Comcast Introduces Xfinity Signature Support

Comcast Corporation recently announced the launch of a new 24x7 technical support and equipment protection program for the growing number of home electronics devices – like laptops, home networking equipment, gaming consoles, Wi-Fi enabled smart phones and tablets – people are connecting to Comcast’s services. Called Xfinity Signature Support, this service offers customers a single source for troubleshooting and support for their computers, home networks and many other devices and is another step in the company’s focus on delivering an end-to-end exceptional customer experience backed by the Comcast Customer Guarantee.

The new offering enables customers to select an enhanced level of technical support with monthly subscription plans and one-time support options and is offered in addition to the 24x7 support Comcast already provides for its video, high-speed Internet and phone services.

According to a 2010 survey by Parks Associates, more than 50 percent of Americans with Internet service look to their broadband provider as their first or second choice in solving their home computer-related technical issues. Additionally, 75 percent of those surveyed prefer to receive all of their technical support services from a single vendor.

With Xfinity Signature Support, Comcast customers will have access to knowledgeable and experienced IT specialists who can provide supplementary technical support online, over the phone or in the home. Assistance is available either as part of a monthly subscription plan or on a stand-alone basis for one-time fixes, such as virus removal or connecting printers or game consoles to wireless networks. Xfinity Signature Support also offers extended equipment plans covering computers and flat-panel TVs.

For more information, please visit www.xfinity.com/signaturesupport.

Video Interview with Parks Associates' President at CES 2011

Stuart Sikes, President of the research firm Parks Associates, sits down with V3.co.uk at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show to discuss the state of the consumer electronics industry and the developments that could take place in 2011.

Click here to see the full video interview with Stuart.

Consumers not ready to embrace cloud-based digital locker solution for music and video

The industry is rapidly moving content solutions to the cloud, but consumer interest is not keeping pace, as less than 30% of U.S. broadband households find the digital locker an attractive alternative for music or video.

Cloud Media and the Digital Locker, a new report from Parks Associates highlights the challenges within the industry, including device and format interoperability, consumer awareness, and security and delivery issues. Market fragmentation is also a major inhibitor, and efforts including Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem's (DECE) UltraViolet initiative and Disney’s Studio All Access aim to overcome these barriers.

The benefits of cloud services are popular with consumers, indicating significant market potential. Access via mobile devices is important, and over 50% of U.S. consumers consider multiroom access to music and video content and guaranteed replacement of lost or damaged media to be equally important features of the digital locker.

Cloud Media and the Digital Locker examines how key players from content owners and distributors to platform and technology solution providers are tailoring their cloud-based solutions to include secure delivery, high quality, and ubiquitous access models.

Best Buy to “Future Proof” Tech Purchases with Buy Back Program at No Cost

Best Buy has launched a multi-media campaign to promote its new Buy Back Program and a special week-long offer to “future proof” technology purchases for free. Beginning with a Super Bowl commercial featuring star appearances from Justin Bieber, and Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, the campaign encourages customers to take advantage of a special offer to receive the Buy Back Program at no cost when purchasing gear at Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile through Saturday, Feb. 12.

Best Buy officially launched Buy Back in January as a solution for customers who want to keep up with the greatest gadgets but are concerned that their gear will become obsolete. Best Buy customers may purchase the Buy Back Program when buying a new product at Best Buy and redeem it at a later time, for up to 50 percent of the original purchase price paid in the form of a Best Buy gift card, as long as the device is in good working condition and includes all original parts.

The campaign reinforces how Buy Back delivers a level of assurance, transparency and convenience that distinguishes it from other options like trade-in programs or reseller markets. With Buy Back, Best Buy customers don’t have to wait for payment, and can immediately apply the value of their Buy Back product redemption to the purchase of new products at any Best Buy or Best Buy Mobile store.

For the complete article, please click here.

Millions of U.S. households already using Internet-connected CE to watch video-on-demand, finding convenience and savings in these devices

Parks Associates reports three million U.S. broadband households plan to purchase an Internet-connected TV during the 2010 holiday shopping season, further eroding consumer need for brick-and-mortar video sources.

