Parks Associates to Moderate a Session at Broadband Properties Summit

Parks Associates is supporting Broadband Properties Summit. The summit will take place April 26-28 2011 in Dallas, TX.

Harry Wang, Director, Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates is moderating the session, “Advances in Broadband-Enabled Telemedicine and Telehealth" on Wednesday, April 27.

Bill Ablondi, Director of Home Systems Research, Parks Associates is presenting during the session, "Editor’s Choice Track: Energy Management: The Smart Grid, and Being Smart on the Grid Date" Wednesday, April 27 from 3:20 PM – 4:20 PM.

The Broadband Properties Summit is the leading venue for information on digital and broadband technologies for buildings and communities. With a focus on residential properties, developments and municipalities, the Summit has become a must-attend event for network builders and large-scale and wholesale buyers and users of broadband technologies, equipment, and services. More Info

Mobile technologies motivate growth in digital health

U.S. revenues from digital health technology-enabled solutions and services will exceed $5.7 billion in 2015, fueled by chronic-care monitoring solutions, senior aging-in-place services, and connected wellness and fitness apps and programs, a new industry report from Parks Associates forecasts.

According to Delivering Quality Care to the Digital Home: 2010 Update, industry revenues in 2010 hit $1.7 billion, and the projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the next five years will be 27%. Mobile broadband will be a key growth driver as many emerging health devices and services rely on high-speed connectivity to track vital signs or enable interactive features.

The digital health industry has many subsectors, and near-term growth will be uneven across these segments. Adoption of chronic-care monitoring will grow slowly, and medication management and senior fall-detection programs will expand at above-average rates. The real engines of growth in this industry will be mobile care solutions and tracking applications.

For example, CES 2011 featured the "Fitness TechZone," which showcased digital innovations such as mobile apps designed to promote healthy living. In 2010, Philips, already a large player in the home health industry, introduced its consumer-focused DirectLife service, which includes an Activity Monitor that tracks a user's physical activity and helps with fitness and wellness management.

Parks Associates is optimistic about the future of digital health industry but notes that the political impasse over the new healthcare law could delay investment in new healthcare technologies and create funding challenges for new business models. “To move forward, this industry needs smart entrepreneurs and visionary industry leaders and a regulatory and reimbursement system amenable to innovative, effective, and cost-saving technology advances.”

Parks Associates presents new “Global Consumer Research on Femtocells” at Femtocells Americas

Harry Wang, Director, Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates, will present key findings from a recently completed global study on femtocells on behalf of Femto Forum at the Femtocells Americas 2010 Conference during the session, “Global Consumer Research on Femtocells” on Tuesday, December 14th at 9:50 AM, in Miami, Florida.

Femtocells can have a major impact on consumer satisfaction and loyalty. Among U.S. consumers likely to change operators in the next 12 months, 44% were very likely to reconsider if their current operator offered a femtocell. The new research from Parks Associates reveals over 50% of U.S. broadband households find femtocells appealing.

The primary driver for femtocell interest is improved in-home coverage. Important secondary drivers include increased mobile handset battery life, faster mobile broadband, advanced femtocell services, and home-zone calling tariffs.

Impact of the New Health Law on the Digital Health Industry

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("Affordable Care Act") passed in the spring of 2010 and took effect near the end of September. Although there will be attempts to repeal some portions of the law, Parks Associates believes most of the provisions will stay unaffected and have a positive impact on the long-term prospects of the digital health industry. Of course, given the complexity of our health system, the interconnected relationships among various stakeholders, and the ripple effect of policy changes, these positive influences could come earlier or later than expected, depending on the start dates of certain provisions, whether they are fully funded, and their process of implementation.

First of all, the influx of newly insured people will aggravate the shortage of primary care and specialist doctors and drive the adoption of alternative care models like home health monitoring and online consultation.

Provisions such as prohibiting health insurers from rejecting patients due to preexisting conditions, keeping adult children on parents' insurance longer (till they turn 26), and mandating insurance coverage for most citizens after 2014 will drive more people to use primary care services. At the same time, the shortage of primary care doctors, and especially the shortage of specialists in rural areas, is not going to abate. The Association of American Medical Colleges predicts the nation may face a gap up to 150,000 physicians as med school enrollment in the family doctor practice continues to fall and more doctors hit the retirement age in the next 15 years. Technology solutions such as home health monitoring and online visits are reasonable alternatives to alleviate the doctor shortage problem.

To read more about this information, subscribe to the Digital Health Newsletter and other Parks Associates Newsletter.

Director of Health & Mobile Product Research From Park Associates Presenting at VITAL

Parks Associates is supporting VITAL (Vision Innovation Technology Adoption Living), a conference taking place on October 6th 2010 in San Francisco, CA.

