Parks Associates to focus on opportunities in digital media & connected CE at CONNECTIONS™ Europe

Parks Associates announced the agenda for CONNECTIONS™ Europe: Monetizing Connectivity and User Experiences, which the international research firm will host on April 27, 2010, in Amsterdam.

CONNECTIONS™ Europe is the leading executive summit featuring European and international consumer research, top executives, and innovative companies in the digital living markets. The summit will examine business models and challenges related to digital media, including the potential of 3D video in the home, the role of value-added services in building ARPU, monetization of over-the-top content, and the challenge of pushing content to multiple connected CE, including smartphones and other mobile devices.

The preliminary agenda for CONNECTIONS™ Europe features the following sessions:
-- Bringing the Content
-- Extending the Video Experience to Multiple Screens
-- Controlling the Experience
-- Value-added Services & the Video Ecosystem
-- Mobile Video: The Cloud, the App Store & the Connected Home

CONNECTIONS™ Europe will feature Parks Associates’ expert consumer and industry research, with the company’s analysts presenting data from consumer research projects including All Eyes on Video, Consumer Decision Process, Residential Energy Management, and Digital Media Evolution.

Early sponsors for CONNECTIONS™ Europe, also members of Parks Associates’ Premier Program, include ActiveVideo Networks and PacketVideo. Visit www.parkspremier.com for more information on the Premier Program.

Visit www.connectionseurope.com for more information about CONNECTIONS™ Europe. The deadline for speaker submissions is March 1, 2010.

Parks Associates welcomes Smart Energy Summit Sponsors

Parks Associates announced the early sponsors for Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer, hosted in cooperation with Austin Energy on January 25-27 at the Hyatt Regency, Austin, Tex. The conference focuses on the opportunities and challenges in residential energy technologies and identifies business strategies for in-home energy monitoring and management systems.

Direct Energy, Exceptional Innovation, HAI, iControl Networks, INSTEON, and OpenPeak are all early sponsors of the event.

Direct Energy is one of North America’s largest providers of energy and energy-related services. The company has over five million residential and commercial customer relationships, providing choice and support in managing their energy costs through innovative products and services.

Exceptional Innovation manufactures Life|ware®, enterprise software solutions designed to seamlessly connect data and devices for integrated automation and control. Life|ware’s Energy Management Solution provides an efficient, elegant approach to complete residential management, benefiting both energy consumers and utility providers alike.

HAI (Home Automation, Inc.) manufactures integrated automation and security products for residential and commercial use. Its solutions allow utilities to implement time-of-use rating structures, manage demand response during peak demand events, and send custom messages to customers.

iControl Networks, a leader in broadband home management, recently announced its ConnectedLife Energy Management solution enabling utilities and service providers to offer customers the ability to monitor, control and automate their energy usage via the web, mobile phone or touchscreen.

INSTEON is an award-winning home area networking (HAN) technology, currently in trials with four of the top 10 U.S. utilities. Its unique dual-band, mesh, wireless network makes it ultra-reliable and cost effective for energy management, demand response and load-shedding.

OpenPeak Inc. creates, designs, and develops innovative systems and devices that enable simple control of home energy usage, VoIP telephony, digital media, Internet content, and consumer electronics on a single touchscreen device.

Other supporters include AltEnergyMag, CABA, CEDIA, Energy Priorities, Home Toys, Mercom Capital Group, Smart Grid Today, VB/Research, and WinSmartGrid.

For the full press release, click here.

Smart Energy Summit to focus on in-home energy management and control solutions

U.S. Department of Commerce, Austin Energy to keynote conference --

International research firm Parks Associates announced the preliminary agenda and current speakers, sponsors, and advisory board for the Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer. This conference, hosted in cooperation with Austin Energy on January 25-27 at the Hyatt Regency in Austin, Tex., focuses on opportunities in residential energy management and the challenges of bringing Smart Grid technologies to U.S. households.

Sessions include the latest consumer research from Parks Associates’ landmark Residential Energy Management service, which surveys both consumers and utilities on attitudes and trends in this growing industry. Early sponsors for Smart Energy Summit include Direct Energy, Exceptional Innovation, HAI, iControl Networks, and OpenPeak. Event supporters include AltEnergyMag, CABA, Energy Priorities, Home Toys, SmartGrid Today, VB/Research, and WinSmartGrid.

