• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, January 10, 2014

LAS VEGAS: CES has tons of electronic products, as far as the eye can see. You have your tablet, your smartphone, your wearable fitness band, you home security system, and your Internet-connected washer and dryer -- but can they all communicate with each other?  Integration seems cloudy for both consumers and marketers.

A Microsoft executive at CES said consumers are not going to want many different devices -- perhaps just a sensor in your clothes, your coffee machine, your car, your skis, your basketball, your dinner plates. One controller could work for all -- say a smartphone.

Irwin Gotlieb, group chairman of Group M, pondered whether it would be good for marketers to know what’s inyour’ refrigerators by way of a broadband connection or possibly say your TV set. Then you may get an advertising message that you are running low on half & half, turkey bacon, high-end Greek yogurt, or pomegranates.

Still, over the years consumer electronics manufacturers have offered many trial balloons that have fallen flat as a processing chip.

In the TV-related space, there is a flurry of consumer devices to get programming, social media content, and other stuff. Increasingly the question remains, “What middleware stuff and businesses do we really need?” Broadcast/cable networks, syndicators, cable operators, satellite distributors, record labels, radio stations? Many believe content -- TV, movies, social, brand-centric stuff -- should be sent directly to consumers.

The real decision is figuring out what devices, content and marketing integration will be left standing after the media disruption dust settles.