Harry Wang, Director, Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates is presenting on the session “Incentives For Reimbursement of Personal Health Technologies” from 2:15 PM - 3:00 PM.

Healthcare is at the crossroads of a consumer revolution. As the patient moves to the center of healthcare delivery, innovative personal health technologies empower the consumer with a wealth of data and information. This new consumer is responding by changing their behaviors and taking ownership over their own health outcomes.

VITAL brings together all the key stakeholders shaping this revolution to evaluate consumer preferences, and the impact consumer health technologies have on health outcomes to meet the needs of an empowered digital health consumer.

For more Information, please click here.

Harry Wang, Director of Health Reseach speaking at Healthcare Unbound Conference

Harry Wang, Director, Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates will be moderating the panel, "Innovations in Wireless Technologies" on Monday, July 19th at 4:15 PM at the Seventh Annual Healthcare Unbound Conference & Exhibition in San Diego, CA.

Wireless technology has a number of distinctive characteristics that make it an attractive platform for delivering healthcare anytime, anyplace. Though a number of real barriers remain to be overcome, perhaps no technology has a greater potential for transforming healthcare than wireless. This panel will explore this potential and describe what his happening now.

Parks Associates is supporting Seventh Annual Healthcare Unbound Conference & Exhibition.

The event is a nationally recognized event that focuses on networks, platforms and applications for technology-enabled participatory medicine. Key topics to be covered include innovative applications of remote monitoring, home telehealth, mhealth, ehealth and social media to manage diseases and promote wellness.

Over 50% of Mobile Internet Devices Sold in 2014 Will Have Embedded Mobile Broadband

Parks Associates forecasts consumer demand for ubiquitous wireless access will make mobile broadband a common feature in portable CE, with 55% of the more than 100 million mobile Internet devices (MIDs) sold worldwide in 2014 containing embedded mobile 3G or faster connectivity.

A new report Mobile Internet Devices: Uptake and Trends finds the majority of consumers consider wireless connectivity a necessity for devices such as e-readers, iPads, and portable game players. As a result, OEMs will incorporate mobile broadband into more devices, and to drive end-user adoption further, they could start to forge partnerships with mobile operators to develop innovative pricing models for mobile data services.

The marriage of mobility and the Internet is creating excellent market opportunities. Connected PMPs, e-book readers, and Internet tablets will account for the majority of sales through 2014.

For more information, visit http://www.parksassociates.com/mobile.

Director of Health Reseach featured on ViodiTV

Harry Wang, Director of Health and Mobile Research, Parks Associates was featured on ViodiTV's coverage at the Broadband Properties Summit in Dallas, Texas.

Harry is very excited about next 5 years for the telemedicine/telehealth industry. A number of factors are in play to help overcome consumer inertia to widespread adoption of telemedicine. Ubiquitous wireline and wireless broadband and devices are giving consumers lower cost, more efficient and sometimes more effective alternatives to having to make the trek to their doctors’ offices.

To view the full video, click here.

For additional information about digital health, visit www.parksassociates.com/digitalhealth/.

Research Analyst, Harry Wang speaks at the ATA 2010

Parks Associates is a media sponsor of ATA 2010 to be held from May 16-18 in San Antonio, Texas. In addition, Harry Wang, Director, Health & Mobile Product Research, will moderate a "MarketWatch" concurrent session on Tuesday, May 18, 1-2pm, with presentations on current and future market trends in the telemedicine/telehealth industry, followed by Q&A with the audience.

If you use telecommunications solutions for healthcare, the ATA Annual Meeting is the single-most important event of the year, keeping you up to date with the latest developments in your field. ATA 2010 will focus on outcomes and evidence for telemedicine and telehealth. The meeting will feature roughly 350 peer-reviewed presentations, covering the full spectrum of telemedicine-related subject areas and specialties, within eight concurrent tracks.. Presentations will include oral concurrents, poster presentations, pre-meeting courses and general plenaries. ATA 2010 will also include special Executive Roundtables, featuring top executives in the industry discussing the future of telemedicine from a corporate perspective. More Info

Parks Associates Analysts speaking at Broadband Properties Summit 2010

Parks Associates is supporting and speaking at the upcoming Broadband Properties Summit from April 26th-28th in Dallas, Texas.

Harry Wang, Director, Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates, is moderating the panel, "The Growth of Telemedicine in FTTH Communities" on Tuesday, April 27 from 8:00 a.m. – 8:50 a.m.

Bill Ablondi, Director Home Systems, Parks Associates, is moderating the panel, "How FTTH Enables the Smart Grid" on Tuesday, April 27 from 3:50 p.m. - 4:50 p.m.

