Providing Market Intelligence for 40 Years

In The News

IRobot faces a murky future amid rising Roomba competitors

The company is still “number one,” said Elizabeth Parks, president of market research firm Parks Associates in Dallas. But it’s a shaky number one. Parks estimates that iRobot had nearly two-thirds of the robot vacuum market in 2018, but now holds only a 48 percent share. Meanwhile, rival robot makers like SharkNinja, Roborock, Eufy, and Ecovacs have been steadily chipping away.

One possible reason, according to Parks, is concern about data privacy. More advanced versions of the Roomba and other robots use visual sensors to generate detailed maps of the user’s home. This information is shared with the manufacturers to develop more advanced products, but it could also potentially be used to monitor users.

From the article, "IRobot faces a murky future amid rising Roomba competitors" by Hiawatha Bray

Previously In The News

PayPal Leads The Way In US Mobile Payments, But Retailers Not Happy

Mobile payments are still an up-and-coming new capability for consumers; while mobile banking has clearly led the way, there’s still a lot of interest in mobile payments at least in some fields. Wh...

ONLINE VIDEO ROUND UP: Google, YouTube, Stats from Super Bowl 2017 and More

According to a new Parks Associates report, churn rates for OTT video services are 19% of U.S. broadband households, which would mean that about one in five households have cancelled an OTT service in...

Parks Associates To Host Annual Connections Conference May 24-26 In San Francisco

The executive event, addressing the converging IoT industries—including smart home, connected entertainment and mobile ecosystems—will feature panel discussions and keynotes by: — Matt Eyring, chie...

Smart Home Technology Sells Homes

In a world where selling a home is already hindered by the economy and a generation that is hesitant to buy, smart home technology is making things even harder. According to Coldwell Banker Real Es...