Blog articles from 10/2013

Parks Associates and Verisure , a Securitas Direct company, have released a new whitepaper, “Outlook for the Smart Home in Western Europe.” This whitepaper examines new smart home initiatives in security, energy, controls, and telecom channels and analyzes the solutions and strategies necessary for success in this growing market. In the complimentary whitepaper, both companies analyze the changes in the European smart home market and current initiatives, early factors...

Parks Associates has released a new market focus, TV Everywhere Use & Authentication . This research analyzes the use of TV Everywhere services by pay-TV subscribers. It presents the latest tracking data on TV Everywhere awareness and identifies why subscribers are or are not using the features. In addition, it analyzes the use of authenticated video services and the extent to which the authentication process is inhibiting use. This market focus also identifies what features...

Staples will launch a new home automation system, called Staples Connect , which will be sold online and in its U.S. stores. The new system is similar to Lowe’s Iris , but has more than the DIY offerings from other mass marketers. The Web-connected hub can communicate with thermostats, lights, door locks and other smart devices for remote monitoring and control over the Internet. The system is powered by Zonoff , the cloud-based home-control platform that also drives Somfy’s...

Parks Associates and Support.com are hosting a complimentary webcast, “Evolving Technical Support for the Connected Home” on November 19 at 1 PM CST. The digital landscape of consumers’ homes, enabled by the Internet of Things, is growing rapidly more complex as home automation and security, medical monitoring, and mobile devices join traditional computing and entertainment devices on home networks. Technical support services, free and paid, are playing an...

Two major events occurred in September affecting the mobile payments ecosystem—Apple’s recent iPhone 5S and 5C reveal, and Google’s expansion of its Wallet app to non-NFC smartphone users. Both of these events appeared to move the vision of a mobile payments future based on NFC further from reality. Did they? Is Google Abandoning NFC? Google launched an NFC-based payment app, Google Wallet, back in September 2011. Even after two years on market, however, Parks...

Parks Associates is currently offering the special research "Google Chromecast Owners" free of charge with the purchase of a Market Focus. Market Focus research features findings and analysis based on Parks Associates' ongoing consumer surveys. Each Market Focus covers a key topic or emerging trend within Parks Associates' areas of coverage, which encompass all aspects of the connected home, digital media distribution, and mobile consumer. For the full list of...

By: Brett Sappington, Director of Research & John Barrett, Director of Research For years, Netflix has sworn that it sees itself as a channel that complements pay-TV service rather than a competitor that displaces it.  However, pay-TV providers have long seen Netflix as a bitter rival and a driver of cord cutting among subscribers. Now, rumors are swirling that Netflix is negotiating deals with major U.S. pay-TV providers whereby the Netflix app will appear on the pay-TV...

Adding connectivity to products in the home represents a significant money-making opportunity for service providers, manufacturers, and technology companies. Smart home products and services are being sold throughout Europe through several channels with new features, capabilities, and functions. Parks Associates and Verisure will co-host a complimentary webcast, Understanding Revenue Models for Smart home Technologies , on November 6 at 7 AM CST. This webcast addresses...