Support.com, CSS Corp, Sutherland Global Services, and PlumChoice examine IoT tech support at CONNECTIONS™ Summit at CES

Parks Associates finds 16% of U.S. broadband households own a smart home device and one-third have experienced at least one technical problem with their devices. For example, 31% of owners of smart garage door openers and 26% of owners of smart smoke detectors have experienced technical problems. Among smart home device owners in U.S. broadband households, 56% are willing to pay $9.99 per month for a tech support service, and 43% are willing to pay $39.99 per month.

Parks Associates will address how the Internet of Things and connected CE are changing the technical needs of households during CONNECTIONS™ Summit at CES, January 6, 2015. The session “Consumer Support in the Internet of Things” will feature the following panelists:

• Sampath Gomatam, SVP of Product, Support.com
• Larry Gordon, President, iYogi
• Chris Rezendes, EVP and Chief Sales Officer, CSS Corp
• Ratul Sengupta, Vice President Client Engagement, Sutherland Global Services
• Paul Weichselbaum, Executive Vice President, PlumChoice

“Most consumers expect device manufacturers to offer some support services free of charge, but the growing adoption of smart home and IoT products, along with the complexity of broadband homes, is increasing the value that consumers attach to premium support services," said Patrice Samuels, Research Analyst, Parks Associates. “Currently 15% of connected CE consumers are willing to pay $49.99 per year for a comprehensive support service, and interest increases with the number of devices owned. The average U.S. broadband household owns approximately seven connected devices, and at the high end, 68% of consumers with 20 or more CE devices are willing to pay an annual fee of $99.99 or higher.”

The CONNECTIONS™ Summit at CES includes six executive sessions and a networking reception sponsored by Greenwave Systems. Event sponsors include Alarm.com, Amdocs, Axiros, Ayla Networks, CSS Corp,  EcoFactor, Emerson, Lowe’s, Qualcomm, Resolution Products, ROC-Connect, Support.com, ULE Alliance, and WeatherBug Home.

“Smart home technologies are in their infancy, and companies ranging from service providers to product manufacturers have the opportunity to establish valuable offerings for the growing base of smart home owners,” said Stuart Sikes, President, Parks Associates. “Tech support plays an increasingly important role in brand and product strategy across all service and product categories within the connected home.”

Additional speakers at CONNECTIONS™ Summit at CES include:

ADT - Steve Shapiro, VP of Product Solutions

Alarm.com - Jay Kenny, VP, Marketing

Amazon - Michael Paull, Vice President, Digital Video

Amdocs - Adam Tichelaar, Director, Connected Home Solutions & Program Management

Arrayent - Shane Dyer, President

AT&T - Kevin Petersen, President, Digital LifeGW Shaw, Vice President, U-verse and Video Products

Axiros - Peter LeBlanc, Vice President, Axiros

Ayla Networks - David Friedman, CEO & Co-Founder

BrightLine - Rob Aksman, Co-Founder and Chief Experience Officer

Cisco - JT Taylor, Senior Manager

Comcast - Elad Nafshi, VP Video Product Management

DivX, LLC - Eric Grab, Chief Technology Officer

EcoFactor - Matt Plante, CEO

Ericsson - Ken Durand, Vice President, Innovation and Business Development

Gracenote - Rich Cusick, General Manager, Video

Greenwave Systems - Nate Williams, CMO and EVP of Business Development

Lowe’s - Kris Bowring, Director of Business Development, Iris Smart Home Business Unit, New Business

NETGEAR - Michael Clegg, SVP and GM of Service Provider Business

Qualcomm Atheros - Joseph Bousaba, Senior Director, Product Management

Resolution Products, Inc. - Brian Seemann, President

ROC-Connect - Marcus Sheiber, Co-Founder and CEO

Roku - Jim Funk, SVP Product Management

ThinkAnalytics - Christy Martin, Chief Technical Advisor

Time Warner Cable - Chris Williams, Sr. Director Product Strategy and Development

TiVo Inc. - Jim Denney, Vice President, General Manager, Product Marketing

ULE Alliance - Avi Barel, Director Business Development

Verizon Digital Media Services - Chris Carey, Chief Product Officer

WeatherBug Home, by Earth Networks - Amena Ali, CMO

CONNECTIONS™ Summit will be held at CES Tech West in the Venetian Ballrooms Level 1, Casanova Rooms 601-603. Register at www.cesweb.org/press. Follow the event on Twitter at @CONN_Summit and #CONNSummit15. To schedule a meeting with an analyst or speaker, contact Holly Sprague at [email protected], 720.987.6614.

About CONNECTIONS™ Summit at CES

CONNECTIONS™ Summit at CES is an annual research and industry event hosted by international research firm Parks Associates at CES in Las Vegas. In 2023, the executive event features one day of panel discussions on the state of the smart home, connected health, home security, and new home services, with trends and implications for connected consumers and opportunities for companies to build new revenues and develop innovative business models.

The 17th annual CONNECTIONS™ Summit will take place January 5 during CES, which runs January 5-8 in Las Vegas. Parks Associates hosts a day of sessions at the Venetian Hotel, Lando 4304, followed by a networking reception. Follow the event on Twitter at @CONN_Summit.

For information about CONNECTIONS™ Summit, contact [email protected] or call 972-490-1113 or visit www.connectionssummit.com.

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