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.
Méthodologie
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.
Toutes les études ont été conçues et formulées par UL Standards & Engagement. Les enquêtes ont été administrées en ligne par BV Insights. En tant que membre de l'Insights Association et de l'ESOMAR (Société européenne pour les études d'opinion et de marketing), BV Insights adhère à l'éthique et aux meilleures pratiques du secteur, y compris le maintien de l'anonymat des personnes interrogées.
Comme pour toute enquête, l'erreur d'échantillonnage n'est qu'une source d'erreur possible. Bien que l'erreur non due à l'échantillonnage ne puisse être calculée avec précision, des mesures de précaution ont été prises à tous les stades de la conception de l'enquête et de la collecte et du traitement des données afin de minimiser son influence.
Note : Tous les chiffres sont des pourcentages, sauf indication contraire. Le total des chiffres peut ne pas correspondre à 100% en raison des arrondis.
À propos d'ULSE
UL Standards & Engagement est une organisation à but non lucratif qui traduit la science de la sécurité en action par le biais de l'élaboration de normes, de partenariats et de la défense des intérêts. Depuis 1903, nous avons élaboré près de 1 700 normes et documents d'orientation pour des produits allant des portes coupe-feu aux véhicules autonomes. L'ULSE favorise l'innovation et accroît la confiance en réunissant des experts et en informant les décideurs politiques et les régulateurs dans le cadre de notre travail pour un avenir plus sûr, plus sécurisé et plus durable. Visitez ulse.org pour plus d'informations.
Contact
Catie Talenti
Normes UL et engagement
Senior Strategic Communications Specialist
P : (607) 742-8766
catie.talenti@ul.org