Providing market intelligence for more than 35 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

Can mHealth Make Chronic Care Patients Care About Their Health?

According to the Parks Associates survey, 55 percent of Americans with at least one chronic condition aren’t speaking with their primary care physician any more than once every three months. What’s wo...

Amazon patents floating warehouses to cater for drone delivery

“Sleep-tracking features of smartwatches and fitness trackers are raising consumer awareness about lack of sleep. 42pc of consumers in US broadband households are concerned their health will worsen du...

Connected Cars Open Doors And IoT Devices

Parks Associates revealed that 27% of U.S. car owners would connected cars to communicate with the Internet-connected devices in their home, such as smart garage door openers and door sensors. Park...

Netflix Heads Digital Video Services List, But There Are Questions

You would probably guess right if you were asked “What are the top three digital video subscription services?” They are 1. Netflix 2. Amazon Video and 3. Hulu. No surprises there. But what about numbe...