Twice

Even though major commercial security companies like ADT are still leading the home security market, low-cost solutions are on the rise and retailers play a major role in their adoption. According to a recent survey from Parks Associates more than 40 percent of U.S. broadband households plan to purchase a smart home device in the next 12 months.

From the article "Get Smart: What Retailers Need To Know About Selling Home Automation" by Mark Honeycutt.

Security breaches cost a lot of money. In the U.S., the average data breach costs $5.4 million. The average cost, globally, of a compromised record rose 9 percent in 2014 to $145; costs in the U.S. rose to $201 per record. The 2014 Target breach was estimated at a gross cost of $162 million, with a net cost of $105 million after reduction for insurance payments and tax deductions.

From the article "11 Real Costs Of A Corporate Data Breach" by Brad Russell.

To perhaps no one’s surprise, this year’s E3 gaming show, held last week in Los Angeles, was hyper-focused on all things virtual reality, as the gaming industry continues to pave the way to this nascent category. According to a spring survey from Parks Associates, 5 percent of broadband-equipped households plan to purchase a VR headset this year, while research firm Greenlight VR expects nearly 37 million headsets to be in U.S. homes in just four short years.

From the articl ...read more

Twenty-three percent of broadband households headed by millennials have completely opted out of traditional pay-TV service for over-the-top (OTT) streaming, a Parks Associates survey found.
The percentage exceeds the national average of 15 percent among U.S. broadband households that have completely cut the cord.

From the article "Millennials Lead Way Among OTT-Only Households" by www.twice.com

“VR is an immersive experience, and more is better for gamers — more immersion, better sound, better graphics, and more players,” Kraus said. “The mass market is more likely to adopt mobile VR, which will be less expensive and uses a tool — the smartphone — that the majority of U.S. consumers own.”

As more households adopt the devices, “they will emerge as a new way to experience content streams coming into the home and a new interface for other connected devices throughout ...read more

Amazon’s Fire TV and Apple TV are gaining on Roku in U.S. sales share, but Roku is holding on to its top spot even as a raging Amazon Fire flares up to tie Google’s Chromecast for second place, a Parks Associates survey found.

From the article "Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV Gain On Roku, Chromecast" by Joseph Palenchar.

"Safety and security are the main drivers for consumer interest,” said Parks president Stuart Sikes.
Once people get the products home, Sikes added, consumers use them frequently. Among owners of most safety and security devices, 40 to 50 percent control or monitor the products on a daily basis, he said.

Parks also found that 23 percent of U.S. smartphone owners own a smart-home device and that more than three-fourths of them use their smartphone, tablet, or PC to control ...read more

As more households adopt the devices, “they will emerge as a new way to experience content streams coming into the home and a new interface for other connected devices throughout the home,” Parks also said.

For consumers, Parks added, “the division between device and content is already blurred, and innovations in virtual and augmented reality could finally erase the distinction.”

From the article "VR Headset Demand On The Rise" by Joseph Palenchar.