|
 August
19, 2010 — mobihealthnews
Parks Associates surveyed 972 patients and found that of those
who use medical devices like pulse oximeters or blood glucose meters
only 4 percent actually transfer the data to their mobile phone.
Parks also found that 21 percent of smartphone owners polled had
downloaded a fitness app or workout-related smartphone app.
From the article, "Revisiting wireless health by the numbers" by
Brian Dolan
 August
19, 2010 — MediaPost's Online Media Daily
Cloud computing will prove invaluable as video game play on mobile
devices matures, but the need for speed to connect online with require
better connectivity. Parks Associates believes wireless
connectivity will become a necessity for devices such as e-readers,
iPads, and portable game players. The research firm estimates 55% of the
more than 100 million mobile Internet devices sold worldwide in 2014
containing embedded mobile 3G or faster connectivity on mobile handsets.
From the article, "Could Cloud Computing Push Mobile Games
Past $1.5B In 2014?" by Laurie Sullivan
August 18, 2010 — Boston Globe
Pietro Macchiarella,
a research analyst at Parks Associates in Dallas, was more
optimistic. He said only a tiny percentage of free-to-play gamers make
in-game purchases, but those players lay out about $10 a month, on
average.
Zynga does not reveal its revenues, but the company says its games
attract 215 million users per month. If only 1 percent of Zynga players
spent the average amount, the company would generate $258 million in
revenue per year, not counting advertising sales. “Even a small
percentage means a lot of money,’’
Macchiarella
said.
From the article, "Zynga to buy Cambridge game maker Conduit
Labs" by Hiawatha Bray
 August 17, 2010 — FierceIPTV
Parks Associates analyst
Pietro Macchiarella
agrees, and said that, while there are a number of similarities between
the launch of HDTV and that of 3D TV, the difference this time around is
that everybody in the industry is looking at 3D as a must have. CE
companies see it as a way to drive sales of new televisions and
3D-compatible devices; broadcasters, who bridled at the introduction of
HD, are jumping into the new technology with both feet, because they see
an opportunity to differentiate themselves; and content providers,
looking at the successes of movies like "Avatar" last year, see a chance
to charge more for content.
"All the stars are in place for this to happen," said
Macchiarella.
"If they're in the market for a new TV, they might buy," he said.
"But the lingering effects of the recession is an issue, the lack of
content, price of devices, and lack of consumer education about 3D if
holding buyers back a little bit."
"There's a problem on the marketing side because CE companies have a
difficulty in explaining how 3D looks, they have to show consumers what
it looks like and until buyers experience it for themselves, they're not
going to jump onboard," he said. "I've had people tell me they went into
a store to look at 3D televisions and put the 3D glasses on and couldn't
see anything because the batteries were dead. There is a problem if the
retailers are not showing the product in the right way, there needs to
be a major investment in that side of the business."
"The differential cost to implement this feature is very low, or will be
very low the more time passes," said
Macchiarella.
"If you buy a new TV and the feature only costs you $100 to buy 3DTV,
won't you buy it?"
Parks research shows that consumers are most intrigued by the
prospect of watching 3D movies (39 percent) and television shows (27
percent); a quarter of them are interested in seeing sports in 3D. "We
think that 3D TV will most likely be more of an appointment-based
experience," he said. "And sports is the most natural thing for
appointment-based viewing. That's why broadcasters are betting on it to
succeed."
From the article, "3D TV: Coming of age in the next five years"
by Jim O'Neill
August
16, 2010 — MediaPost's Online Media Daily
Similar to Piper Jaffray, analyst at Parks Associates believe
advertising, including delivery and analytics, provides Google with
enormous potential. But in a white paper released in June, Parks
Associates analysts point to troubled television manufacturers
trying to determine how big their share of potential revenue for online
content will become.
To date, the business models between television manufacturers and
content providers or aggregators have been revenue sharing based on
online video orders. As a result, the TV manufacturer may get a few
pennies per video on demand orders. Online video revenues on connected
CE devices other than the game console could reach $180 million in 2010,
reaching $800 million by 2014.