Nearly 25% of U.S. broadband households already own at least one connected TV device, and one-fourth of these households have watched a paid movie-on-demand at least once in the past month, according to Parks Associates' Connected CE Tracker, part of the firm's landmark Consumer Decision Process Service. Parks Associates’ analysts predict connected CE devices will be top sellers in this year’s holiday shopping season.

Only 38% of U.S. broadband households plan to purchase a CE device this year, but it’s the connected CE and smartphones that will be the most popular items. Connected devices are the future of content consumption and entertainment in the living room as they capture the broader trends of integration among different silos in consumers' lives. We will continue to follow their sales through 2011 with Connected CE Tracker.

Connected devices include Internet-connected game consoles, Blu-ray players, tablet computers including the iPad, and digital video players including Roku and Apple TV. By the end of 2010, more than 40 million U.S. consumers will have a broadband-connected game console, more than eight million will have a PC-to-TV connection, more than five million will have a connected Blu-ray player, and over four million will have a networked digital video player (such as an Apple TV or Roku Digital Video Player).

However, even the significant enthusiasm for these devices does not totally offset the drop in CE buying intentions reported for this holiday shopping season. In 2009, almost 50% of U.S. broadband households planned a CE purchase.

Manufacturers, retailers, and technology providers are noting the tight consumer purse strings and continue to roll out the deals. Consumers want deals; that is their trigger as economic conditions have made them more cautious buyers. Market players must stress the value and convenience of Internet-connected devices. It helps that consumers may choose to save the cost of a video membership and eliminate a trip to the store or kiosk.

For more information about Connected CE Tracker or Consumer Decision Process Service, visit http://www.parksassociates.com.

National 3D Demo Days

As we indicated in our Trends in 3DTV report, educating consumers about 3DTV is one of the biggest challenges that the CE industry faces. Experiential marketing is going to play a more important role than it has played for the launch of other consumer electronics. 3D requires "being seen". Considering that most of the existing advertising channels are two-dimensional, manufacturers will have to rely on retail channels and road shows to promote their products. We are likely to see more initiatives like the National 3D Demo Days, currently promoted by CEA and ESPN.

Consumption of PC video is increasing, but TV still main video source

More U.S. households are watching online video and on a wider variety of devices now than two years ago, but they are not sacrificing their TV viewing to do so. Digital Media Evolution II found 40% of all U.S. broadband homes now regularly watch long-form video on a computer. However, service providers can allay their fears of cord cutting for now as high use of PC video does not yet correlate with decreased TV viewing.

People are using online video to fill in the gaps. When it comes to watching TV shows and movies, nobody’s first choice is the computer. People will watch this content on a computer when it is not convenient or feasible to watch on a TV.

Households with a high incidence for viewing PC video are also heavy DVD users. Both DVDs and the Internet are non-linear video sources. That makes them somewhat similar from the consumer’s perspective. They don’t care about the distribution method so much as the experience, which will be enhanced through the ability to view premium content on a variety of devices. Service providers and other video retailers that offer high-quality, consistent multiplatform viewing experiences will come out ahead in the battle for consumers’ eyeballs.

Digital Media Evolution II quantifies and analyzes the market demand for emerging media platforms, features, and services.

Energy management networks forecasted to be in over 9 million US households by 2014

Parks Associates' report Residential Energy Management: Forecasts for the Deployment of AMI and the Adoption of Energy-saving Products and Services finds over 80% of U.S. consumers are interested in reducing expenditures on energy consumption and willing to pay for cost-saving solutions. Cost-saving products and services that generate consumer interest include programmable thermostats, energy monitors and systems enhanced with energy-management capabilities, smart appliances, and energy-efficient CE systems.

However, the amount consumers are willing to spend does not cover the costs of required systems, creating a need for innovative business models that will enable a new energy management service industry.

