AT&T has announced plans for a new portfolio of all-digital, IP-based home automation and security monitoring services. Called AT&T Digital Life™, the services will enable users to do such things as change the temperature setting on their thermostat or lock a door from anywhere using any web-enabled device.

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® released its 10th Annual State of the Builder Technology Market Study, which found installed home technology is strongly solidified in builders’ portfolios of services and offerings.

HVAC contractors are working with a select group of homeowners looking to use their mobile devices to remotely control their indoor environment. It’s a niche market now but that should change significantly as more consumers with smart phones and tablets become aware of the remote control capability of HVAC thermostats and systems.

Bay Area Services, a successful HVAC contractor in Green Bay, Wis., is using Internet-connected door locks, security cameras, and thermostats as a means to an end: to build his customer list and increase sales on service calls.

The rapid increase in the use of iPhones, iPads, and countless mobile devices has had a major affect on HVAC products and technologies that enable homeowners to control temperature, humidity, and energy consumption in their homes from anywhere at any time of day.

The global market for home automation services saw strong growth during 2012, driven by a wave of new entrants and offerings in the North American market, according to ABI Research. The United States in particular leads in deployments and new shipments, acting as a bellwether for markets around the world.

AT&T has announced plans to launch AT&T Digital Life, an all-digital, wireless-based home security and automation service, in eight markets in March. The company said AT&T Digital Life will equip customers with control of their homes from a smartphone, tablet, or PC, regardless of wireless carrier or broadband provider.

iControl Networks, a leader in broadband home management solutions, and Bell Aliant, one of North America’s largest regional communications providers, are partnering to bring a new home security and automation system to Atlantic Canadians.

The number of subscribers to home energy management services from broadband service providers in North America will grow steadily through the end of this decade, reaching nearly 900,000 by the end of 2020, according to a new research brief from Pike Research.