Other concerns Park Associates highlights includes the ability
to search and discover, and how much high-quality content Google can
actually contribute through YouTube.
From the article, "Apple And Google Set To Capitalize (And
Compete) On Internet TV" by Laurie Sullivan
 August
12, 2010 — TechNewsWorld
"If 3D is going to be successful, it will be on Blu-ray, because that's
the only format that gives you full 3D resolution for each eye," said
Pietro Macchiarella,
a research analyst at Parks Associates. "Every other resolution
gives you half the 1080p resolution for each eye."
Further, Blu-ray isn't so bad off,
Macchiarella
indicated.
"From the distribution and logistical point of view, a Blu-ray disk
is compatible with both 3D and 2D, so it has a built-in market,"
Macchiarella
said. "If you don't have a 3D player, you can still watch the Blu-ray
disk on a legacy 2D player."
Over time, the prices of 3D TV sets will fall, Parks Associates'
Macchiarella
predicted. That will partly be due to their widespread acceptance among
consumers and the consequent economies of scale in production.
"We think 3D will be a standard feature of 80 percent of TV sets by
2014," Parks'
Macchiarella
said. "It will be there but you won't necessarily have to watch every
program in 3D."
From the article, "Samsung Gives 3D TV a Push" by Richard
Adhikari
 August
11, 2010 — E-Commerce Times
"There's almost a consensus that Verizon Wireless will get the iPhone,
but the question is when,"
Harry Wang, a director of research at Parks Associates, told
MacNewsWorld. "Some put it at early next year, but I see it coming in a
little later than that, especially if the iPhone CDMA version will
support LTE."
He puts the likelihood of Verizon's getting the iPhone at 90 percent.
From the article, "Mixed Bag of News Keeps Apple Investors
Guessing" by Richard Adhikari
 August
11, 2010 — BridgeCo
The 2009 sales of networked audio devices add to a base of “Eight
percent of U.S. broadband households – a little more than five million
households,” that currently own networked digital music streaming
systems, according to Parks Associates’ VP and Principal Analyst, Kurt
Scherf in a 2010 April report.
“Companies such as BridgeCo, which develops embedded solutions for
connected audio, are helping to expand the market into existing
categories of audio products, including AV receivers, Internet radios,
MP3/iPod docks, home-theater-in-a-box systems, soundbars, and other
products," according to the Parks Associates report.
From the press release, "'Networked Audio Market Soars as
BridgeCo Leads the Way in Consumer Electronics Connectivity"
 August
10, 2010 — Dallas Morning News
The number of game console owners who are spending money on a monthly
basis to download games jumped to 29 percent this year from 8 percent in
2008, according to consumer research from Dallas-based Parks
Associates. The percentage of game consoles connected to the
Internet also took a substantial leap, rising to 51 percent this year
from 33 percent in 2008.
Broadband connectivity has served as a "game changer" for the gaming
industry, said
Pietro Macchiarella,
research analyst at the firm. Although retail sales still account for
the majority of gaming industry revenue, other casual games such as
FarmVille on Facebook, online console gaming, games on demand and
download portals are moving the industry toward digital distribution.
From the article, "Blockbuster adds video games to by-mail
subscription program" by Maria Halkias
August 5, 2010 — Constructech
The majority of homeowners—approximately 80%—want to cut back on energy
consumption by adopting energy-management solutions in their homes,
according to a new report from Parks Associates, Dallas, Texas.
This percentage is even more impressive due to the fact this group also
said they are willing to pay for solutions.
According to
Bill Ablondi, director, home systems research, Parks Associates,
“Engaging consumers is critical to success in this market. Business
strategies must be developed that comprehend the magnitude of consumer
education and support required for offerings in this arena.”
