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.

Analyst Roundtable What's Hot in 2011 WEBCAST - JAN 20

What will be the defining consumer and technology trends of 2011?

Join Parks Associates on Thursday, January 20th at 1 pm CENTRAL for the webcast, Analyst Roundtable What's Hot in 2011, and learn more about CES 2011 announcements and notable trends in the digital home and CE industries. This event provides primary consumer data and trending, predictions, and forecasts for a number of product and service categories.

Parks Associates research finds:
-- U.S. sales of smartphones will reach nearly 60 million in 2011
-- Internet tablets will reach more than 13 million in 2011
-- By 2014, annual worldwide shipments of Internet-connectable CE will reach close to 300 million units
-- 80% of flat-panel TVs sold in the U.S. and Western Europe will have 3D capabilities

***Register for this complimentary event:
http://parksassociates.com/events/webcasts/registration/webcast_registration-free.htm

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
JAN 20 | 1 PM - 2:15 PM CENTRAL
Analyst Roundtable What's Hot in 2011 WEBCAST
***Presenters include: The Parks Associates Analyst Team ***

This webcast features analysis and forecasts from Parks Associates examining:
-- Connected consumer electronics
-- 3D TV
-- Gaming
-- Mobile and portable devices, with a focus on smartphones, tablet computers, and e-readers
-- Broadband and digital television services
-- Advanced advertising
-- Digital home technical support services
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We look forward to you joining us for this Webcast!

Consumer demand for remote services helps boost tech support to $5 billion by 2014

The development of remote online solutions will complement the growing premium tech support industry, including retailers and service providers, by providing improved marketing channels and enhancing automated and live support services. Parks Associates forecasts U.S. revenues in consumer-oriented technical support services will approach $5 billion by 2014, with roughly 50% of the revenues coming from remote technical support services.

The development of remote services across a variety of channels, including broadband providers, Internet security vendors, PC OEMs, and CE retailers, will help meet the demand for premium technical support services, according to Parks Associates’ reports Service Providers and Support Services: Analysis and Forecasts and Retailers and Support Services: Analysis and Forecasts.

Our research has consistently found that assistance with home technologies, including PCs, home networks, and AV equipment, is the top value-added service that a broadband provider can deliver. Consumer desire for ‘attached support’ – that is, additions such as extended warranties and protection plans, setup and configuration, delivery and installation – can also help retailers add revenue to the sale of a variety of CE. Aftermarket care in the form of PC tune-ups and troubleshooting provides a consistent and proactive form of technical care services.

Service Providers and Support Services: Analysis and Forecasts and Retailers and Support Services: Analysis and Forecasts analyze the markets for U.S. consumer technical support services. These reports examine support offerings from service providers, retailers, OEMs, and third-party software and support vendors. They combine the results from more than 50 industry interviews and primary consumer data.

CONNECTIONS™ addresses business strategies and new technologies that leverage consumer interest in TV Everywhere services

Parks Associates reports TV Everywhere services are gaining popularity, with over 40% of U.S. broadband households very positive on these services, which will be a prominent topic at the upcoming CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference and Showcase.

CONNECTIONS™ includes multiple sessions on New Media and Digital Content:

• TV Everywhere and Online Video
• Mobile Internet and Cloud Services
• Trends in User Interfaces
• TV and Online Video Advertising Metrics
• DRM, Conditional Access, and Payment Models

Other Event Sessions:

Entertainment Platforms & Value-Added Services

• Digital Home Technical Support Services
• Digital Lifestyles
• Service Provider Innovation
• The Service Provider and the Connected Home
• Innovations & Investments: Venture Capitalist Insights

Consumer Electronics

• Design Elements for Connected CE
• Monetizing Connected CE
• The Future of the Set-top Box
• 3DTV
• TV Technology in the New Age of Consumer Buying

Home Systems & Controls

• Residential Energy Management
• Getting Consumers to Care about Home Controls
• Business Models for Energy Management
• Architectures and Implications for the Home Area Network
• Energy Management as a Key Application for Home Controls

For more information, visit www.connectionsus.com or contact sales@parksassociates.com, 972-490-1113.

Free Tech Support Webcast: Enhancing Remote Customer and Technical Support

Register today for the Parks Associates March 18th webcast, Enhancing Remote Customer and Technical Support, sponsored by PlumChoice and support.com. Kurt Scherf, VP, Principal Analyst, Parks Associates, will discuss the evolution of the support market - including consumer electronics, home computer and networking configuration, and a variety of maintenance, diagnostics, and troubleshooting services.