Andres Carvallo, CIO, Austin Energy, will present the keynote “A New Journey: Utility 2.0” on Tuesday, January 26 at 9:30 a.m. He will share his vision of the utility of the future, informed by his company’s experiences developing and deploying its Smart Grid, and highlight new paradigms of business models and technologies that will transform consumers into “prosumers” - producers and consumers all in one.

Dr. George W. Arnold, National Coordinator for Smart Grid Interoperability, National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce, will also be a keynote speaker at the conference.

Confirmed speakers:

- Susan Cashen, VP, Marketing, Control4
- Steve Cashman, Chief Strategy Officer, Exceptional Innovation
- David Dollihite, VP, Direct Energy
- David Friedman, Senior Director, Strategic Marketing, ZeroG Wireless, Inc.
- Dan Gittleman, Chairman & CEO, OpenPeak
- Vince Groff, Executive Director, Cox Communications
- Jim Johnson, President & CEO, uControl
- Thomas Pickral, Business Development, HAI

The Smart Energy Summit Advisory Board provides input into the design and content of the event, focusing particularly on the market opportunities and business issues associated with engaging the consumer in energy management. Current Advisory Board participants:

- Andres Carvallo, Chief Information Officer, Austin Energy
- Steve Cashman, Chief Strategy Officer, Exceptional Innovation
- Ken Wacks, Member, GridWise Architecture Council, U.S. Department of Energy
- Brian Woods, CMO, OpenPeak

For more information, visit www.smartenergysummit2010.com.

Smartphones, Mobile Services, 3D TV, and Smart Grid are key topics at CONNECTIONS™ SUMMIT at CES

Parks Associates announced the speakers for the CONNECTIONS™ Summit at CES in Las Vegas, January 7, on the first day of the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

Over thirty speakers will participate in sessions moderated by Parks Associates analysts and featuring consumer and industry research on smartphones, mobile services, 3D TV, and smart grid technologies. Session topics also include business strategies for service providers, status of energy management deployment and adoption, and the changing CE purchase patterns for consumers, featuring research from Parks Associates’ Consumer Decision Process (CDP) service.

CONNECTIONS™ Summit will feature the current CDP findings, which support the latest Black Friday numbers - purchase intentions are up slightly from last year, although consumers are still cautious. Certain product categories will have a better 2010 than others. Intentions to purchase a game console have plunged since 2008, while mobile phones and digital camcorders have surged, benefiting from new models like smartphones and the Flip Video camcorder.

Summit Sessions:
- Consumer Electronics Purchases: Are Consumers Back in the Buying Mood?
- The Connected TV – Displays and Beyond
- Service Provider Strategies for the Connected Home
- The Mobile Aspect of Unified Infotainment: Opportunities and Challenges
- Advances in Television Advertising
- Bringing the Smart Grid to the Smart Home
- 3D: Adding New Dimensions to Entertainment

Speakers:
- Timo Bauer, SVP & GM Americas, NewBay Software
- Joly Benoit, Director, Connected Home Applications, Thomson
- Jean-Pierre Bienaimé, Chairman, UMTS Forum, Orange
- Tom Carroux, Director, Sales and Market Development, Irdeto
- Susan Cashen, VP, Control4 Energy Systems
- Steve Cashman, CSO, Exceptional Innovation
- Brian Chamberlin, Manager, Interactive Projects, NDS
- Chris Deutschen, Senior Mgr, Innovation & Sales, Direct Energy
- Jaime Fink, CTO, 2Wire
- Hope Fulgham, CEO/CMO, Piazza Advertising
- Ted May, VP, Strategy & Business Affairs, Synacor
- Arlo Rose, Senior Dir., Product Design, Connected TV, Yahoo!
- Scott Rosenberg, VP, Advanced Advertising, Rovi Advertising
- David Sandford, VP, Marketing & Product Management, TiVo
- Rick Schwartz, Senior Product Manager, PacketVideo
- Simon Tidnam, VP, Sales & Marketing, HDlogix
- Paul Woidke, SVP and GM, Advanced Advertising, OpenTV

Parks Associates Moderators:
- Bill Ablondi, Director, Home Systems Research
- Jayant Dasari, Analyst
- Tricia Parks, CEO
- Kurt Scherf, VP, Principal Analyst
- Stuart Sikes, President, Parks Associates
- Harry Wang, Director, Health & Mobile Product Research
- Heather Way, Analyst

Parks Associates will host a Networking Reception following the Summit. Event sponsors include Irdeto, Eyecon Technologies, and Premier Sponsors ActiveVideo Networks, PacketVideo, and RedMere. For information, visit www.connectionssummit.com or register at www.cesweb.org.