From the article, "Homebuyers Willing to Spend on Technology"
 August
5, 2010 — FOXBusiness
In 2007, the number of online gamers worldwide was projected at 217
million, according to Comscore. Most recently, this online-gaming sector
aimed at adults “has proven remarkably recession-proof,” according to a
report offered by international research firm Parks Associates.
The study also predicted the annual market for “premium” casual games
will exceed $1 billion by 2013.
From the article, "Tips From Those Who've Got Game ...
Businesses" by Suzanne Zionts
 August
5, 2010 — ZDNet
There’s a new research report out from Parks Associates that
explores the implications of the fact that almost 80 percent of U.S.
consumers are looking for ways to better control the costs of their
energy consumption. The firm predicts that so-called independent
residential energy management networks will be installed in about 9
million U.S. households by 2014. These networks will connect
programmable thermostats, energy monitors and such.
Parks suggests that utility company’s own proprietary systems
for doing the same sort of thing via home area networks would be
eclipsed by independent solutions by the year 2013.
From the article, "Research: Independent energy management
solutions will outpace utility-based systems" by Heather Clancy
August
4, 2010 — mobihealthnews
During a panel session I moderated last week, Parks Associates
Director of Mobile & Health Research
Harry Wang shared a number of metrics and industry trends with
attendees at the second annual World Congress Mobile Health Summit in
Boston, Massachusetts.
Wang began by breaking down the wireless health industry into three
specific categories based on the type of wireless technology used: Body
Area Networks (BANs), Personal Area Networks (PANs), Local/Wide Area
Networks (WANs/PANs). Body Area Network mobile health apps and services
make use of short-range wireless technologies and include CardioMEMS,
IsisBiopolymer, Toumaz, and MicroCHIPS, according to
Wang. Mobile health companies that work in the PAN realms of devices
include InRange, Voluntis, Diabetech, LifeWatch and CardioNet, Wang
said. Epocrates, iTriage, ADAM, and AllOne Health (no longer in
existence), are all examples of companies that leverage LAN or WAN
networks, which include mobile operator networks as well as WiFi
networks, for mobile health services.
Perhaps the most interesting revelation from
Wang's survey of consumers was the percentage of people who already
use medical devices like pulse oximeters or blood glucose meters who
actually transfer the device data to their mobile phones. Only 4 percent
of the 972 survey respondents said they moved the data to their cell
phone.
Wang shared some top-line results from a recent survey that Parks
Associates published: 21 percent of smartphone owners polled said
they had downloaded a fitness or workout related smartphone app. The
survey polled 387 smartphone owners.
From the article, "Only 4% move medical device data to mobiles" by Brian Dolan
 August
3, 2010 — CableFAX
TV is still king among consumers, but online video continues to gain a
foothold. Parks Associates recently analyzed the online video
world and reports that roughly 40% of broadband households watch
long-form video on a computer. And the amount of time watching video on
a PC each week is substantial—about 4 hours.
From the article, "A Look at What Viewers are Watching Online" by
Amy Maclean
 August, 2010 —
Opera Insights, Newsletter from Opera Software
Consumer adoption of mobile devices is accelerating. Parks Associates
forecasts that smartphone shipments in 2010 will exceed 200 million
units globally. It took Apple three and a half years to sell the first
40 million iPods. iPhone reached that number in less than two and a half
years. For the iPad, the jury is still out, but its sales of one million
units in 28 days shattered the original iPhone record. The portable
computing world is also humming, with sales of laptop computers and
netbooks outperforming desktop computers by a wide margin. Parks
Associates is projecting sales of more than 10 million units of
Internet tablets and e-book readers in 2010, and that figure will
quadruple by 2014. These “new screen” mobile devices will be the engines
for the consumption of mobile content and applications.
From the article, "'New screen' devices: Engines powering
content and app consumption" by Harry Wang
August
2, 2010 — Dallas Morning News
AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless , the biggest U.S. mobile carriers, are
planning a venture to displace credit and debit cards with smart phones,
posing a new threat to Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc., three
knowledgeable sources told Bloomberg News.
