A study from Juniper Research has found that the adoption of voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant will be a key factor behind smart home growth, with 275 million voice assistant devices used to control smart homes by 2023. This is up from an estimated 25 million in 2018, a growth of 1,000 per cent.

The research found that the introduction of routines from both Amazon and Google means that voice assistants are now the most convenient way to combine desired actions in the smart home; creating a more cohesive user experience across the smart home ecosystem.

The research also found that Amazon’s loss-leading strategy, with hardware products tied to a comprehensive product and service ecosystem, has established a lead in the smart home.

Juniper predicts that Google will remain a distant second in the space, with the latter’s Nest brand incurring a $621 million loss in 2017. The research highlighted Google’s AI prowess, demonstrated by ‘Duplex’, although noted its comparatively poor ecosystem as a negative factor. Furthermore, it claimed that the introduction of a monetised Alexa skills will incentivise smaller vendors to take an ‘Amazon-first’ approach.

Research Author Nick Maynard explained: “Current AI capabilities coupled with routines means that Google’s greater AI investment will not displace Amazon’s lead. To compete effectively, Google must enhance the quality of its ecosystem.”

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