Farooq Muzaffar
Vice President, Corporate Strategy & Development
Verizon

What lessons from the mobile-first economy can we apply to the smart home? Taking a mobile-first approach has created consumer delight and significant commercial value in other parts of the digital economy. This session explores what works and doesn’t work when it comes to mobile-first and how those lessons can be applied to the smart home.

Todd H. Rytting
Chief Technology Officer
Panasonic Corporation of North America

As the IoT expands to encompass the entire connected home ecosystem, the growing number of devices and services is creating challenges for both consumers and the industry. As connectivity, mobility, and functionality produce untold possibilities, companies must make the right choices in “building the things we should and not building them just because we can.” In this keynote, Mr. Rytting offers Panasonic’s perspective on IoT, including the history of IoT and connected appliances. He also shares insights on ways to intelligently expand the IoT for the connected consumer—moving beyond the home to include the car, on the go activities, and even public events so that consumers can receive the value they want from the IoT.

4K UHD TVs: The TV Landscape and Next Market Opportunity – Grand Peninsula Ballroom FG

TV manufacturers expect 4K UHD TVs to be their next big growth area, but today the amount of available 4K UHD content is limited. This session examines sales and expectations, consumer attitudes toward 4K, and the impact of 4K UHD TVs on the viewing experience.

SPEAKERS

Tim Alessi, Director of New Product Development, LG
Satish Annapureddy, Sr Director, Strategy & Business Development, NeuLion
Philip Jones, Product Information Manager - Video, Sony

Moderator: Barbara Kraus, Director of Research, Parks Associates

IoT and APIs: Extending Functionality for Connected Devices – Grand Peninsula Ballroom ABC

In this session, industry experts discuss the impact of APIs and their role in the design and sales of connected devices. Speakers provide insights into the business models and case studies emerging from industry sectors using these tools to create new user experiences.

SPEAKERS

David Friedman, CEO & Co-Founder, Ayla Networks
Jim Hunter, Chief Scientist and Technology Evangelist, Greenwave Systems
Curt Schacker, VP, Connected Devices, EVRYTHNG

Moderator: Maia Hinkle, Research Analyst, Parks Associates

The Ideal Smart Home User Experience – Grand Peninsula Ballroom ABC

Ease of installation and ease of use are critical success factors in the smart home market. Mass-market solutions require simplicity, automation, and user experiences that any consumer can access and operate. This panel discusses the technology and systems that will transform the smart home user experience.

SPEAKERS

Amena Ali, Senior VP and General Manager, WeatherBug Home
Dan Lieberman, Head of Research & Standards, SmartThings
Mark Spates, Head of Connected Home Platform, Logitech

Moderator: Tom Kerber, Director, Research, Home Controls & Energy, Parks Associates

Connected Cars: The Next Smart Platform – Grand Peninsula Ballroom FG

In-vehicle connectivity is now reaching the mass-market consumer. This panel focuses on cross-industry partnerships, new requirements for solutions, and insights into how connected CE and smart home industries can create innovative products for the connected car.

SPEAKERS

Jay Giraud, CEO, Mojio
Andrew Poliak, Global Director, Business Development , QNX Software Systems
Mike Tinskey, Global Director of Electrification and Vehicle Infrastructure, Ford Motor Company

Moderator: Jennifer Kent, Director, Research Quality & Product Development, Parks Associates

Daniel Herscovici
SVP & GM, Xfinity Home
Comcast Cable

What will it take to drive adoption of the smart home? This session explores the types of experiences needed to drive adoption of the smart home beyond the early adopters and tech enthusiasts to the mass market. 

Role of Smart Watches and Wearables in the Connected Home – Grand Peninsula Ballroom ABC

Multiple high-profile announcements have established the smart watch as an emerging mobile device category. The connected home space offers numerous opportunities for wearables, and a key challenge going forward is identifying the use cases that will drive mainstream adoption. This panel features perspectives from industry stakeholders on the challenges and opportunities for innovation in wearables and the best strategies for interfacing with the connected home.

SPEAKERS

Greg Jones, Business Development Director, MisFit
Kenny Mathers, Senior Director, MediaTek Inc.
Ted Schremp, CEO, PEQ
John Valiton, Chief Business Development Officer, Playtabase
Tom Wesselman, Director of Communications Ecosystem Architecture, Plantronics

Moderator: Tejas Mehta, Research Analyst, Parks Associates

Unlocking the Value of Personalization: Balancing Big Data and Privacy – Grand Peninsula Ballroom FG

Consumers expect their devices and services to adjust to their preferences at the same time that they are increasingly concerned about the use and vulnerability of their personal data. This panel examines opportunities, obstacles, and privacy and security concerns impacting personalization solutions.