Utility-based home area networks (HANs) are only one of several options for these solutions and services to enter the consumer market. By 2013, iREMs will outnumber utility-based HANs. By 2014, the vast majority of the nine million U.S. households with an energy management system will have an iREM. Engaging consumers is critical to success in this market. Business strategies must be developed that comprehend the magnitude of consumer education and support required for offerings in this arena.

Google TV - Searching for Success

For at least a year or so, I've been doing my best to categorize all of the different solutions that are specially designed to bring Web content and applications to a "connected TV." I'm putting the term in quotes because there will be different ways to experience connectivity between the Internet and the display other than an embedded solution. For example:

• Connected game consoles: In the U.S., penetration of Internet-connected game consoles jumped 38% between 2008 and 2009, and are now at about 30 million households. We know that the console is being heavily implemented as a set-top box, as more than one-third of Microsoft Xbox 360 users are watching video on at least a monthly basis. We believe that online video revenues at the game console alone brought Microsoft and Sony north of $500 million in 2009.
• Connected TVs: Penetration is quite limited to date, but we expect that unit sales worldwide will exceed 130 million by 2014. In short, Web connectivity will soon become a built-in ubiquity in most televisions.
• Connected Blu-ray Players: Just bought a flat-panel TV and don't feel like replacing it for a Web-connected set? For a smaller investment, many Blu-ray Disc players come equipped with many of the same content services as what you'll find on the high-definition displays.
• Networked Digital Media Players: These are the devices such as Apple TV, the Roku player, and others that provide a relatively lower-cost option to connect a TV to online video services. Although we're projecting a pretty quick peak of sales in the U.S. followed by a decline as online video access becomes embedded into consumer electronics products, alternative set-top box platforms may have more significance in international markets, where they may actually be branded by broadband and pay-TV operators.

The market potential for Web-connected consumer electronics is significant, with annual worldwide shipments nearing 300 million units by 2014.

In light of this opportunity, 30+ technology companies are all aimed at bringing Web services to consumer electronics. Among them are companies in the "Connected Television OS" area that are working to build in applications and Web services directly into the TV itself. Among them are:

• Accenture;
• DivX;
• Google;
• IBM; and
• Yahoo!

Of course, while there are companies advocating an embedded solution, companies such as ActiveVideo Networks and Clearleap argue that Web services and interactivity can be delivered with transcoding done in the headend. Further, companies like Vuze indicate that the PC in the home is capable of transcoding and serving as an intermediary between the home computer and the television. So, there's plenty of room for debate.

Google is entering the market at a time where there is much indecision about what will be the ideal technology solution that will benefit the TV manufacturer, content owners, and advertisers. Certainly, Google's presence in Web advertising, including delivery and analytics, provide it with a huge potential for scale. One problem that has been troubling to the television manufacturers is how big their share of any potential revenue for online content might be. To date, the business models between television manufacturers and content providers or aggregators have been revenue sharing based on online video orders. So, the TV manufacturer may get a few pennies per VoD order. In a time when online video revenues on connected CE devices other than the game console are forecast to be around $180 million in 2010 and growing to perhaps $800 million by 2014, it won't be a a huge revenue stream. So, a deal with Google that can add advertising revenue to transactional monies would be a gain for the manufacturers.

Is Search Really a Problem?

So, while Google comes armed with the business model, I do wonder if Google has developed a solution for a problem that I'm not convinced is as dire as they indicate. After all, they lead their explanation video about Google TV discussing why it's difficult for consumers to find the content that they want on TV. Really? We might quibble about the benefits or detriments of the various electronic program guides that are in use today, but I think that the EPG is doing an increasingly effective job of allowing for search and discovery. And, if the Google TV use model means I literally have a Logitech keyboard positioned on my knees to manually type in search entries, I'm not convinced that this use case is going to attract many folks. Granted, the keyboard in the living room is going to be unecessary for most folks, as smartphones, tablet computers, and other interfaces allow for more text entry, but I'm just not sold on search (as Google presents it) as the killer app here. The television service providers are innovating every day with their own program guides, search, discovery, and recommendations. I don't think anyone will be lacking with decent search options for their TV.

Where are the Content Partners?

