The smart home market has crossed the chasm to early majority – now is the time for insurers to “get inside the home”

Smart devices are no longer nice gadgets. They are part of more and more homes around the world, and the smart home market is now shifting from being led by early adopters to early majority.

According to new research from Parks Associates, 45% of US internet households now own at least one smart home device – a clear signal that the market has shifted from the tech-savvy early adopters to a much larger early majority.

This shift opens a powerful window of opportunity for insurers looking to engage their customers with new value offerings and boost loyalty.

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The opportunity to "get inside the home" has never been better

As smart devices have become a natural part of many homes, insurers now have a unique chance to go beyond claims compensation and deliver proactive smart home protection services.

These services help policyholders prevent damage from water leaks, fire, or burglary, reducing both the frequency and severity of claims.

But a key advantage is strategic: insurers position themselves as active solution providers embedded in the customer’s home, not distant entities contacted only when something goes wrong.

This creates visible, ongoing customer value, driving stronger engagement, loyalty, and retention.

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Flipping traditional insurance on its head

While consumers’ smart tech fluency is going up, this newer and bigger consumer base generally demands a more seamless user experience and clear practical benefits, such as keeping their home safe.

And consumers generally show a strong interest in risk prevention, with the ability to get alerts of threats and damages to their home as requested services, according to recent research from Bain & Company.

This is where forward-thinking insurers can lead. Traditional insurance waits for a loss event before stepping in. Smart technology turns this upside down as intelligent sensors and real-time alerts allow insurers to intervene before the damage is done.

This lets insurers prevent costly water damage, fire loss, and break-ins rather than just paying for them.

This means:

• lower loss ratios through avoided claims
• higher customer satisfaction by actively protecting policyholders’ homes
• increased customer retention and new revenue streams via a smart home protection solution.

Offering customers this superior value positions insurers as trusted partners in prevention and creates a new platform for customer engagement, differentiating them in a competitive P&C insurance space where consumers find it difficult to distinguish between insurance companies.

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How Onics helps insurers capture this opportunity

Onics makes it simple for insurers to launch, scale, and monetize a customized home protection solution – letting customers prevent damages and insurers reduce claims.

Our end-to-end platform provides:

• proven risk-reducing devices for water, fire, and burglary
• real-time device data for immediate actionable insights to prevent damage or intrusion
• customizable user app in your brand (or use your own app)
• integration flexibility to integrate 3rd party devices and alarm receiving centers

Onics is the only open, insurer-grade prevention platform that can be tailored end-to-end and scaled across perils, partners, and geographies.

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