Parks Associates estimates that revenues for remote tech support services have doubled in the last year, with revenues in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

As consumers demonstrate a willingness to pay for premium remote technical support services, what are the opportunities and challenges for companies developing and expanding customer care and remote technical support services?

How does the industry move from reactive services to developing a perspective on holistic customer care?

Join Parks Associates, PlumChoice, and support.com for this special Webcast on the evolution of the support market.

Register Now

Residential gateways and home networks to open new revenue streams for service providers

Service providers will see a quick return on investment and be able to build new profits through residential gateway (RG) deployments, which will account for over 50% of all global home networks by 2013, according to Connected Home: Global Outlook.

This new report from international research firm Parks Associates finds U.S. broadband households with a home network from their service provider show a spike in interest in enhanced services such as home network tech support, managed Internet security and parental controls, and online file backup.

Connected Home: Global Outlook analyzes the worldwide market for home network deployments from broadband service providers, including the role of the RG and related solutions in reducing operational expenses, increasing customer satisfaction, and expanding connected home value-added services and features.

For the full press release, visit newsroom.parksassociates.com

Consumer demand, technical innovations to push U.S. revenues for Remote Technical Support Services to $2.6 Billion by 2013

Retailers and broadband service providers to drive market for remote tech support to over 10 million U.S. households --

Annual U.S. revenues for remote technical support services will grow to $2.6 billion by 2013, according to a new report from Parks Associates. Digital Home Tech Support: Analysis and Forecasts finds that increased demand and technical innovations will allow retailers, broadband service providers, and third-party providers to grow their customer base and increase revenues across an array of support areas, including PC setup and troubleshooting, home networking setup and support, and PC tune-up services.

On-site and in-facility repair services once dominated consumer technical support. Today, remote support services allow consumers to keep equipment at home while still giving them access to expert assistance. People are already looking for something to solve their digital challenges and are very interested in these offerings.

The creation and use of automated and deep-diagnostic tools are creating greater efficiency and scale. These tools are especially important as retailers and service providers integrate enhanced support services into new products and subscriptions, which will help grow the number of U.S. households with remote support to over 10 million by 2013.

Given this increase in adoption, providers will have to manage service delivery to scale their businesses. In particular, the use of diagnostic tools and automated software will help providers increase profitability and deliver more proactive services that can help boost recurring subscription revenues.

Digital Home Tech Support: Analysis and Forecasts analyzes the market for U.S. consumer technical support services and software solutions, with forecasts and briefings from more than 30 companies.

For the full press release, click here.

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.

Revenues for Professional Tech Support to exceed $2 Billion by 2013

Parks Associates finds consumer use of tech support tripled since 2006, creating opportunities for service providers, retailers, and third-party providers --

The number of U.S. broadband households seeking professional services for computer and networking problems has tripled since 2006, as more users lack the time and expertise to deal with the complications of today’s technology, according to Customer Support in the Digital Home.

This 2009 consumer survey from international research firm Parks Associates reports more than 30% of consumers have used in-store or in-home technical support to solve a computer problem, up from 10% in 2006. Fifteen percent of consumers have used professional tech support for home networking problems, up from 6% in 2006. Parks Associates forecasts U.S. revenues for PC and home networking troubleshooting services will exceed $2 billion due in large part to growing consumer demand and increased prevalence of connected devices.

Customer Support in the Digital Home reports that service providers can enhance their service portfolios through such offerings as managed security, enhanced technical support, and online backup. Value retailers can enhance their standing by creating service programs that go beyond extended warranties to include ongoing support for purchased and installed products.

Customer Support in the Digital Home is a 2009 survey of over 2,000 U.S. broadband households. It covers the following topics:

• Analysis of tech support experiences and services from service providers• Tech support features at the time of a consumer electronics purchase
• Consumer experience and interest in tech support services that include enhanced Internet security, online backup, home computer, and home networking
• Consumer interest in new, emerging home networking features

The CONNECTIONS™ conference, June 2-4, features a Support and Management track, including the panel Remote Technical Support.

For registration, or to request a press pass, visit http://www.connectionsconference.com/.

HiWired is now Radialpoint ... and maybe PlumChoice?

I've been trying to keep up-to-date on developments in the home tech support space in 2008, and when I wrote awhile back that the remote support space in particular is very dynamic, I wasn't kidding! Not only are industry giants like Cisco, Dell, and Intel all making moves, but we're seeing consolidation. I had heard about possible goings-on with HiWired, but it was difficult to pinpoint exactly what was happening. A former HiWired employee has kept a blog, however, and noted the company's demise. Apparently, some assets have gone to Radialpoint (as did Singu Srinivas, the company's co-founder), and PlumChoice may have gotten ctrlcenter, the remote support element that HiWired was delivering via OfficeMax.