• by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, April 6, 2017

At the monster CES consumer show earlier this year, there was a major focus on voice control, most notably by countless companies adding Amazon Alexa skills to whatever it is they do.

And study after study shows consumer interest in voice assistants, whether it be Alexa, Google Home, Samsung’s Bixby or Apple’s Siri.

Now a new study finds that the majority (55%) of U.S. broadband households want to use voice to control their entertainment and smart home devices.

The reality is that consumers don’t view their voice assistants as standalone devices bur rather gateways into a myriad of other devices.

Owners of various smart home devices also are drawn to voice, according to the study by Parks Associates.

More than 75% of consumers who use smart home devices want to control smart light bulbs, smart thermostats, smart smoke detectors or garage door openers, according to the study.

An earlier study this week also found smart home voice assistants to be appealing to many consumers, as I wrote about here (83% See A Benefit Of Smart Home Voice Assistants). That study found perceived benefits of smart home voice devices to include hands-free home control, being futuristic and fun and creating the ability to perform multiple tasks at once.

Voice is finally at the point to be taken seriously. Very seriously.

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Smart home voice assistants will be discussed at the second annual MediaPost IoT Marketing Forum May 18 in New York. Here’s the agenda.