Providing Market Intelligence for 40 Years

In The News

Buying a home? Sellers may use cameras, microphones to spy on house hunters

About 9.4 million U.S. homes, or 7.4% of the total, are equipped with Wi-Fi enabled cameras and mics, says Brad Russell, research director for Parks Associates, a consumer technology research firm. As many as 11 million or so have similar but more limited set-ups trained on the doorstep or outside the house, or embedded in a light fixture, Russell says. That means up to 13% of homes have at least one Wi-Fi camera and mic. The cameras often are visible but can be hidden in stuffed animals, like a “nanny cam,” or concealed in bookshelves. This Web-enabled do-it-yourself home surveillance market didn’t even exist five years ago, Russell says.

From the article "Buying a home? Sellers may use cameras, microphones to spy on house hunters" by Paul Davidson.

Previously In The News

Report: Smart Home Devices Had Biggest Impact on Security Market in 2016

As for why dealers change their offerings, there are many possibilities. According to the Parks and SSI study, competitive forces are key. It could also be driven by the consumer, as more homeowners a...

Sleep Trackers Offer Money Making Opportunity

According to sleep research from Parks Associates, nearly 29 million U.S. broadband households currently own a product that helps them track their sleep quality, representing less than half of the nea...

Insurance, the Smart Home, and the Business of Keeping Customers Engaged

It takes a lot of time and money to acquire a customer, so once you have them, you better keep them. How can you do that if you only talk to them when they have a problem? Consumer engagement was a...

27% of U.S. Broadband Households More Concerned About Security Than 5 Years Ago

A new whitepaper from Parks Associates, produced in partnership with Xfinity Home, reveals 27% of U.S. broadband households report far more concern now about the physical security of home than five ye...