Blog articles from 04/2014

This week, Parks Associates announced a new research venture that will look closely at the connected home market in several Western European countries. The consumer research, Emerging Power of IoT in Europe , will look at several key topics: Entertainment, Content Distribution, and New Services Smart Home, IoT, Energy Management Solutions Connected Devices & Support Services This research will analyze the different aspects of each market, evaluating...

Parks Associates today announced the dates for the inaugural Connected Health Summit: Engaging Consumers . The event, taking place September 4-5 in San Diego, will focus on the consumer-centric health and wellness markets, as well as emerging technology within mobile health and healthcare IT. Interactive panel discussions with industry leaders and Parks Associates analysts will discuss increasing consumer engagement, producing better care outcomes, and growing revenues and building...

A recent SMB Tech Support Services report by Parks Associates shows that small businesses are looking to cloud services for data storage, security, and backup. Antivirus and antispyware programs are among the most used programs, and security and backup services are used more often in SMBs with 10 or more employees. Companies with 20 or more employees tend to be the most optimally sized for cloud applications and services, the report finds. These data points are significant when...

It is apparent that broadcasters realize they have a lot to lose in the event of a retransmission overhaul resulting from the Aereo case. Allowing Aereo to present content and provide the means to digitally record content without compensation could provide pay-TV operators a compelling argument to avoid retransmission fees. While this could damage the financial situation for entertainment companies that own and operate local stations, loss of retransmission fees would be dire for...

Today Microsoft ends support for its 13 year old operating system, Microsoft XP, which begins what some are labeling as the XPocalypse.  Microsoft will no longer provide updates or security patches for Microsoft XP, which leaves computers using the operating system (OS) vulnerable to security threats and a target for cybercriminals. Current users of the operating system are, therefore, encouraged to upgrade to a newer operating system such as Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 if their device...

Research released by Parks Associates this week shows that 86% of Roku owners compared to 77% of Apple TV owners use a subscription OTT service of any kind. Additionally, 75% percent of Roku owners use Netflix, while 63% of Apple TV owners use it. This research will be a key aspect in Parks Associates' participation in the 2014 NAB Show, where the research firm is hosting two Disruptive Media Conference Sessions. Brett Sappington, Director of Research for Parks Associates, will be...

New research reports from Parks Associates take an in-depth look into the trends and technologies shaping the smart home, Internet of Things, video, and digital health landscapes. In five new reports released this week, the firm provides analysis, data, and forecasts into each market, finding that consumers are now more connected than ever. The research shows that 75% of U.S. homes have broadband, and over 80% of these households have a home network. Over 60% own connected CE,...

Parks Associates, in conjunction with Verisure, will be presenting IoT and smart home data in a complimentary webinar, April 23, 2014. The event will take place at 3 PM Central European Time (CEST) / 8 AM Central Time (U.S.). Parks Associates research shows broad consumer interest in smart home services, with interest at 33-48% of all U.S. broadband households for smart home devices ranging from remote door locks to alarm detectors. However, there is not a single, concise value...