Providing Market Intelligence for 40 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

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...

Digital Publishers Lost $41.4 Bn Due To Ad Blocking: Study

“Many content creators rely on advertising revenue to monetise video, especially as newly launched digital services seek revenue. As digital video viewership increases on all screens, use of ad-blocki...

Nearly 80% Of US Spanish-Language Households Subscribe To OTT Video Services

“While pay-TV penetration has declined among US broadband households, adoption has remained steady among Spanish-bilingual households over the past few years. Cord cutting does not have the same impac...

For Sprint, T-Mobile, Plans Will Be Unlimited—And Less.

Wireless data usage is growing steadily from 2015-16 as consumers shift data-heavy activities from desktop to mobile. According to Parks Associates’ latest survey data, average monthly wireless data c...