Another issue with Google is how much high quality content they'll bring to the table. Google's main content partner today is Sony. They will need to bring a number of major content players into the fold to have a successful solution. I'm sure that Best Buy will probably offer up Roxio CinemaNow content, but they'll have to expand beyond that. What's driving the demand for connected TVs is premium content, as the results from our recently completed Digital Media Evolution II study indicates.

I think that providing premium video-on-demand content is going to continue to be an area where the pay-TV providers excel. A couple of weeks ago, I had some time to try to catch up on video-on-demand. With credits available on my VUDU account, I tried that platform first. What I quickly found is that my Verizon FiOS service had the same movies, and the high-definition versions were available a whole lot quicker than the download for VUDU's HDX format. Now, The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the studios and the operators are in discussions to signficantly reduce the window between the theater and pay-TV availability. This makes sense. Interactive digital TV services are already in more than 40% of U.S. households. By 2014, it'll be more than 60%. That's a huge scale that the pay-TV operators have as an advantage. So, what are the online services going to offer that's any better?

Is the Walled Garden Really the Evil Empire?

Related to this point, Google's foray into a very open Internet approach is being much ballyhooed as a way of throwing off the shackles of the walled gardens provided by TV service providers and today's connected CE offerings. I'd argue that this latest round of consumer research would indicate that demand for open Internet access isn't what's driving consumers to a connected TV. They want good content, and they want it easy to find. Take a second look at the chart. I'm just not convinced that consumers want an open Internet experience for calendaring, music, photos, and commerce. I'm much more convinced that tailored applications - including tru2way, EBIF, LUA-based interactive features (available today from more and more pay-TV operators) are going to bring the Interactivity of the Web without the "Wild West" component of many fits and starts with searching, text entry, the back button, etc. If the walled garden approaches can deliver this in a controlled environment that doesn't overwhelm the average user and helps a provider deliver the highest-quality content available, then I don't see why everyone would necessarily want a browser-based approach in their connected TV.

Will Service Providers Care?

DISH Network is a partner here, but will Google find additional service providers to join? One question is what's in it for the providers? For DISH, a current lack of good interactive applications would be a reason for joining the fold. But, will you see the cable industry or AT&T or Verizon knocking on Google's door anytime soon? I doubt it. These companies are already developing their own interactive applications and services. In fact, if you compare the revenue potential between the online and pay-TV worlds, it's clear operators will still control the lion's share of revenues for services such as premium VoD and for interactive advertising. The revenues in the online world are certainly nothing to sneeze at, but the operators don't have to cede control to Google in order to pocket some serious revenues in the next few years.

Multi-platform Measurement

I do think that Google's entrance will now start to help refine how providers of online assets will work with consumer electronics companies to implement more multi-platform content and multi-screen audience measurement. The measurement and reporting is a particular area where some work is needed. The more that content providers, online companies, and CE manufacturers can work together to build consistent reporting and feedback mechanisms into their products, the more effective they will be in monetizing their Web services and attract more premium partners.

See You in a Few Weeks

This announcement certainly comes at an intriguing time, and we've got all kinds of speakers and sessions at the CONNECTIONS™ 2010 event that will speak directly to the rise of connected consumer electronics, digital content, and evolving business cases. We have keynotes, presentations, and discussions with many of today's leading vendors of connected TV and digital media solutions - among them 2Wire, Actiontec, ActiveVideo Networks, Alcatel-Lucent, Allegro Software, Alticast, Arxan Technologies, AT&T, BigBand Networks, BridgeCo, Cisco Systems, Comcast Interactive Media, Comcast Spotlight, comScore Inc., DivX Networks, Epix, ExtendMedia, Gigle Networks, IBM, Intel, Intertrust (representing Marlin), Latens, MEC (WPP’s Group M), MOD Systems, Motorola, Navic at Microsoft, NDS, Nielsen Online, Opera, Orange/France Telecom, PacketVideo, RedMere, Rovi, Roxio CinemaNow, Samsung, Sony, Technicolor, thePlatform, Verimatrix, Verizon, Vuze, XSpanD, Yahoo!, and Zenverge Check out our lineup, and we hope that you can make it to Santa Clara in a few weeks!

