Emerson Climate Technologies has announced the launch of its ComfortGuard™ Monitoring Service, which allows homeowners to manage their HVAC equipment by supplying real-time information and insight that predicts problems, prevents energy waste, and protects indoor comfort around-the-clock, said the company.

Cloud-based home management systems that allow users to remotely control household features like HVAC and lighting are set for rapid growth in the coming years, with the worldwide installed base set to rise by a factor of eight from 2013 to 2018, according to IHS Technology.

Grid Connect, a manufacturer and distributor of embedded networking products, announced that it is entering the Internet of Things industry with the launch of ConnectSense, a line of wireless sensors to automate homes and businesses.

Mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, and their ability to connect wirelessly have helped drive interest and awareness of home automation products and services, according to The NPD Group’s Home Automation Study.

By 2018, there will be 50 million smart homes and buildings enabled by wireless sensor network (WSN) technology worldwide, according to technology research firm ON World.

The ZigBee and IEEE 802.15.4 standards are driving wireless smart energy solutions worldwide, according to technology research firm ON World. Between 2012 and 2018, ZigBee and 802.15.4 based systems are expected to make up 43 percent of the wireless chipsets used for home and building energy management, and more.

Enphase Energy Inc. and Ingersoll-Rand Nexia Intelligence LLC announced that they are collaborating on smart home energy monitoring offered by Nexia™ Home Intelligence, a brand of Ingersoll Rand and leader in home intelligence and automation.

The emerging trend of our devices interacting with our lifestyles without us ever having to touch a button has been termed, “the Internet of Things,” or the “Thingernet.”