SPEAKERS

Sefy Ariely, EVP Americas, Viaccess-Orca
Daren Gill, Vice President of Products, Advanced Search and Recommendations, Rovi Corporation
Don McCullough, Director, Strategic Communications, Ericsson
Stuart Rosove, VP, Advanced Solutions, Irdeto
Robin Wilson, VP Business Development, NAGRA

Moderator: Brett Sappington, Director of Research, Parks Associates

Streaming as Standard: The New User Experience – Grand Peninsula Ballroom FG

This session examines the evolution of the user experience with the rising popularity of content streaming. Panelists examine the implications for device sales and subscriptions, discuss best-in-class UX design features, and analyze changes in how consumers communicate with their TVs as innovation moves towards natural and intuitive interaction with devices.

SPEAKERS

Rick Herman, Chief Strategy Officer, MobiTV
Tom Lattie, VP, Market Management & Development, Video Products, Harmonic
Ali Vassigh, Director of User Experience, Roku
Yoel Zanger, CEO and Founder, Giraffic Technologies

Moderator: Barbara Kraus, Director of Research, Parks Associates

Integrating IoT into Smart Home Platforms – Grand Peninsula Ballroom ABC

This session examines the efforts to expand the ecosystem of interoperable products and realize the vision of the smart home. The panel of experts discusses new business models and partnership opportunities among entertainment and security service providers, utilities, manufacturers, retailers, and other relevant players.

SPEAKERS

V. Rory Jones, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, PlanetEcosystems
Jay Kenny, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Alarm.com
Sebastian Popovic, CEO, Zipato
Adam Tichelaar, Director, Connected Home Solutions, Amdocs
Brett Worthington, VP - General Manager, Wink Inc.

Moderator: Maia Hinkle, Research Analyst, Parks Associates

Evolution of Content Access: Cloud-based CE and Video Services – Grand Peninsula Ballroom FG

Cloud-based products and services benefit operators, manufacturers, and consumers while producing dramatic changes in product design and service delivery. This panel explores the new innovations and virtualization trends that will shape future CE and video solutions.

SPEAKERS

Jeff Allen, VP Business and Corporate Development, Clearleap
Steve Christian, SVP, Marketing, Verimatrix
Chris Drake, Vice President, thePlatform, a Comcast company
David Grubb, Chief Technical Officer for Cloud Solutions, ARRIS
Stephen Ludin, Chief Architect, Akamai Technologies

Moderator: Brett Sappington, Director of Research, Parks Associates

Managing IoT Services – Grand Peninsula Ballroom ABC

As IoT devices and services converge in the connected home, consumers will be reluctant to manage clusters of devices and clouds. These conditions will open opportunities for a new class of vendors that will deliver IoT experiences as services, tailored to consumer preferences and to handle tasks such as configuration, installation, and management. This session examines the business models for these players, who will act as third parties in the connected home and work under familiar flagship brands.

SPEAKERS

Peter Blanks, Vice President Technology, Asurion
Art Lancaster, CTO, Affinegy
Marcus Scheiber, CEO & Co-Founder, ROC-Connect
Tal Schierau, VP Sales and Account Management, Radialpoint
Paul Weichselbaum, Executive Vice President, PlumChoice

Moderator: Patrice Samuels, Research Analyst, Parks Associates

Mike Soucie
Head of Consumer Product Partnerships
Nest

What will our homes look like 20 years from now? Or 50? For decades, the media and popular culture have portrayed the home of the future as spacey, sterile, and fully automated. But what if they're wrong? In this session, Nest's Mike Soucie examines the state of connected homes today and explores how our future homes may look familiar but function - and think - differently.

Standards and Interoperability: Creating Competition through Cooperation – Grand Peninsula Ballroom ABC

Consumers expect all of their smart devices to work together and will not tolerate multiple steps to achieve integration. This session examines ways to ensure interoperability and analyzes the solutions needed to satisfy all players, including the consumer.

SPEAKERS

Avi Barel, Director Business Development, ULE Alliance
Dan Cregg, CTO, INSTEON
Tim Harrington, GM Products Group, CEL
Bill Scheffler, Director of NA Sales and Business Development, Sigma Designs/Z-Wave
Mark Skarpness, Director of Systems Engineering, Open Source Technology Center, Intel Corporation

Moderator: Tom Kerber, Director, Research, Home Controls & Energy, Parks Associates

Entertainment and the New User Experience – Grand Peninsula Ballroom FG

The user interface is an increasingly prized asset that enables data collection, an advertising portal, an integration point for OTT and linear content, and a portal to smart products and services increasingly delivered wirelessly. This session discusses innovations that are shaping the future of the user experience, its role in the smart home, and UI monetization strategies.

SPEAKERS

John Driver, Chief Operating Officer, PacketVideo
Mike Fisher, Head of Strategy and Innovation, BrightLine
Mike Talvensaari, VP of Product Management, Wowza Media Systems
Jason Thibeault, Sr. Director, Marketing Strategy, Limelight Networks 
Özgür Yildirim, North America Business Unit EVP & General Manager, AirTies

Moderator: Glenn Hower, Research Analyst, Parks Associates