Lowe's takes America's pulse on smart home

Lowe's took a deeper look at the motivations and desires that shape America's attitude toward smart home technology, many of which suggest that simplicity - and not so much the fancy bells and whistles -- will save the day.

The Lowe's 2014 Smart Home Survey questioned more than 2,000 U.S. adults, conducted online in July by Harris Poll.

Among the most significant findings was that most -- 52% -- say having a smart home is at least somewhat important. However, more than 70% of smart phone users would ideally like to be able to simply control their home functions without getting out of bed, despite the hold Rosie the Robot had on their imaginations.

"In general, Americans feel positively toward products that will make their homes safer, more energy efficient and easier to manage. It is added evidence that the smart home and Internet of Things are here to stay," said Kevin Meagher, Lowe's VP and general manager, Smart Home. "People want DIY solutions that are simple and affordable, and that's exactly what we provide with Iris. Lowe's makes the home smarter by offering an easy, single user interface where consumers can control everything in and around their home with the brands they already know and trust."

When it comes to purchasing decisions, 56% cited cost as the number one deciding factor, followed by ease of use (13%) and security (11%).

When it came to actual functions, security won out as being the most beneficial application (62%). Overall convenience came in third (35%),, with flood, fire and disaster protection in fourth (29%).

Additionally, 50% preferred do-it-yourself solutions without a monthly fee -- twice as many as those who say they'd prefer a professionally monitored system with a service fee (21%).