Pioneer’s Network AV Playback System for Mobile uses “Community WiMax,” which is starting to see more and more widespread use, to stream multimedia content stored on a home network’s server to an in-car device, such as the portable navigation device seen in the video below.

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-10273003-48.html?tag=mncol

While I agree that there are solutions out there, they each solve part of the connected home problems people are talking about. There seems to be a lot of software from different vendors that would be needed for a complete solution. The “connected home” seems like a great systems integration project for either a Home CTO or a professional service firm. I would expect Cisco/Linksys to take a major role here.

What I don’t see is Netgear and D-Link involved. On June 11th, I heard Netgear CEO Patrick Lo talk about several topics including NAS, but he didn’t mention anything for the “connected home.” In fact, he said that WiFi home routers/APs were experiencing the most price pressure/ sales decline amongst all Netgear products. Haven’t heard anything from D-Link (perhaps because their main market is outside the U.S.)

Many people asking “who will manage the home network” and “what will be the standards and software that make it all work”. I’ve got no complete answers, because like any other ecosystem, there are fragmented and diverse solutions. Because of this free market approach, it will take time to shake out the winners, then standardize and make good solutions around them. But it’s not like we haven’t made awesome progress. Take Ethernet for example, it’s an incredible standards, and pretty much universally accepted. We wouldn’t even be having a “connected home” discussion were it not for Ethernet. Then take Wi-Fi. The b, g, and n versions have done a great deal for getting connected devices into homes without Ethernet CAT5 cabling – albeit with mixed reliability results. It still is a phenomenally successful standard that has lowered costs and put products on shelves like wifi phones, wifi cameras, game consoles, picture frames, laptops, tables, netbooks, NAS, printers, phones, IM devices, and more. Please let’s not take that for granted.

Then we have the less refined standards to move content and data around the home like DLNA and UPnP. These can work, but don’t always interoperate too well. Then, there’s plenty of companies trying to go it alone, like Apple with the AppleTV or Sonos with their music distribution solutions.

Then we have a bunch of ultra low power home control standards duking it out for supremacy, including Zigbee and its ilk. The winners have yet to be determined, so the market isn’t yet developed.

So who manages the connected home? I think this answer will never be standardized. It depends. How much does a resident want to be the home CTO, if so, they can build their own solutions. If not, then they can allow a service provider to come in and offer a package. The electric utility will provide smart meters and thermostats. The telco might provide a triple play and security service with intrusion and cameras (Surewest already does). Portals, Internet companies, and device companies like Yahoo, Vonage, Cisco/Linksys might offer a starter package. And Redmond is always searching for a dominant role in the connected home. Google is trying to get Android into all kinds of home devices. The battle lines are being drawn, we’ve a long way to go.

But bear this in mind: if nobody at the home wants the job of Home CTO, then there will surely be a service provider that will offer you that as a service. They will push in a standard bundle, and charge a monthly fee for support and maintenance. The telcos used to offer this with home phones and wiring. Service providers love this. It creates stickiness, loyalty, and a recurring revenue which can be mass produced – so long as you stick with the standard package of connected home services. Deviate or add to the standard bundle, and you self support that add-on.

“[we need] storage and media servers, but unified home networking standards and software that would enable…” NAS is cheap and plentiful, Ethernet and Wifi answer the second part. There are many gaps to fill, but those aren’t them.

“We also need software to enable remote access to home based storage/media servers from mobile phones and netbook/notebook PCs.” Google: Sling Media, Hava, Orb.

I’m very skeptical about home networked devices talking to each other directly. Won’t there need to be a server/switch to make that happen?

And I wonder what HP will do to enable mobile devices to easily access file servers, PCs, DVRs, etc on the home network. What are they planning in this market space? While HP sells a lot of PCs, they are not noted for home networking. Where is Cisco, Netgear, and D-Link in this connected home market?

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I also wonder who will maintain the home network. I could see a network operator being responsible, but only if it as an extension of triple or quad play services. But what about the rest of us that use multiple providers? Will home network systems integration firms sprout up and take over this domain? Or will it be the provider of the home networking gear itself, e.g. Cisco? Or some combination of the above? There certainly is the potential for a lot of finger pointing.

My implementation of the connected home is very primitive, but even with a WiFi AP/Router there are still far too many wires and plugs cluttering up my living room (along with stacks of paper).

However, I think the connected home is science fiction rather than fact. We not only need storage and media servers, but unified home networking standards and software that would enable and maintain device to device in-home communication (assuming all end point devices are IP addressable). That would be the equivalent of a home based Intranet. We also need software to enable remote access to home based storage/media servers from mobile phones and netbook/notebook PCs.