Blog articles from 08/2011

The Department of Agriculture is announcing millions of dollars for small communities throughout the country. The USDA's money is going towards helping expand broadband access to the 40% of Americans who currently only have dial-up capability. Nebraska is one of 16 states that will get USDA money to provide broadband. Kurt Scherf is a tech analyst with Parks Associates. He believes large telecom companies won't offer high speed Internet if they can't get enough subscribers to...

Smart mobile devices and embedded mobile connectivity are revolutionizing how consumers manage their health and well-being. They are also motivating care providers to offer care services via connected and interactive solutions at the same time mobile carriers are looking to mobile health opportunities as new growth drivers. Harry Wang , Director, Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates, will present a webcast Wednesday, August 25, at 1:00 p.m., that will address the...

Join Parks Associates and PlumChoice for a complimentary webcast Thursday, September 15 , 1 p.m. CT. Presenters Josh Clifford, Vice President & General Manager, Business Services, PlumChoice and Kurt Scherf , Vice President & Principal Analyst, Parks Associates will examine the best practices for launching a national SMB technical support service and will focus on the following questions: What is the appropriate mix of services to offer? What is the appropriate...

Creation of the Digital Advertising Alliance is an important step for the $26 billion U.S. online advertising industry, according to Parks Associates' new report Trends in Behavioral and Contextual-based Advertising . Current data show online consumers are amenable to advanced advertising practices, and privacy concerns, if not properly addressed, could negatively impact future growth in this market. Parks research shows formation of organizations such as the DAA is the right approach...

As we all awoke to the news of Google's acquisition announcement , many are focusing attention on the smartphone side of Motorola Mobility's business (after all, it is Motorola Mobility ). While the idea of Google taking on Apple directly is certainly a big story, the impact on the video services market is just as profound. Effectively, this move puts Google in bed (or at least in a potential too-close-for-comfort position) with many key players in the video world. Motorola...

Today’s consumers want TV content not just in the web browser, but on smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, etc. In order for “TV Everywhere” to succeed, the industry cannot offer content on a multitude of devices alone, it must also surpass the viewer’s search and discovery experience, known as metadata. Metadata is the in-depth descriptive information about programming that includes title, storyline, cast, genre, release date, images and more. Metadata drives TV...

Harry Wang , Director of Health and Mobile Product Research at Parks Associates shares his thoughts on new telecom services that capitalize on broadband connectivity. Harry believes that telcos do have several opportunities to diversify into new markets. 1. Telco App Stores These would enable telcos to distribute content across mutliple end user platforms. Wholesale Application Community (WAC) – a global mobile carriers’ initiative to offer app purchases no matter what...

While TV Everywhere / multiscreen initiatives are springing up throughout global markets, I am seeing evidence of the further maturity of this service. Last night I had an opportunity to visit with CJ HelloVision , a leading South Korean cable operator, about their " TVing " offering. CJ HelloVision first offered TVing as a free service to deliver linear channels and VOD to the PC. However, with South Korea having some of the region's lowest ARPUs, the MSO found that the...