Washington, D.C. and Las Vegas, NV – Today, UL Standards & Engagement announced the release of a new report at CES 2025. The report, based on surveys of consumers and tech business executives, revealed that standards and certifications build consumer trust in products and promote business growth and industry-wide advancement in smart home technology.
Critical themes emerged for the smart home industry, from fundamental safety imperatives to concerns for electrical and fire safety, data security, privacy, and product reliability make this research crucial to the smart home industry. In addition to certification trends, this report shares how ULSE’s standards are designed to mitigate critical safety, security, and sustainability issues in smart home products.
“There is tremendous potential for standards and certifications to help fuel innovation and make smart home technology more cohesive for consumers,” said Sayon Deb, director of primary insights at ULSE. “Our research shows that two-thirds of smart home device owners are willing to trust and prioritize certified solutions. As consumers choose certified products, businesses gain the freedom to focus on innovation and quality.”
Key findings of the research show:
- Standards build market trust and spur business growth in the smart home sector. Certification marks indicating compliance to standards now match brand reputation in consumer trust (32%). These product certifications send strong trust signals – 69% of consumers express greater confidence in certified products.
- Leveraging standards as innovation catalysts. Standards aren’t roadblocks – they’re launching pads for innovation. Nine in ten (92%) senior tech executives believe that following industry standards and obtaining certifications helps their companies innovate more effectively, and organizations prioritizing certification report significant market advantages.
- Standards create a foundation for innovation while maintaining consumer trust. Consumer trust translates to market advantage for smart home companies – 44% of executives say certifications boost both their brand reputation and competitive position. More than four in five (85%) say certification shapes their R&D priorities, while 71% have made it a core part of their development process.
“Your home is a very personal space, and when it comes to smart homes, technological advancement can only be innovative when safety is prioritized,” said Lesley Rohrbaugh, head of insights & policy analysis at ULSE. “Standardization fosters a common framework that supports innovation while minimizing risks. This is not just a regulatory box-check – alignment with standards and certifications is a strategic advantage for companies that want to lead in the consumer technology space.”
ULSE provides key standards that guide technological progress across smart homes, artificial intelligence, and sustainable energy. ULSE’s presence at CES 2025, where thousands of consumer technology decisionmakers, thought leaders, and innovators gather annually, reflects an ongoing commitment to the advancement of standards and certifications in the consumer technology sector.
The report also includes a range of standards on connected devices, cybersecurity, AI-driven products, and energy efficiency that are managed by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®, owner and producer of CES®, the world’s most powerful tech event.
As the demand for connected home devices continues to grow, it’s crucial that companies integrate safety and standards into their design and development processes,” stated Brian Markwalter, senior vice president, research & standards at the CTA. “Standards don’t just coexist with technological advancement – they serve as a key enabler of market success while protecting consumer safety.”
The report will also be discussed by a ULSE-hosted panel during CES to explore the power of standards and certifications for smart home technology innovation. Panelists include: Rebecca Zavin, chief technology officer at SimpliSafe; Christopher LaPré, head of technology at Connectivity Standards Alliance; Lesley Rohrbaugh, head of insights and policy analysis at ULSE; Kerri Haresign, senior director of technology & standards at CTA; and moderator Sayon Deb, director of primary insights at ULSE.
The full report is available to download here.
方法
These results were taken from two ULSE Insights surveys conducted in November 2024: consumer study of 2,021 U.S. adults 18+ (including 1,200 smart home device owners) and business executive study of 176 senior executives from smart home, IoT and consumer technology companies. The margin of sampling error for the consumer study, at 95% confidence for aggregate results, is +/- 2.2%, while the margin of sampling error for the business executive study, at 95% confidence for aggregate results, is +/- 7.3%. Sampling error is larger for subgroups of the data.
所有研究均由 UL Standards & Engagement 设计和制定。调查由 BV Insights 在线实施。作为 Insights 协会和 ESOMAR（欧洲舆论与营销研究协会）的成员，BV Insights 恪守行业道德规范和最佳实践，包括维护受访者的匿名性。
与任何调查一样，抽样误差只是可能出现误差的一个来源。虽然无法准确计算非抽样误差，但在调查设计、数据收集和处理的各个阶段都采取了预防措施，以尽量减少误差的影响。
注：除非另有说明，否则所有数字均为百分比。由于四舍五入，数字总数可能不等于 100%。
关于 ULSE
UL 标准与参与是一家非营利组织，通过标准制定、合作和宣传，将安全科学转化为行动。自 1903 年以来，我们已为从防火门到自动驾驶汽车等各种产品制定了近 1700 项标准和指导文件。ULSE 通过召集专家、为政策制定者和监管者提供信息，促进创新，增强信任，努力创造更加安全、可靠和可持续发展的未来。更多信息，请访问 ulse.org。
联系方式
凯蒂-塔伦蒂
UL 标准与参与
Senior Strategic Communications Specialist
P: (607) 742-8766
catie.talenti@ul.org