Providing Market Intelligence for 40 Years

In The News

Smart Home of the Future Is Here; Why Aren't People Buying In?

What will convince consumers that a connected home is worth the cost and effort? Device makers hope to sell the idea that a connected home is not just safer, but also saves money and is ultra-convenient.

Smart home devices must automate daily mundane tasks so the homeowner doesn't have to worry about them, said Stuart Sikes, president of the research firm Parks Associates.

"We're moving to a place where we have proactive home managers, devices that turn off the water and notify you after the fact that you've had a leak, the water's been shut off, can I do anything else for you?" said Stuart Sikes, president of the research firm Parks Associates. "That is a true smart home."

Take Google's Nest Learning Thermostat, for example, which costs $249. Manufacturers claim the gadget saves an average of $131 to $145 a year in heating and cooling bills. But a smart system could add to those savings by telling the blinds on the home's western windows to automatically close at 5 p.m. to block the sun.

From the article "Smart Home of the Future Is Here; Why Aren't People Buying In?" by Benny Evangelista.

Previously In The News

Giraffic Speaks At The 20th Connections US Conference By Parks Associates

The panelists were all in consensus that VR is not a just a temporary hype and will continue to grow. Recent study from Parks Associates revealed that 2.3M households in US already own a VR headset, s...

Caregiver Apps: Four Ways to Boost Adoption Rates

Caring for sick or aging loved ones is a big job. Keeping up with medication schedules, communicating with healthcare providers, learning about disease management, helping with day-to-day tasks — it c...

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...

Pay TV Companies Are Losing Ground To OTA

The latest Parks Associates study is out, and it has more bad news for traditional pay TV companies. Once again, satellite and cable companies are seeing losses. And it’s not just streaming services t...