Changes in home watching will emulate the changes coming cars.

Recently, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, underscored something we all know by now and that is that there will be a “massive change” in the automotive industry. He was referring to the now ubiquitous interplay between digital technologies and our cars. More and more display screens are becoming standard on cars and those screens are becoming the gateway to connect our cars to our digital lives, be it the Internet or our smartphones. Ultimately, the massive change to which Tim Cook is referring will mean self-driven cars where drivers are just passengers.

I use that example of disruption as a way to portray and highlight the changes home watchers must embrace. I say embrace because in the near future, those technologies will not be optional or the exception. They will be standard fare.

So what does a ‘self-driven’ home look like? It’s one where software plays a huge role, just like in self-driven cars. That means home wat

chers will need to understand the software because as the front line troubleshooter and problem-solver, home watchers will be fixing the software glitches that will inexorably take place.

As a new generation of home watchers advertises their services, they will have to include information about themselves which includes descriptors like “Apple Homekit Certified” or “Panasonic Ora Agent” so that the homeowner will feel confident that the home watcher will be able to quickly resolve software issues that come up, in addition to the electrical and plumbing problems that will also continue to occur.