The 7th annual Broadband Properties Summit is the premier fiber-to-the-premises industry event. Each year, it enables a comprehensive look at the FTTP landscape, from today’s success stories to tomorrow’s deployments, technology, and consumer demands. More Info

Parks Associates hosting Mobile Internet Devices Webcast

Parks Associates is hosting a Mobile Internet Devices webcast on Thursday, April 22nd at 1 PM Central.

2009 saw rapid growth for netbooks fueled in part by the strong appetite from consumers for an ultraportable, always-connected device. What are the long-term trends driving adoption of an increasing number of Internet-connected portable devices, like ebook reader, MP3 player, and GPS device, vying for specialized applications or roles in consumer’s digital lifestyle?

For more information, visit
www.parksassociates.com/events/webcasts.htm

Number of smartphone users to quadruple, exceeding 1 billion worldwide by 2014

The demand for smartphones is creating a demographic shift among users, who will exceed 1 billion worldwide by 2014, stimulating demand for more entry-level models that offer mainstream solutions such as mobile email and social networking applications, according to Parks Associates’ Smartphone: King of Convergence.

This new report includes consumer data from Parks Associates’ primary study Mobile Convergence: Platforms, Applications, and Services. This consumer survey finds only 30% of current smartphone users are the stereotypical young and tech-savvy aficionados.

The other user segments exhibit more mainstream demographic attributes and more divergent usage patterns. One such segment, dubbed “pragmatists,” consists of budget-conscious, middle-aged users who prefer mobile email service over Internet access. Another group is keen on the smartphone’s communication features, ranging from mobile Internet to social network access.

Smartphone: King of Convergence tracks smartphone sales and market shares and analyzes carrier strategies, new mobile applications and services, and mobile technology trends. Mobile Convergence: Platforms, Applications, and Services is a survey of U.S. mobile consumers about ownership and attitudes regarding mobile devices and services.

For more information, visit http://www.parksassociates.com/mobile.

CONNECTIONS™ Summit and other speaking engagements focus on home entertainment and Web connectivity

Parks Associates market analysts will present new research and provide insight and commentary about new business strategies, new technologies, and consumer demand for connected CE and services at multiple speaking events during the 2010 International CES (Consumer Electronics Show).

Parks Associates will host the fourth-annual CONNECTIONS™ Summit: Monetizing Connectivity in the Home on January 7, the first day of CES. The analysts will also participate at Digital Media Insider, Digital Health Summit, and Digital Hollywood on January 8 and 9.

CONNECTIONS™ Summit will kick off CES on Thursday, January 7. The Summit will feature interactive panels with over 20 leading technology companies including IBM, Yahoo!, and Sony. Executives will discuss business strategies for service providers, status of energy management deployment and adoption, and the changing CE purchase patterns for consumers.

Parks Associates will also participate in the following CES events:

- Kurt Scherf, VP & Principal Analyst, will speak at an Analyst and Press Roundtable “What’s the Scoop at CES?” at Digital Media Insider @ CES on Friday, January 8, 3:15-3:55 P.M. at The Venetian, Las Vegas, Ballrooms 3204-05/3304-05.

- Harry Wang, Director, Health & Mobile Product Research, will participate on the panel “Consumers Driving Healthcare: Capitalizing on the Opportunities” at Digital Health Summit at CES on Saturday, January 9, 9:00-9:45 A.M. in LVCC, North Hall, Ballroom N253.

- Heather Way, Research Analyst, will moderate the panel “Internet Video, Advertising & Marketing: The Next Generation of Consumer Reach” at Digital Hollywood @ CES on Saturday, January 9, 10:30-11:30 A.M. in the LVCC, North Hall N261.

Parks Associates Supports Digital Health Summit at CES

Parks Associates supports Digital Health Summit at CES on January 9, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Harry Wang, Director, Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates will be a panelist on the session "Consumers Driving Healthcare: Capitalizing on the Opportunities" on January 9 from 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM.

In the US alone spending for chronic disease management is expected to increase from $500 billion a year to $685 billion by 2020. Consumers are on–the-go demanding always-on and connected information and care sources. What are the hot segments and healthcare technologies to watch? How are businesses positioning themselves to lead and profit in this field? And who will pay?

The Digital Health Summit is an important new conference and exhibition at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show. The Summit focuses on the emerging market of consumer-based digital health and wellness devices, related applications and services. This premiere event will expose developers, manufacturers, distributors and service providers to the opportunities, partnerships, business models, distribution channels, and standards of the rapidly evolving industry of digital health technologies.

For more information, please click here.

Digital Photo Frames enter mass market with 25% penetration in U.S. broadband households

Product category hits new phase in lifecycle

Digital photo frames will transition from an emerging to mainstream product category in 2009, when it will exceed 25% penetration in U.S. broadband households this holiday season, according to Parks Associates.

The international research firm recently released Global Digital Photo Frame Market Update, part of its Digital Photo Frame Service, which reports that penetration in U.S. broadband households exceeded 20% in the first half of 2009, up from 7% in 2007.

