The smart home product category, driven by devices like Google Nest, Ring Doorbell, and Amazon Echo, is on the rise. According to Interpret’s quarterly survey of 9,000 consumers, 58% now own one or more smart home products. For many, however, a lack of interoperability between devices is a point of frustration and, ultimately, a barrier to purchase.

Looking at this tech savvy generation, Interpret’s survey finds a direct correlation between number of smart home product owned and the importance of interoperability. Once a consumer has purchased two or more products, 50% of product owners state that being able to connect the devices is an important factor for consideration in the next smart home product purchase. The ability to use a single app to control the smart home remains the top reason why interoperability is important. Smart home users purchase devices to add convenience to their lives, but a lack of interoperability is contrary to that goal.