"Dallas is very likely one of the trial
cities since it is the headquarters of AT&T," said
Harry Wang, director of mobile and health
research at Dallas-based Parks Associates.
From the article, "AT&T-Verizon effort to test use of smart
phones as mobile wallets" by Victor Godinez
 August
2, 2010 —
Chicago
Tribune
Home controls: Whether in new or old homes, more people will buy systems
to remotely control their home's temperature, adjust the music and
lights, monitor security cameras at the front door or in the baby's
room, or switch appliances off to manage energy use, according to market
researcher Parks Associates. That will include 20 percent of U.S.
homes by 2014, compared with 6 percent today, predicts
Bill Ablondi of Dallas-based Parks Associates.
"If people plan to stay in their homes,"
Ablondi says, "then they will be able to recoup their investments in
water heater timers and load control modules — not as exciting as audio
systems, but they may help pay for (audio systems) through savings."
From the article, "Techno retro-fit: Make your home of yesterday
ready for the gadgets of tomorrow" by Eric Gwinn
 August
2, 2010 — TMC Net
“Powerline networking between modems and set-top boxes is being used
today by many broadband service providers to reduce capital expenses and
support costs associated with delivering new triple play and IPTV (News
- Alert) services,” said
Kurt Scherf, vice president, principal analyst, Parks Associates.
“More than 50 operator/service providers have deployed HomePlug AV
powerline networking solutions as a means to expand services. These
providers require a migration path to a much higher performance
powerline technology to meet future bandwidth demands while maintaining
interoperability with their current HomePlug AV installations and future
IEEE1901 products,”
Scherf added.
From the article, "HomePlug AV2 Specifications Upgraded to
Provide a Connected Digital Home" by
Shamila Janakiraman
 July
29, 2010 — HomePlug Powerline Alliance
"The TWG made significant progress toward our goal of deploying a truly
next-generation HomePlug powerline specification to address future
market demands, and that is built on the excellent powerline products
readily available and in use" "Powerline networking between modems and
set-top boxes is being used today by many broadband service providers to
reduce capital expenses and support costs associated with delivering new
triple play and IPTV services," said
Kurt Scherf, vice president, principal analyst, Parks Associates.
"More than 50 operator/service providers have deployed HomePlug AV
powerline networking solutions as a means to expand services. These
providers require a migration path to a much higher performance
powerline technology to meet future bandwidth demands while maintaining
interoperability with their current HomePlug AV installations and future
IEEE1901 products."
From the press release, "HomePlug Powerline Alliance Announces
Revolutionary Advancements for Next-Generation Powerline Networks"
 July
28, 2010 —
Connected Planet
A new report from Parks Associates, “Trends in 3DTV,” found that
about 13% of households are familiar with 3D TV, up from about 10% from
the previous quarter. That’s still a pretty lower number given the
amount of promotional hype that has been dished out. More significantly,
Parks found that up to 48% of these households might be willing
to pay for some 3DTV content — specifically movies, as opposed to
sporting events. The number of consumers willing to pay is far lower —
one-third or less — when TV shows and sporting events constitute the
bulk of 3D programming, Parks said.
However, Parks posits that all the hype over recent 3D TV
telecasts, such as ESPN’s coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, still has
not translated to a big boost in sales of 3D TV sets and that a wider
array of available content could help drive the 3D TV evolution.
From the article, "Parks: 3D TV awareness gradually increasing" by
Dan O'Shea
 July
28, 2010 — MacNewsWorld
"The delay may cost Apple some back-to-school sales and delay the launch
of the iPad in some international markets, but by September or October,
the problem should go away,"
Harry Wang, director of mobile and health research at Parks
Associates, told MacNewsWorld.
From the article, "The iPad's Growing Pains" by Richard Adhikari
 July
26, 2010 — The Commercial Appeal
According to a recent study by Dallas-based market research firm
Parks Associates, smartphone users will number more than 1 billion
worldwide by 2014. Already in the United States, one in four mobile
customers owns a smartphone.
