Digital Home Support Services

A major business disruption stemming from the increasing connectivity of consumer electronic devices is the growing need for ongoing support among consumers. The resulting business challenge is that many companies that had not previous developed capabilities in this area find themselves in a position where providing such services is inevitable. Many are now preoccupied with how to accomplish the following: Increase support efficiency Minimize the use of support...

Chris Koverman , VP of Product & Engineering, Support.com, provides insight on several key industry trends for Parks Associates’ 11th-annual CONNECTIONS™ Summit conference , which will be held January 5 at CES 2017 in Las Vegas: What is the most important next step to engage consumers in smart home solutions, connected entertainment services, and/or value-added services like tech support and connected health? Smart home solutions will need to be brain dead simple...

Data breaches that expose sensitive data of millions of customers and cost large companies millions of dollars are now pervasive in the news.  As cyber-criminals formulate new ways to attack, many companies and consumers are now more aware of the vulnerabilities involved in providing and using connected products and services. Despite the fact that cybercriminals are consistently devising new attack strategies, device manufacturers and consumers are yet to pull out all the stops...

This week in the Wall Street Journal , Brad Russell , Research Analyst at Parks Associates, provided some tips on what Yahoo users can do to protect themselves after yesterday’s news of a security breach in 2014. Brad’s recommended actions include: Be watchful for any communication from Yahoo that clarifies whether you are affected and to what degree. Immediately change your Yahoo password and any similar passwords you use for other online accounts....

Small businesses (SMBs) represent a significant opportunity for IT products and services. These companies appreciate the advanced IT products and services that large companies use to enhance their operations but usually cannot afford the enterprise-class infrastructure, software, and solutions available to much larger businesses. However, small businesses are adopting connected devices at a significant rate—businesses with 10 or fewer employees own 10 connected devices, and those with...

New research by Parks Associates finds that 76% of U.S broadband households are very concerned about their data security and personal privacy when using connected devices. The firm’s new consumer research, The Demand for Device and Network Security , reveals identity and data theft are among the highest security concerns; however, despite these concerns, only 6% of U.S broadband households have experienced those problems in the last year. Commenting on the new data, Parks...

Last week, I was among the diverse group of patrons who attended the Broadband World Forum in London. The conference hosted fixed, mobile and cable operators from several global markets; national and international governments; and leading solution providers (among others). I moderated and listened to several debates on the key strategies to achieve success in the connected home. Here are a few key takeaways. The smart home must evolve to become more integrated – All agree that...

I recently cohosted a webcast with Support.com titled Behind the Scenes – Support Strategies for IoT Success . We discussed current consumer experiences with new connected devices and new models of support that can improve customer experience and drive product adoption in smart home and other IoT industries. The market for smart home devices and systems has been gaining traction over the past few years, due, in part, to a broad range of companies that offer a myriad of products...