What will consumers add next to their home networks and life?

A 3D TV? A smartphone? A smart meter?

Digital Lifestyles: Outlook 2010, a new industry report focuses on the consumer, with an emphasis on expanding and enhancing user experiences in communications, entertainment, support, and connectivity.

This report provides analysis, forecasts, and industry and consumer drivers for a variety of digital lifestyle categories including: Access Services, Television Services, Mobile Services and Devices, Digital Media and Gaming, Trends in Consumer Electronics, Digital Home Tech Support, and Home Systems.

CONNECTIONS™ to focus on business strategies, new connectivity solutions in Digital Living Markets

Parks Associates announced the Call For Papers for the upcoming CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference and Showcase. The 2010 conference will take place June 8-10 at the Santa Clara Convention Center.

The main topic areas for the event are Entertainment Platforms & Value-Added Services, New Media and Digital Content, Consumer Electronics, and Home Systems & Controls.

Emerging technologies continue to change the digital living landscape. Mobile applications are increasing the role of service providers, who are adding home controls, energy management, and entertainment offerings to their platforms. Online video is radically transforming the roles of the TV and the game console, while Blu-ray and video kiosks are reshaping the distribution channel for physical media. At this point, we don’t know which business models will ultimately prevail.

CONNECTIONS™ will address the opportunities and challenges in connected CE, 3D TV, smart grid and energy management solutions, consumer and technical support, smartphones and mobile services, social media, and content management.

For fourteen years, CONNECTIONS™ has been the premier event for research and analysis of connected home technologies and digital living solutions. The executive conference features consumer research and presentations from international research firm Parks Associates and a comprehensive agenda with over 80 speakers. Past conferences featured keynotes from AT&T, Verizon, Sony, Intel, and Microsoft.

Submission Deadline is January 30, 2010.

Parks Associates Supports Smart Silvers Event at CES

Parks Associates supports the Smart Silvers Event at CES on January 9, 2010 from Las Vegas, Nevada. Parks Associates is a media partner of Smart Silvers Event at CES.

The Silvers Summit, a full day program to be presented on Saturday, January 9, at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), will showcase the products and services that keep boomers engaged, entertained, connected and healthy.

For more information, please click here.

Panasonic Debuts Multimedia Audio System Photo Frame

Panasonic announced the debut of its first audio system with iPod dock and photo frame. The MW-10 sounds as good as it looks, pumping out audiophile-quality sound from its built-in CD player, and its FM/AM radio tuner has 45-station (30-FM/15-AM) Preset Memory.

Boasting a 9-inch WVGA LCD, the MW-10 can display photos from a CD, SD Memory Card and internal memory. The 4 GB of internal memory stores image data for up to 6,000 photos. In addition to a full-screen photo slideshow, the advanced display has the following: clock and iPod track menu, calendar and photos, clock and photos, and audio and calendar.

The MW-10 is Energy Star qualified, and its UniPhier LSI integrates all video signal processing circuits onto a single chip, which lowers power consumption and reduces the number of components.

For the full press release, please click here.

Parks Associates Supports Future of Television East

Parks Associates is supporting Future of Television East from November 18-19 in New York, NY.

Kurt Scherf, VP of Research & Principal Analyst, Parks Associates will be moderating the session, "The Convergence of the Internet & the Television: Who Will Be the Winners and the Losers?" on Thursday, November 19th at 11:00 AM.

Worldwide shipments of consumer-electronics devices capable of supporting Internet video, including televisions, set-top boxes, Blu-ray DVD players, video game consoles and dedicated video platforms, are projected to increase 500% from 2009 to 2013. What does this mean for traditional television broadcasters, Internet advertising networks, like Google and Yahoo, cable companies, ISPs, and consumers? Who will be the winners and the losers in a world where consumers can access anything, anytime through the big screen?

