Among the largest home-technology integrators, Amazon Alexa is the most-specified solution for voice control. No surprise there. But Google Assistant made substantial gains this year over last, according the the 2018 CE Pro 100 Brand Analysis. From a barely-there 5% usage rate among CE Pro 100 dealers last year to a whopping 24% this year, Google Assistant shows it has legs in the channel, possibly due to the growing ecosystem of Google/Nest devices and their ease of integration with Assistant.
Apple Siri picked up some followers over the past year, and will likely pick up more once IP-based integration with Apple TV becomes available this year. As the Brand Analysis indicates, Apple TV is specified by 39% of CE Pro 100 dealers — more than Roku in the media-streaming category, but less than Sonos.
The significant gains across all three big brands indicates a willingness by smart-home pros to install and integrate mass-market voice assistants. It's a big nod to the category in general.
Start-up home-automation manufacturer Josh.ai registered this year — interestingly since the company has only just begun shipping product. The strong showing likely is a result of integrators signing up as dealers to carry the product. Savant is the clear favorite among home-automation providers, thanks to an early lead with Savant Remote, a touchscreen-based remote control with a microphone and home-grown voice-control technology built in.
Top 5:
- Amazon: 77
- Google: 24
- Apple: 19
- Savant: 17
- Josh AI: 7
Other Brands:
- Comcast: 3
- Honeywell: 1
- Origin Acoustics: 1
Previous Year:
2018 CE Pro 100 Brand Analysis
Check out this years top custom electronic brands across 58 product categories.
CE Pro 100 Lists & Analysis
CE Pro's annual Brand Analysis study surveys the top 100 highest-revenue residential integration firms, otherwise known as the CE Pro 100, to determine their preferred brands in the categories of audio, video, home automation, networking, lighting control, security and more.
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