Blog articles from 03/2014

Consumers want more mobile data. The average broadband user now watches nearly 2 hours of video on their mobile phone each week, pushing monthly data plans to their limits. But, as Parks Associates mobile research shows, the top reason for not adopting a shared data plan is because they perceive the fees associated with the plans as too expensive. In fact, three of the top five reasons for not adopting a shared mobile data plan involve consumer fears over increased pricing. In...

Companies are waging platform wars on a variety of fronts: digital media and apps, social networking and messaging, commerce and advertising, payment and artificial intelligence. Each player is fighting hard because it knows each new product and feature, each device iteration and software upgrade, along with related content and service updates, are critical to the end user's experience. The richer the experience, the higher the value a company can earn from its loyalists. But how...

Powered by BrightLine ’s interactive TV and advertising technology, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts released a branded smart TV app  available on Samsung and LG smart TV sets. The app allows consumers to check out Disney theme parks and vacation packages right from their living room, on the big screen. The app offers a wealth of information, including videos, photographs, and interactive maps of Disney theme parks and resort properties. The app also includes...

Parks Associates' special 4K technology research predicts the growth rate of 4K televisions will have a similar path as HDTVs. Over 82% of U.S. broadband households now own an HDTV, and Parks Associates forecasts that 4K TVs will reach 80% adoption in the next 10-12 years. This faster growth rate is attributed to falling prices for 4K technology. In fact, the research firm notes that within the next 2-3 years, 4K televisions will reach mass-market pricing, which will be a major...

In the latest Consumer Analytics newsletter, Parks Associates revealed new information regarding adoption rates of smart home systems. Conventional wisdom holds that lowering up-front costs in favor of a long-term service contract leads to higher adoption rate. However, this was not the finding for smart home packages—which might include home energy management and home security bundles. The research firm reveals that most of the consumers willing to purchase a smart home...

Parks Associates recently published two consumer research reports that focus on the state of the home energy and home control markets. The reports, Expanding Residential Demand Response Adoption and Winning Business Models from a Consumer Perspective , analyze the current market demand as well as strategies that could expand consumer participation and adoption in both markets. The home energy management report finds that 37% of U.S. broadband households are “very likely” to...

Another day, another major investment in a messaging app brand. Alibaba announced that it led a group of investors in a $280 million funding round in Tango, a mobile messaging app maker with about 200 million users globally. Alibaba alone contributed $215 million for a minority stake around 20-25%, which puts the valuation of Tango north of $1 billion. This is the continuation of intense market interest in messaging solutions since mid-2013. Before Facebook snatched WhatsApp, Genband...

Parks Associates will be presenting consumer research and analysis on international trends in online video services in an upcoming webcast, " OTT Services: Moving from Sideline to Primetime ." The webcast will take place March 27 at 1 p.m. CT (11 a.m. PT). Parks Associates research finds that although more than 50% of U.S. broadband households now use paid OTT video services, millenials are more likely than other age groups to use these services on a regular basis. In fact,...