Join Television Industry Leaders - including senior participants from major studios and networks, social networks, online distributors, mobile companies, online content distributors, association heads and more!

For more information, please click here.

CE purchases low in first half of 2009, but consumer intentions higher for the second half

PCs and flat-screen TVs remain popular; netbooks starting to generate consumer interest

The recession continues to limit CE shopping, as nearly 50% of U.S. broadband households did not buy a CE product in the first half of 2009, according to Parks Associates’ Consumer Decision Process.

This ongoing service, which surveys consumers on their past purchases and future intentions for over 35 CE products, found consumers are still hesitant to buy, with fewer households overall buying CE than in 2007 and 2008.

The most popular purchases in the first half of 2009 were desktops, laptops, and LCD flat-screen TVs, with 14-17% of households buying these products. With 5% of households purchasing in the first half, netbooks are showing a strong market start. Intentions to purchase netbooks are fairly high for the second half of 2009; this new product category will be in over 10% of broadband households by New Year’s.

Parks Associates’ Consumer Decision Process service provides comprehensive tracking and analysis via multiple surveys throughout the year on consumer purchases, intentions, brands, brand loyalty over time, shopping processes, information sources, prices paid, future budgets, and triggers to purchase phases. The next survey will measure holiday shopping intentions of U.S. consumers.

Tricia Parks will present data and analysis from Consumer Decision Process at the upcoming Webcast “Year-end Outlook for Consumer Electronics Purchases.”

Defining the Connected Home

The connected home is a term used frequently but often defined ambiguously. For Parks Associates, the connected home is comprised of the following elements:

• Access services - including broadband, television, landline communications, and mobile services
• Content and value-added services that complement the core access services
• Devices that connect to these access services and each other, creating a network that can share content and resources throughout the home
• Consumer electronics manufacturers, the PC industry, pay-television service providers, and broadband providers are driving the development of the connected home, for obvious reasons, as the interplay of these elements expands the businesses for all these players.

Learn more about how Parks Associates categorizes the major business strategies involved in the connected home. Read the September Parks Points today.

Parks Associates survey identifies impact of education and income on consumer PC purchase habits

For each $1,000 in income, U.S. households will pay on average $1 more for a PC, according to the Consumer Decision Process Annual Survey, which has quantified the influence of income and education on the amount consumers spend on specific CE products.

International research firm Parks Associates recently completed this survey of over 5,000 U.S. consumers on their 2008 purchases and 2009 purchase intentions. The research, part of the Consumer Decision Process Service, examines ownership and attitudes toward product categories such as PCs, MP3 players, LCD and connected TVs, home networks, and Blu-ray players.

Results from the survey show that consumers with a graduate degree spend, on average, $100 more for a computer than consumers with only a high-school degree. Income levels also affect the final price for computers, as households with $200,000 in annual income spend over $150 more for a laptop compared to households with $50,000 in annual income.

“The prices consumers pay for PCs and laptops are remarkably elastic, especially when compared to products such as DVD players, game consoles, and home networks, where prices are basically flat across different income and educational groups,” said John Barrett, director, research, Parks Associates. “These results allow us to measure the impact of specific consumer attributes, such as level of education, and use that to predict both the products consumers are interested in and how much they’ll pay for certain items.”

For example, Barrett says, higher-income households would be more willing to pay a little extra for a better laptop, whereas they see less value in paying extra for a high-end DVD player. As a result, high- and low-income households pay basically the same for a DVD player.

Tricia Parks, CEO, Parks Associates, and Vipin Jain, CEO, Retrevo, presented research from the Consumer Decision Process Annual Survey on June 3 at CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference & Showcase. Their presentation, Navigating the Changing CE Purchase Process, discussed the impact of the recession and the need for flexibility in selling CE to consumers, especially as the power of brand has diminished.

For the full press release, click here.

Connected consumer electronics sales to exceed 100 million units annually by 2013

Consumer demand for digital media and online content will push worldwide annual sales of connected CE to more than 100 million units by 2013, according to the new Parks Associates report Home Networks for Consumer Electronics.