Parks Associates states that in this new steady-growth stage, many early-growth drivers like expanded retail availability and price discounts and promotions will have less impact on the future growth of the product category.

Parks Associates started its Digital Photo Frame Service in 2007. Its latest report on this market summarizes sales data for the first half of 2009 by major regions, frame screen sizes, retail channels, and brand market share. It also provides industry growth forecasts through 2014.

For the full press release, click here.

Research Director, Harry Wang speaks at CTIA Wireless

Harry Wang, Director, Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates will be moderating the panel "Chronic Disease Management and Care Compliance Assurance" at CTIA Wireless IT & Entertainment 2009 in San Diego on Thursday, October 8, at 1:00 PM to 2:15 PM in room 29B.

Combating rising healthcare costs is a top priority in our nation’s economic struggle. This session will explore the application of wireless to chronic disease management for the benefit of the patient and for healthcare reform. The role of wireless monitoring to ensure the patient’s compliance with physician instructions will also be discussed.

Parks Director of Research Speaks at Continua Health Summit, Boston

Harry Wang, Director, Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates will present "Market Trends, PHR Buzz, & Wireless for Healthcare: Implications for Continua" on Wednesday, October 7th at the Continua Health Alliance Fall Summit in Boston, MA.

This two-hour presentation have three mini-tracks that will cover the latest market trends in the personal health technology market, discuss adoption trends and use cases of Personal Health Records (PHR), and highlight home care market opportunity for wireless technology vendors. Continua members are encouraged to participate in this interactive presentation to share their viewpoints and business stories.

Parks Associates supports Broadband Properties Summit 2009

Parks Associates is supporting the Broadband Properties Summit 2009 on April 27-29 at the Hyatt Regency - DFW, Dallas, Texas.

Harry Wang, Director, Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates, is speaking on the panel session Competitive Differentiation and Revenue Generation with Healthcare Services over Fiber, Monday, April 27 from 3:10 PM - 4:00 PM.

Bill Ablondi, Director, Home Systems Research, Parks Associates, is speaking on the opening session Adding Value to Properties to Maximize Revenue on Monday, April 27 from 11:30 AM – 12:20 PM.

Bill Ablondi is also speaking on the panel session Energy Management with Fiber Networks on Tuesday, April 28 from 3:20 PM – 4:20 PM.

Service and hardware revenues will contribute $1.8 billion to the U.S. eldercare industry by 2013

Digital health technologies designed to monitor and care for the elderly population will bring in U.S. revenues in excess of $1.8 billion by 2013.

Technological advances will drive this growth in service and hardware revenues, according to Parks Associates’ Taking Care of the Elderly through Digital Technologies. Connected medical, activity, and environmental sensors and fitness measurement devices will bring in more than twice the dollar amount of the low-tech personal emergency response system (PERS) sector in 2013. These new technologies will monitor seniors’ vital signs, track their locations and activities, and measure their fitness progress.

Taking Care of the Elderly through Digital Technologies is Parks Associates’ latest research report on the digital health industry. This report analyzes how technology can be used to monitor and manage the elderly population in their homes and in long-term care facilities. The report also examines applicable service sectors and potential payment models.

Harry Wang, Director of Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates, is speaking in the session “Smart Home-Smart Patient: Telehealth and the New Digital Home” at the 2008 ATA Mid-Year Meeting, September 15, 2008, at 9:45 a.m.

Parks Associates analysts present insights on broadband, digital content, advertising, home systems, and digital health at CONNECTIONS™

Parks Associates’ leading analysts will explore the implications of high-speed connections and the exponential growth of digital devices in homes as a kickoff to CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference and Showcase.

The session Analyst Roundtable: Top Trends to Watch, Tuesday, June 24, will feature analysis of the digital living industry and focus on trends in broadband and access services, video delivery, online content services, advertising, digital health, and home systems.

The session will feature Kurt Scherf, Vice President, Principal Analyst; Bill Ablondi, Director, Home Systems Research; John Barrett, Director, Research; Yuanzhe (Michael) Cai, Director, Broadband & Gaming; and Harry Wang, Senior Analyst.

Consumer habits in entertainment are changing in accordance with this surfeit of new devices and services. As of 2007, 50% of U.S. Internet households were watching short video clips online, and 25% were downloading short video files. DVR household penetration reached over 40% of the U.S. online population in 2007, further increasing the place-shifting aspect of video consumption.

Parks Associates designed Analyst Roundtable: Top Trends to Watch to offer a complete and coherent presentation of these digital markets as well as the perfect primer for CONNECTIONS™.

CONNECTIONS™ will be held June 24-26, 2008, at the Santa Clara Convention Center. For more information, visit http://www.connectionsconference.com/ or call 972-490-1113.