Verizon invests in 4Home

We have seen quite a ramping up of both planning and actual deployment of service provider-centric home control, monitoring, energy management, security, and health applications. Perhaps one of the more notable offerings is Comcast's XFINITY™ Home Security offering, featuring remote montoring and optional features for remote energy and lighting management.

Now comes word that Verizon Investments Inc. has participated in 4Home's Series-B financing round that closed in the first quarter of 2010. The investment, which was arranged through Verizon Communications Inc.'s Verizon Ventures group, assists 4Home to facilitate consumer-focused initiatives, including those underway with Verizon. 4Home has created a software platform for the deployment of home management services, including home monitoring, energy management, and home control.

My colleague Brett Sappington has been tracking the activity in the telcom/broadband space and home controls - including a global overview of what's happening - and we'll be discussing this in greater detail in coming reports and consumer studies.