The tremendous demand for structured wiring and home automation products present a unique opportunity for new homebuilders. Some trends and statistics supporting the need for homebuilders to address homebuyer demand and to build homes capable of accommodating near-term technologies and services include the following:

•  Over  40% of professionals are independent consultants contracting for specific services and projects and that most will be working from a home office. - U.S. Labor Department prediction

• "The market for smart home products grew to over $1.7 billion in 2005 from just $180 million in 2000.  Total U.S. broadband subscribers will almost double again." - Cahners In-Stat research

• "Affordable structured wiring systems have been on the market for several years and are readily available and supported by well-trained installer networks in virtually all U.S. markets. And, they are rapidly growing in popularity, with industry experts projecting that 45 percent of all single-family homes built in the U.S. will incorporate whole-house structured wiring by 2006" - Parks Associates research

• Three-quarters of U.S. households will be wired for Internet access. - Gartner Group forecast

• "Approximately 650,000 US homes have some form of networking installed and that number is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 90 percent over the next three years." - Yankee Group research

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In-demand technology features Consumers rated the following options (all available through Easy Access Electronics) as very important (4 or 5 on a scale of 1 to 5) features in a new home: Multiple phone lines: 45% Structured wiring: 45% Security system: 44% Multi-zone HVAC system control: 37% Lighting control system: 32% Home theater: 24% Automated lighting control: 24% Distributed audio: 18% Home automation: 12% Source: NAHB 2003 Consumer Preferences Survey

The networked home 7.3 million U.S. households had Wi-Fi (wireless) networks by the end of 2004 3.8 million U.S. households had structured wiring by the end of 2004 30 million U.S. households had broadband connections by the end of 2004 22 million U.S. households had digital cable or direct-to-broadcast satellite television service by the end of 2004 17 million households had data networking solutions by the end of 2004 More than 40 million households had DVD players by the end of 2004 By the end of 2008, an estimated 10.7 million households will have structured wiring (around 10 percent of the projected existing base of all U.S. households) Structured wiring systems are being installed in at least 40 percent of households where homebuilders offer it Source: Parks Associates, "The Future of the Home Network: Why the Hybrid?" and "Digital Entertainment in the Home: The Home Computer & Connectivity"

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There are five major trends having a significant, positive impact on new homebuyer demand for builders to provide residential technologies:

    1. The Internet
    2. Multiple home computers
    3. Functional home office
    4. Access to entertainment services
    5. Assurance of resale value

Structured wiring systems, residential gateways and home automation technologies allow homebuilders to offer buyers the opportunity to have the technology they want and need now, and the infrastructure for what they may want or need later. Increasingly, homebuyers know that, by purchasing a properly designed and installed communications infrastructure from their homebuilder, many "smart" home technologies can be added at a future date as the homebuyer becomes more comfortable with the system and sees the need for additional capabilities as new technologies and services become available.

Consider This…

Willis Carrier developed the first "modern" air conditioner in 1902. Sixteen years later the Minneapolis mansion of Charles Gates was the first residence air conditioned in the United States. First thought of as a luxury only for the wealthy, air conditioning began to penetrate mainstream housing in the 1950's. Builders who embraced this new technology quickly established themselves as leaders in the builder community. In 1997, 72% of all U.S. households had central air conditioning! It is safe to say that offering central air conditioning no longer differentiates a builder the way it did in 1953.

Today a new technology, information technology, is imposing a similar shift in the residential building industry. Information technology can take many forms. It can be related to entertainment, productivity, convenience, communications, environmental controls, as well as security. The ability to coordinate all of these areas into a seamless operating system has arrived, and it is no longer a luxury affordable by only the wealthiest segments of society.

Twenty five plus years of R&D coupled with an almost insatiable demand for new products have driven the price of high technology consumer electronics to their most affordable levels in history, while simultaneously improving performance and ease of operation. These two factors, affordability and convenience have made structured wiring, whole home audio and video, home automation, enhanced security and high speed Internet access mainstream technology.

More to think about.....

*  Today the Internet is equal to the television as a source of entertainment in homes with high-speed access, and it is number two in homes with standard dial up connection.

*  High Definition television broadcasting has penetrated the entire U.S.

*  Home automation is one of the fastest growing markets in the world today with annual growth projections of nearly 30%. Industry research indicates that over 12 million U.S. homes will be home networked and automated by the end of this year. Many brand name companies like General Electric, Whirlpool, Microsoft, and Cisco have outlined their visions for the home of the future

And most importantly....

Easy Access Home Technologies is the electronics systems contractor that can make it easy for the home builder to meet homebuyer demands, increase buyer appeal, differentiate themselves from the competition, and add value to their bottom line.

Home Automation] [Structured Wiring] [Integrated HVAC] [Home Theater] [Whole House Audio] [Lighting Control] [Telephone Intercom Systems] [Security Cameras / Nursery Monitor] [Computer Networking & Broadband Internet Management]  [Generators] [Customer Training and Support] [Consultation and Coordination]