As tech behemoths duke it out for market share in the fast-growing Internet of Things industry, the smart home has attracted incredibly intense competition. Amazon  (AMZN) - Get Report  has so far been leading the pack with its line of Echo devices, but Alphabet's (GOOGL) - Get Report Google is slated to introduce its Google Home device this month, seemingly leaving Apple (AAPL) - Get Report to play catch-up.

At the same time, companies with a niche focus, such as privately held Vivint and iControl Networks in the security space, are also aggressively expanding their footprint. It remains to be seen to what extent all these players' efforts will generate significant revenues and profits, but there's no doubt the connected home will continue to be hotly contested.