Blog articles from 04/2022

The gaming industry is in the midst of a transition towards greater multiplatform play and greater dependence on recurring subscription service revenue. The increasingly mobile connected consumer fuels the momentum behind mobile gaming. Consumer interest in multiplayer gaming, particularly on PC and gaming consoles, continues to be healthy. Game industry competitors are investing in growing their services revenue as consumers find subscription access to multiplayer capabilities, game...

COVID-19 has redefined the market for security and related smart home devices, with both positive and negative factors emerging in this new environment. From the very beginning of the pandemic, many people, unwilling to risk exposure to COVID-19, have avoided circumstances where an installation or repair technician would enter their home. This cramped growth for traditional security systems also heightens the willingness to acquire self-install security systems. Countering this...

Despite the proliferation of available smart home devices and services, as well as numerous escalating promotions, the adoption rate for many smart home products has remained consistent (slow and steady) over the past few years. Manufacturers and service providers are eager to understand what they must do to make significant gains in sales and revenue. Parks Associates’ research on market barriers mines consumer fears and presents strategies for addressing or alleviating their...

Wearables are the leading product category in connected health, with smart watches the most adopted product overall.   Smart watch owners are a particularly enthusiastic core of the connected health market, as they tend to own a variety of other products, including connected fitness devices, connected weight scales, and even more medically oriented devices such as smart thermometers. Since 2019, adoption of wearables from Apple and Samsung has grown exponentially, helping to...

Multi-dwelling unit managers and owners who opt to install smart home solutions can leverage their investments to promote their properties and attract new residents, and providing these in-unit devices to residents can increase occupancy and justify higher rents per unit. The primary benefits of in-unit products have easy value propositions for consumers to understand: access control and energy management solutions. Access and Control Smart door locks Residents...

Smart lighting has yet to capture the imagination of most consumers, in part due to a lack of familiarity and in part due to the industry’s poor use case explanations. Significant opportunity still exists in the smart lighting category. Smart Lighting Devices Smart lighting devices belong in the family of smart home energy devices and are comprised of three categories – smart light bulbs, smart in-wall switches, and smart plugs/adapter modules. Unlike traditional...

Voice control, data analytics, machine learning, sound recognition, and artificial intelligence play a substantial role in simplifying, streamlining, and automating the smart home, radically enhancing the value proposition by providing context, awareness, and decision making that moves the market beyond scripted, pre-programmed automation scenes. Integration between core smart home entryway and living room products and emerging ones in the kitchen, garage, and bedrooms are increasingly...

Data analytics solutions, including disaggregation and energy modeling, provide detailed information and real-time feedback that can inform energy providers' home energy efficiency and demand response programs. Data sources include interval energy consumption data from meter data management systems and devices in the home such as thermostats and major appliances. The effectiveness of many energy programs is tied to applying this type of technology. More consumers see the benefits of...