The market for connected CE includes networked TVs, Blu-ray players, game consoles, home media servers, and set-top boxes. Through network and Internet connections, these devices can access and display home network content such as photos and music and retrieve online content such as widgets, games, and video from Hulu and YouTube.

Diverse user scenarios create multiple challenges for technology developers, according to Scherf, including interface design as well as connectivity.

Home Networks for Consumer Electronics covers consumer and technology trends in the connected CE market and provides forecasts for multiple connected CE product categories. For more information, visit www.parksassociates.com/, or contact 972-490-1113, sales@parksassociates.com.

The CONNECTIONS™ conference, June 2-4, features a Connected CE track, including the panels Extending the Reach of Wired Networks and Interfaces and Bringing “Cloud Media” to Consumer Electronics Devices. For registration, or to request a press pass, visit http://www.connectionsconference.com/.

Cable and IPTV VoD resistant to economic trends, revenues to exceed $11 billion in 2013

Parks Associates workshop offers strategies to monetize video services, digital devices, energy management, advertising --

With U.S. households reluctant to cancel home services despite the down economy, growth in cable and IPTV VoD services will remain strong, with revenues exceeding $11 billion by 2013, according to Parks Associates. The international research firm is hosting the pre-show workshop Monetizing Connectivity in the Home on June 2, 2009, at CONNECTIONS™, to analyze the opportunities and successful business strategies for advanced products and services.

CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference and Showcase, taking place in Santa Clara, Calif., June 2-4, tracks developments, trends, and opportunities in the four key areas Communications & Entertainment Services, New Media and Digital Content, Home Systems, and Consumer Electronics. The Parks Associates pre-show workshop is an excellent primer to the event and includes research and forecasts for interactive video services, mobile solutions, energy management, advertising, and connected devices.

At the workshop, the Parks Associates analyst team will provide comprehensive insight, analysis, and forecasts of the digital living markets, including consumer research and the best strategies on how to gain and retain customers in a difficult economy.

Workshop Sessions
Unlocking Interactive Television Services
Connected Consumer Electronics – Cloud Media and Servers
Mobile Innovations: Service, Hardware, and Applications
Advertising in a Three-screen World
Digital Home Technical Support
Energy Management

CONNECTIONS™ includes interactive panels with over 80 speakers, moderated by Parks Associates’ expert analysts and featuring the latest research on converging content, services, and hardware. Register now at http://www.connectionsconference.com or contact sales@parksassociates.com, 972-490-1113, for more information.

For information on Digital Lifestyles: 2009 Outlook, visit http://www.parksassociates.com.

Over 100 million households worldwide to have telco IPTV services by 2013

Microsoft keynote to address Customer Service and IPTV at CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit--

Parks Associates welcomed Roger Pitton, Program Director, TV, Video & Music Business, Microsoft Corporation, as the Keynote speaker for CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit, taking place March 31, in Nice, France. It has a full agenda featuring consumer data and expert analysis on advanced video solutions, digital media solutions, and connected consumer electronics.

The worldwide market for telco IPTV services will exceed 100 million households by 2013, a CAGR of approximately 38%, according to international research firm Parks Associates. Mr. Pitton’s keynote “IPTV and the keys to keeping customers” will address the best business strategies to gain and retain customers in the highly competitive European market for these services.

Mr. Pitton has several years of firsthand experience in marketing and selling IPTV services. In his keynote, he will specify the keys to differentiation, including unique content, an unmatched user experience, and the convergence of technology and content, required for sustaining success.
CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit Sessions:
>> European Consumer Trends
>> Broadband and Value-added Services
>> Video Services
>> Digital Media Content & Delivery
>> Connected CE
>> Digital Home Tech Support

Event sponsors include Affinegy, Enure Networks, and HomeGrid Forum. Global Sponsors include ActiveVideo Networks, Affinegy, Cloakware, DSC, HD-PLC Alliance, Icron, Macrovision, MoCA, ProVision Communications, Radialpoint, Telcordia, and Zilog.

For more information, visit http://www.connectionseurope.com/.