Business Week

But the evangelists of full home automation aren't dissuaded.  They believe that the real market - and big profits - lie in sophisticated networks.  Simple products that link computers to, say, a printer won't cut it.  "It's a do-it-for-me kind of marketplace, not do-it-yourself.  It has to be networking for dummies," says Kurt Scherf, an analyst with Dallas-based market researcher Parks Associates.

"The companies that survive are going to be those with the patience to wait out ...read more

When Thomson Consumer Electronics Inc. launched its successful RCA DirecTV satellite service in 1995, it had to earmark $200 million for marketing, says Tricia Parks of Dallas consultancy Parks Associates, which studies emerging consumer technologies. Retraining consumers takes ''time and money,'' says Parks. ''New systems require whole new ways of thinking. It's a hard process.''

From the article "Commentary: Why Napster Is Good News," by Dennis K. Berman.