Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

Parks: Smart Home Devices Driving Higher Demand for Tech Support, But Computer Problems are in Steady Decline

Consumer computer problems, as well as problems with entertainment devices are declining steadily year-over-year, dropping by more than 50% since 2014, according to a new report from Parks Associates. However, smart home devices are creating more problems in households, according to the report. Thirty-four percent of smart home device owners experienced problems with their devices in 2017, up from 28% in 2016.

Twenty to 25 percent of U.S. broadband households plan to buy a smart device within the next year, so tech support companies and service providers are starting to invest more support resources focusing on solutions for the broad array of these products, such as in-home consultation services.

From the article "Parks: Smart Home Devices Driving Higher Demand for Tech Support, But Computer Problems are in Steady Decline" by Phil Britt.

Previously In The News

Sharing your TV streaming passwords? Cable companies won’t stop you—yet

Neither of these methods work particularly well, at least for the kind of casual sharing that’s pervasive among friends and family members. A survey earlier this year by Parks Associates found that 18...

Could streaming giants start to clamp down on password sharing?

The major concern for cyber security companies like Synamedia is how password sharing can turn into true content piracy ? stealing streaming shows and movies and reselling them for profit. If you k...

Some NFL+ users struggle to watch games on the app

Consumer issues with accessing the NFL games are also indicative of a fragmented sports streaming landscape. Eric Sorensen, a senior contributing analyst with Parks Associates, noted in July how curre...

Streaming is heading toward a breaking point with consumers

However, while work on that puzzle continues and multiple companies look for a way to get streaming subscribers to stay in one place, customer churn is still high. Or, as Parks Associates describes it...