"More than 60 million people in the United States have smartphones now
and our research shows that 80 percent of Americans will be using
smartphones within the next five years," said
Harry Wang, director of health and mobile product research for
Parks. "This will lead to an enormous increase in e-commerce as
businesses use this technology platform to compete for customers."
From the article, "Banks race to provide smartphone apps" by
James Dowd
 July
23, 2010 — MediaPost Publications
With Apple's iTunes ranked third in top premium online video service
behind Hulu and Netflix across all devices (TV, PC, and game console
smartphones), entertainment and news producers have at least made their
standard fare available to the Apple faithful, according to Parks
Associates.
From the article, "iPad Disconnect Could Prove Costly For Media,
Advertisers" by Diane Mermigas
 July
22, 2010 — MarketWatch
Parks Associates today announced the new dates and preliminary
list of speakers for CONNECTIONS(TM) Europe Summit: Monetizing
Connectivity and User Experiences, an executive summit offering insights
into business strategies for digital content, value-added services,
mobile and connected CE, and advanced video devices and services. The
event will take place November 15-16, 2010, at the Moevenpick Hotel in
Amsterdam, Netherlands.
"Home network penetration in Western European countries stands at 44% of
households, compared with 36% in North America," said
Kurt Scherf, VP, principal analyst, Parks Associates. "CONNECTIONS(TM)
Europe brings together industry leaders to discuss how the digital home
landscape in Europe will evolve."
From the article, "CONNECTIONS(TM) Europe Summit: Monetizing
Connectivity and User Experiences Features Insights From Technicolor,
ADB, IBM, Cisco, Cable Europe Labs, Deutsche Telekom, and More"
July
22, 2010 — MacNewsWorld
Talk of Apple blessing T-Mobile as the next distributor of the iPhone is
being met with a large dollop of skepticism. If Apple were to make such
a move, it's unlikely that it would happen in the third quarter, noted
Parks Associates'
Harry Wang.
Speculation about Apple's plans for ending the agreement that makes
AT&T the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the U.S. is heating up
again. The guessing game went into full gear on Wednesday when a post on
the Cult of Mac blog quoted a well-placed, albeit anonymous, source
within T-Mobile as saying there was an 80 percent chance that Apple
would strike an iPhone distribution deal with that carrier by Q3 of this
year. Making T-Mobile the second carrier to offer the iPhone would make
sense from a technical perspective because T-Mobile's network operates
on GSM technology, the same as AT&T, which means Apple would not have to
make major modifications to the iPhone for T-Mobile. There are, however,
a host reasons why an alliance between the companies doesn't make sense.
"I don't buy it, at least at this moment,"
Harry Wang, director of mobile products research with Parks
Associates, told MacNewsWorld. "T-Mobile has craved the iPhone from the
beginning, but Apple has stayed away from them. It's possible that
T-Mobile has become more aggressive in courting Apple, as the exclusive
contract with AT&T is expected to expire soon, but I don't think
anything will happen in the third quarter." It's more likely that Apple
will start awarding contracts to other vendors in 2011, and if that
happens T-Mobile has a chance of landing the iPhone, though Verizon is
probably a better bet to get the first non-exclusive deal,
Wang added.
AT&T already is planning for the
end of its exclusive run with the iPhone, and should
manage just fine, Parks'
Wang said. "At this point, AT&T has locked in a good
portion of the most valuable iPhone customers,"
he observed. "They may run several aggressive
promotions before the end of the year to lock in more
customers, but they also have prepared a backup plan,
which is to ramp up sales of Android phones."
From the article, "Analysts Dash Cold Water on T-Mobile-iPhone
Rumors" by Sidney Hill
July
21, 2010 — mobihealthnews
At the Healthcare Unbound conference in San Diego this week, Parks
Associates Director of Health & Mobile Research
Harry Wang presented topline findings from the firm’s recently
published report: Uptake of Personal Health Tools & Services. Parks
surveyed 1,948 U.S. “Internet heads of household” during the second and
third weeks of June 2010.
