Here’s a strategic move worth pondering. AT&T announced the marriage of its automated home (Digital Life) and connected car (Drive) services at Mobile World Congress .
This will mean customers can control their homes from their car’s dashboard according to the Chief Executive at AT&T Mobility. People will be able to open their garage doors, control lighting and alarms, turn on appliances, view security footage, and heat (or cool) their homes before pulling into the driveway.
The integration opens up all sorts of possibilities from a marketing and financial standpoint. For one thing it’s a savvy strategic move given the huge groundswell of interest in Internet-connected devices on the part of all sorts of Internet industry players. The same article notes that Apple and Google are making their own plays (in Google’s case the acquisition of Nest opened the door for it to enter the home automation realm).
For another it could be a good revenue generator, if customers buy into the idea. AT&T says it would cost subscribers an additional $10 on their monthly phone bill to share data across multiple devices.
AT&T is in a pretty strong position to pull this off. It already has deals with eight automakers for connected car services, as well partnered with major home appliance makers like Samsung and LG.
The question remains, would you be willing to spend more on their services to connect the two? Or would you prefer an alternative solution?
By Werner Sievers, CEO