is an amalgamation of technological innovations in the realms of transportation, healthcare, public utilities and education that, when considered together, will revolutionize the way our society is run, the same way that smart-home technologies are changing how our homes are run.
Several major organizations are getting involved with these kinds of initiatives, including IBM, MIT and the European Commission.
All of this interest, according to GBI Research, will lead the smart-cities industry to more than double between 2012 and 2017.
The report also predicts major growth in the smart-home industry over the same period, with the biggest growth in Asia and Europe.
GBI reached its conclusions by extrapolating from the growth already seen in the past few years, and its own views on the constantly changing industry, including a growing number of projects that increase in scope and efficiency every year.
GBI’s report, meant for high-powered investors and market players, costs $3,500 for a single-user license, but some info and charts are available without the massive price tag.
