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

Oculus Quest Standalone VR Headset Launches

A tech reviewer from the Verge reported that Oculus’ Insight system “genuinely seems to work,” noting previous bad experience with similar “inside-out” headset tracking on other devices. It is yet to...

The Multiple OTT Service Explosion

OTT video is firmly established in the U.S. entertainment marketplace, and new research from Parks Associates only puts an exclamation point on the new reality of how Americans consume video entertain...

Amazon, Google, and Roku All Have New Streaming Devices

With more of us now using streaming video services during the COVID-19 pandemic—about three-quarters of all U.S. households subscribe to at least one streaming service, according to research from Park...

The Smart Money: Demand for Security at an All-Time High

Security system use is particularly common in multi-dwelling properties. Parks Associates research shows that 41% of multi-dwelling unit (MDU) property managers have a security/access system for commo...