One year can make all the difference in the world of home automation – and it seems that business from 2011 onwards looks a lot more promising than what was experienced in 2009.

In order to gain a general insight into the future expectations of the industry, we took the opportunity to hand out 173 ‘Industry Pulse Surveys’ to a range of Australian and international manufacturers, distributors and custom installers who attended the two CEDIA Expos held in Melbourne and Takapuna, New Zealand.

Our survey explored everything from the impact of the global financial crisis to the impending National Broadband Network (NBN) rollout, and provided a snapshot on the value of industry publications (Connected Home Australia was valued by 69.3%, Sound & Image totalled 57.6% and Smarthouse scored 24.2%).

While some admitted that the economic downturn had left a chip on their shoulder, particularly for those based in the United States, there was hope that the market would pick up again in the near future.

For many, it was simply a case of ‘business as usual’ – some companies relied on the 2009 economic slowdown to prepare a business plan for the next generation of buyers and technologies, while others focused on expanding into new markets or directly targeting the retail sector.

According to one US-based installer, his database of wealthy clients was the key: “For us, they are the economy.”

So, does this positive outlook signal an end to the industry’s economic downturn? Generally there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but many predict it will take another two years for the market to return to its former glory. Some of the larger custom residential installation companies predict an average increase of 12% in 2010 and, so far, this is holding true.

Our survey also posed the question of upcoming trends in the AV industry and, as one US-based manufacturer noted, this will be tough to predict given the rapid development of technology.

While it was forecast that 3D television and the Apple iPad were the ones to watch, the cloud of uncertainty regarding their value is already developing. From a residential custom installer’s perspective, there is a strong doubt that 3D will become a major driving force of home automation in Australia. One Melbourne-based industry member suggested this was highlighted by the fact that it is still several years away from being a significant residential technology due to lack of content and the limitations of 3D glasses.

“To be honest, I think 3D television will be too much work with too little pay-off,” he says. “There will be many technologies in the forefront of this industry, that I will use to build my business, but 3DTV will not be one of them.”

The iPad’s effect on the legacy touch panel market also triggered a mixed batch of reviews in our survey.

“It’s very easy to use and has so many applications, so that’s an advantage. But will it completely change the way touch panels are designed? I’m not so sure,” one international distributor says.

“The iPad will be more of a bridging device to allow people who previously would not be able to access home automation to be exposed to the possibilities of a fully integrated home.”

On a more positive note, there was a mutual agreement that HDMI 1.4 will become a widely accepted industry standard and the impending National Broadband Network (NBN) rollout will have a strong impact on the uptake of connected home technologies in future.

“I think there will be a growing need for more wireless technologies and faster access to web-based material, so the NBN will come into play there. Ultra-HD will be the next big thing as well,” one Sydney distributor says.

Let’s hope that these up-and-coming trends will signal a more successful 2011 for every player in the custom installation industry.