Households in Western Europe with TV services to top 180 million in 2013

CONNECTIONS™ Europe announces call for papers to address new challenges, opportunities in changing product and service landscape --

CONNECTIONS™ Europe has announced the call for papers for its upcoming Summit, November 4, 2009, in Amsterdam, Netherlands. CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit, hosted by international research firm Parks Associates, is dedicated to the discussion and analysis of new business models for emerging services, applications, and advanced digital technologies. The event will take place at the Mövenpick Hotel Amsterdam City Centre.

CONNECTIONS™ Europe is accepting speaker submissions within five main topic categories.
Adding Value to Access Services examines the impact of broadband value-added services and the role and design of connected CE enabling these services.

Digital Home Tech Services examines consumer demand and new revenue opportunities for installation, troubleshooting, and service plans.

Residential Gateways – Devices Enabling New Services examines hardware requirements and service opportunities as these devices enable enhanced bundled services and home connectivity applications.

Video Devices & Entertainment Platforms examines the new roles and functions for the television, the set-top, the game console, the PC, portable devices, and mobile phones as well as the software enabling these technologies.

Television, Digital Media Services, & Advanced Video examines next-generation entertainment applications and “go-to-TV” services and products.

CONNECTIONS™ Global Sponsors include HD-PLC Alliance, DSC, Macrovision, MoCA, Radialpoint, ActiveVideo Networks, Affinegy, Icron, Irdeto, NXP, ProVision Communications, Telcordia, and Zilog. CONNECTIONS™ Europe Advisory Sponsor is Eyecon Technologies.
Visit http://www.connectionseurope.com for sponsorship information or to submit a speaking proposal. Deadline for submission is August 15, 2009.

For the full press release, click here.

28% of Broadband Households in Western Europe watch online TV monthly

CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit examines new opportunities in broadband, video services, digital media, CE ---

International research firm Parks Associates announced today the topics and preliminary list of speakers for CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit, March 31, 2009, in Nice, France. This executive event addresses the new strategies for service and technology providers, media companies, and manufacturers in creating new entertainment and communications solutions.

Summit sessions include broadband and value-added services, the evolution of video services, digital media, connected CE, digital home services and customer support, and the future of consumer technologies.

The agenda includes consumer and industry research on CE ownership and purchase intentions, interest in advanced television and video services, and digital entertainment habits, including attitudes toward content copying and piracy.

CONNECTIONS™ Europe features Roger Pitton, Program Director, TV Business, Microsoft Corporation, delivering the keynote “IPTV and the keys to keeping customers.” The event also features:

• Michimasa Aramaki, Director, Industrial Standardization, HD-PLC Alliance
• Thierry Boudard, IPTV Strategic Innovation Manager, Thomson
• Richard Bullwinkle, Chief Evangelist, Macrovision
• Mark Cavicchia, CEO & Founder, WhereverTV
• Brian Donnelly, VP Marketing & Business Development, Icron
• Margot Dor, Director of Strategy, ETSI
• Paul Entwistle, Chief Technologist, Pace
• Milan Erbes, Ambassador, HGI; Standardization & Business Development Manager, DS2
• Gil Eyal, CEO, Enure Networks
• Ed Forman, EVP, Products and Services, ActiveVideo Networks
• Peter Galyas, CTO, Tilgin
• Trevor Izsak, Director, Business and Market Development, Cloakware
• Stefan Jenzowsky, CEO, moreTV Broadcasting GmbH
• Art Lancaster, CTO, Affinegy
• Dr. Ulrich Leiner, Head of Department Interactive Media - Human Factors, Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, HHI
• Dr. Anton Monk, CTO, MoCA; Co-Founder, Entropic Communications, Inc.
• Trond Neergard, Vice President, Sales and General Manager, EMEA, Radialpoint
• Dr. Randolph Nikutta, Head of Project Field "New Media", Deutsche Telekom AG, Laboratories
• Frederic Onado, Vice President EMEA, HomePlug Powerline Alliance; COO, SPiDCOM Technologies
• Eric Plesner, Director of Business Development, IO-Homecontrol
• Eran Rom, CEO, Jungo
• Micha Risling, VP of Marketing, Valens Semiconductor
• Bill Stanley, Director, Operations Solutions, Telcordia
  

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

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