E-commerce Times

These circumstances will change, though, as more dealers will seek out knowledge about these solutions and then communicate the benefits to their customers, which will ultimately push up the number of wireless- and powerline-enabled installations. For example, Parks Associates forecasts the number of wireless-enabled control installations for energy applications will grow by 14 times from 2008 to 2012, from a little more than 100,000 to over 1.6 million.

From the article, "N ...read more

Indeed, there is a sense that game developers have pulled back on releases this year, with few if any delivering the blockbusters that are so important to goosing sales, Kurt Scherf, principal analyst with Parks Associates , told the E-Commerce Times.

From the article, "Crushing Sales Figures Don't Signal 'Game Over' for Industry" by Erika Morphy

However, integrators and manufacturers should not build their strategic plans based on "doom-and-gloom" headlines. Parks Associates expects the market will start to recover in 2010.

In-home entertainment is another key area for integrators. With consumers overall spending less on outside entertainment, their in-home options become much more important. Parks Associates' recent findings in this market show dealers are well ahead of the curve in this area.

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Parks Associates predicts that in the home of the future, one method will not dominate the other -- i.e., cloud media versus media server -- but instead, an adaptive scenario will evolve, bringing in aspects of both systems, creating a completely new networking ecosystem for the home.

From the article, "Home Server vs. the Cloud: Connecting Digital Devices" by Kurt Scherf

Regional differences in Europe make it difficult to offer broad, pan-continental statements about the potential for social networking. However, research indicates that an opportunity is forming to craft relevant, ad-based strategies that complement the array of connected services currently under development, writes Parks Associates' Kurt Scherf.

From the article, "Advertising Within Borders: Europe's Fragmented Social Circles" by By Kurt Scherf

Social networking sites like Facebook are growing fast, and they mostly rely on ads for revenue. Bringing in more advertisers is an important step because this market is not being monetized effectively, writes Parks Associates' Kurt Scherf. Monetization inefficiencies abound, mainly because brands treat advertising in social media the same as they treat advertising in traditional media.

From the article, "Social Networks: From Media to Monetization to Multiplatform" by Kurt ...read more

The prediction of 1 billion .tel identities is based on trends in mobile phone adoption around the world. Parks Associates forecasts that by 2013 there will be 4.5 mobile phone users worldwide. This compares to 3 billion in February 2008, when the International Telecommunication Union announced that the total number of global cell phone subscribers had exceeded half the population of the globe.

From the article, "Social Media Revolution Will Be .Tel-evised" by Anthony Mitchell

Consumers are decreasing their cinema and DVD viewing because the Internet now offers alternative forms of entertainment, online video being just one of them. They still retain a preference for watching videos offline, but overall use is decreasing due to Internet use, which boosts online video in the process. A second factor is the "free factor." A notable percentage of broadband users watch videos online only because they are free. Conversely, the percentage who would pay for ...read more