Why smart home firms need a smarter pivot

Bengaluru: Search for 'smart home' on Amazon. The scroll down the page appears never ending with Chinese, American and Indian products jostling for attention. Alexa smart speaker with LED display and Bluetooth; video door phone from Godrej; smart Wi-Fi retrofit switch from Arcnics; Un1que's wireless doorbell; Tapo smart door and window contact sensor; fan control module from iSpaze. As individual products, they all appear reasonably priced. Something changes when they are brought together as a solution to make your home smarter than it is today. The bill inflates—so much so, home automation nearly feels like luxury. Take the case of…