CONTEXT Survey Shows Latin American Consumers Ready for Smart Home

LONDON, MIAMI, SAO PAOLO, MEXICO CITY, BUENOS AIRES, Argentina and SANTIAGO, Chile, February 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Over three quarters of consumers surveyed in Latin America's leading economies say they want to know more about Smart Home products, according to a survey announced today by CONTEXT, the IT market research company at the GTDC LatAm Conference in Miami, USA. This potential demand for the new global wave in technology products presents significant opportunities for the IT channel in Latin America, says CONTEXT.

Carried out in January 2017, the CONTEXT Survey covered 2,000 consumers in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile. "Although there is an encouraging level of awareness of Smart Homes in these countries," commented Adam Simon, CONTEXT Retail Business Global Director, "this is not rooted in a deep understanding of the concept due to a limited exposure to Smart Home products or ideas. This is hardly surprising given that no one channel is doing a good job of explaining or showcasing the concept. Where people have picked up on Smart Home, it tends to be from online sites rather than from personal contact via things like store displays."

The Survey found that 9 out of 10 people had at least one worry about the idea of the Smart Home, including product malfunctions, privacy concerns and identity theft.

The top three user scenarios encouraging consumers to buy Smart Home products were "arriving home", "waking up", and "advanced security".

In terms of the Smart Home hubs people would be most likely to trust, Apple, Amazon and Google dominate. Amazon leads in Brazil, Apple in Mexico and Chile, and Google in Argentina.

"Despite the lack of deep knowledge and the barriers this creates, the good news is that across all countries there is an appetite to learn more," said Simon. "This is especially in terms of how they can save money, and how they can make home living more enjoyable, easier and better."

About CONTEXT
Headquartered in London with over 250 staff across the world, CONTEXT specialises in tracking technology sales and pricing globally. Supported by extensive Channel Databases and coupled with our wide experience in managing and reporting on large data sets, we provide the highest quality data that has been helping our clients optimize their existing businesses and accelerate their new endeavours for over 30 years.  CONTEXT also works with Government Statistical Services and key Trade Associations globally.