Providing Market Intelligence for 40 Years

In The News

How Parks Associates Helped Shape 30 Years of Smart Home Innovation

In a video interview from CONNECTIONS 2026 in the Silicon Valley, Elizabeth Parks reflects on the evolution of the connected home market, the growing role of AI and why the dealer channel still matters in an increasingly automated world.

Parks Associates brought its CONNECTIONS conference back to Santa Clara, Calif., May 4-6, for its 30th anniversary edition, a milestone for a firm that has spent four decades tracking the evolution of the connected home market. From the early days of home networking and automation to today’s AI-powered ecosystems, the annual conference has long served as a gathering point for manufacturers, service providers, dealers and technology executives trying to understand where the market is heading next.

As part of my coverage from the event, I sat down with Elizabeth Parks for a conversation that touched on both the industry’s past and the increasingly complicated future now taking shape around AI, interoperability, cybersecurity and the connected consumer. During the discussion, Parks reflected on how many of today’s smart home conversations mirror ideas the industry was already discussing decades ago — only now with far more sophisticated technology behind them.

Parks said that dynamic places enormous pressure on companies to deliver a strong first experience because consumers who encounter friction early may never move deeper into the category.

We also discussed the growing challenge facing dealers and installers as AI-enabled products and services rapidly enter the market. While Parks acknowledged the pace of innovation may outstrip how quickly many integrators can adapt, she emphasized the importance of manufacturers continuing to support dealer channels through training, programs and workforce development efforts.

Toward the end of the conversation, Parks pointed to cybersecurity and data privacy as areas she believes will become much larger concerns across the connected home landscape in the years ahead, even as AI continues to dominate industry conversations.

Watch the full video interview for more from Elizabeth Parks on the evolution of the smart home market, what still surprises her after three decades of research and where she believes the industry is heading next.

From the article, "How Parks Associates Helped Shape 30 Years of Smart Home Innovation" by Rodney Bosch

Previously In The News

Sling TV: How Many Subscribers Does It Have?

Parks Associates thinks so. The research group this week issued a study showing that Sling has surpassed the one million subscriber mark, becoming the nation's sixth leading subscription streaming ser...

Self-Driving Cars Could Be $20 Billion Boon to Hollywood

In January, Jennifer Kent, connected car analyst for Parks Associates, said we may also be nearing connectivity in cars that would support video streaming. She projected it would take three to five ye...

Wearables trends reflect growing use of analytics, customized value proposition

Data and user privacy remain top reasons consumers are wary of wearable devices. For instance, a recent Parks Associates report notes that about 35 percent of consumers who responded to a survey say t...

mHealth Looks to Solve the Diabetes Care Management Conundrum

Earlier this year, a report from digital health analyst Parks Associates found that 27 percent of people with a chronic condition want a mobile health device that tracks their health, but a significan...

Phone:
972-490-1113
Mailing Address:
2301 West Plano Parkway, Suite 210, Plano, TX 75075
Expertise
Smart Home: Management and Safety Consumer Electronics Connected Health and Wellness Connectivity and Mobility Small-to-medium Business (SMB) MDU
Services
Research Memberships Visibility Memberships Streaming Video Tracker Smart Home and Security Tracker Broadband Market Tracker Channel Analytics
Events
CONNECTIONS™ CONNECTIONS™ Summit/CES Smart Energy Summit Connected Health Summit Future Of Video Smart Spaces
Resources
Press Releases Analyst Blog Parks in the News
Store
View Your Cart
About Us
Overview Team Contact Us Privacy Policy

Follow:

© 2023-2026 Parks Associates. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy

Design & Developed By Agency Partner Interactive