Report: Apple Prepping Home Automation Hardware

Apple (AAPL) reportedly is closely examining the home automation market not only for software but also for hardware, perhaps looking to build control panels or other systems that may leverage its recent Beats Electronics purchase, according to a new report.

At its recent Worldwide Developer’s Conference (WWDC), Apple signaled its intention to pursue the home automation segment with a new HomeKit software platform driven through its iPhone smartphones and iPad tablets. which enables users to control appliances, lights, locks and garage doors. Now the vendor appears to stepping toward building a Smart Home ecosystem, with its new software platform as the jumping-off point.

According to a new 9to5Mac report, Apple has higher ambitions in mind for the home automation market to add hardware to the software platform, specifically for devices that can garner mainstream use. The vendor has put together a team to come up with ideas for home automation hardware that will work with existing Apple devices, the report said.

At this point, there’s no timetable for when Apple might produce home hardware products nor to what degree it will follow through on the idea. Moreover, there’s no word on what products Apple may have in mind, other than they’re unlikely to mirror Google’s (GOOG) Nest offerings such as smart thermostats and smoke detectors.

One product development angle that seems likely: Apple could find a way to incorporate its $3 billion Beats acquisition into a smart home product.

Apple and Google aren’t the only IT heavyweights that see potential in the home automation market. Microsoft (MSFT) is stamping its influence on the Internet of Things with a new program focused on the suddenly hot segment with a startup incubator for the development of smart home sensor-equipped gadgets.