Blog articles from 05/2011

Apple Inc. has reached terms with major recorded-music companies to allow it to launch a digital locker service that would be better than those currently offered by Google Inc. and Amazon.com Inc., according to sources familiar with the matter. According to these sources, deals with Warner Music Group Corp., Sony Corp.'s Sony Music Entertainment and EMI Group Ltd have been completed . A fourth deal, with Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group, is rumored to be signed this week....

Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, is passionate about education reform . Zuckerburg took time out of his busy schedule to discuss the heated topic and why he thinks young people can benefit from social networking sites, at a recent summit on innovation in education. Last year Zuckerberg pledged $100 million to the school system in Newark, New Jersey. At the NewSchools Venture Fund's Summit in Burlingame, Calififornia, Zuckerberg told an interviewer that improving education and making...

Can you quantify market demand for your plan? Parks Associates can! Leverage our expertise to size and assess your target market accurately. For over 25 years, Parks Associates has assisted companies with their custom research needs, providing focus groups, quantitative surveys, competitive assessment, and market sizing/forecasts. Core Research Areas -- Access & Entertainment Services -- Advertising --    Connected Home Sys. & Services --...

Revenue growth in digital music dropped from 91% in 2006 to 6% in 2010. Parks Associates’ new report Digital Music Services: Trends and Outlook evaluates consumers' growing demand for music everywhere solutions and industry's response with new business models including enhanced discovery engines, multidevice access, music-centric social networking tools, and digital locker options like those being launched by Amazon , Apple , and Google . While over 50% of U.S. broadband...

The U.S. market for small- and medium-sized technical support services will grow to nearly $9 billion by 2015.  Kurt Scherf, VP, Principal Analyst, Parks Associates, and Josh Clifford, VP & General Manager, Business Services at PlumChoice, will address changes in the market and examine unique SMB technology needs and the associated revenue opportunities, support environments, and go-to-market strategies for companies interested in launching support services for SMBs during...

Parks Associates' Home Systems Research Director Bill Ablondi will present information about engaging consumers in the smart grid and energy management as a customer service at the 2011 ConnectivityWeek Conference this week. Ablondi says the full potential of Advanced Metering Infrastructures (AMI) and the smart meters being deployed across the U.S. cannot be achieved without consumer involvement. "If utilities can enroll consumers in programs that allow them to satisfy...

Parks Associates and PacketVideo will host an Advanced TV Services Webcast on Thursday, May 26th, at 1 p.m. CENTRAL. Parks Associates will present new research on the key trends and technologies in interactive television services and provide a global overview of digital television services. We hope you can join us! This Webcast focuses specifically on: -- A global overview of digital television services -- Developments in “TV Everywhere” deployments -- Insight...

Cox Communications has officially launched its TV Everywhere service,  TV Online . TV Online offers free shows, movies and other video content from broadcast, cable and networks to Cox's video subscribers via the company's online Web portal. The TV Online content requires no additional equipment but does need a Flash-supported browser, a Cox user ID and password, and a broadband connection for viewing content anywhere across the United States. TV Online features shows from...