The most interesting slide from
Wang’s presentation gauged the respondents’ interest level in
various types of mobile health app-enabled services. Some 30 percent of
those surveyed were interested in “an app that alerts you when a loved
one needs help or attention.” Sounds like Personal Emergency Response
Systems (PERS) is the frontrunner.
Other apps pitched by Parks include calories burned, fat burn
rate, vital sign monitoring, health records access and more.
From the article, "Survey: 24 percent want calorie counter apps" by Brian Dolan
 July
20, 2010 — Bloomberg.com
A group including Hollywood studios and technology and cable companies
is close to approving technical specifications for an online library
where consumers can store and retrieve movies and TV shows. The service,
to be called UltraViolet, would let consumers buy and access the
material through smartphones, Web-connected televisions, tablet
computers, PCs and game consoles...
Companies that license the UltraViolet platform would compete to manage
consumers’ online libraries.
The number of Web-enabled devices that will be able to access such
content will grow to 780 million units by 2014 from more than 350
million this year, according to Parks Associates, a Dallas-based
researcher.
From the article, "Studios, Tech Companies Move Closer to
Universal Content Access" by
Cliff Edwards
July
16, 2010 — E-Commerce Times
Gaming software sales were down in June, although hardware saw a
boost...
It is unusual for software sales to drop while hardware sales
increase, said
Pietro Macchiarella,
an analyst with Parks Associates. "That discrepancy tells us this
is not because of the recession,"
he told the E-Commerce Times. "Otherwise, they both would be moving
in the same direction -- down."
Rather, the drop in software sales is due in large part to other
trends in the gaming sector, said
Macchiarella. These include a trend toward games that have become
more complex and involved, and that take longer to play -- which means
consumers are inclined to buy fewer of them. That, coupled with fewer
releases, accounts for much of the drop in sales, he said.
Also, the hardware figures might have been goosed by new consoles
coming to market. Last month, for example, Microsoft released an updated
Xbox with a larger hard drive,
Macchiarella noted.
Total industry sales for the year through the end of June reached
$6.66 billion -- a 9 percent drop compared with the same six-month
period last year, according to NPD. However, the year could close out
having posted some $20 billion in sales, the research firm projects --
an assessment with which
Macchiarella agrees. "This is a seasonal industry, so I think the
second half of the year will definitely see some improvement,"
he said, adding that new product releases such as PlayStation Move
and Microsoft Kinect will attract more sales.
From the article, "Gaming Industry Likely to Pick Up Following Weak
June" by Erika Morphy
July 12, 2010 — The Buffalo News
In a series of TV ads in 1993, AT&T pitched a vision of a near-future
absolutely brimming with live video communication.
From a busy mom tucking her kids in bed from a video phone booth and
a barefoot exec participating in a business meeting from the beach to a
student quizzing a professor about the history of jazz from across the
country, narrator Tom Selleck confidently promised that “You will!” soon
be doing all those Jetsonian tricks.
Kurt Scherf, principal analyst with Dallas-based market research
firm Parks Associates, said a study done by his firm in March
found that 20 percent of households with broadband Internet connections
use computer-based webcams on a regular basis.
“That would be a mass-market phenomenon right there,” he said.
Scherf said the new wave of mobile devices—as well as more
sophisticated systems such as telepresence—could well boost video
communication’s popularity.
Much of that could be generational.
Scherf said teenagers might be quick to adopt mobile video chat.
“Frankly, I think that’s how dating may start,” he said. “Folks are
getting together and breaking up over text messages, so maybe video chat
is the next phase.”
At the other end of the age spectrum, simple-to-use HD
videoconferencing is ideal for adults who want to check on elderly
parents who live far away.
“You can physically see the parent,”
Scherf said. “You can see the color of their skin. You can ask them
if they’re taking their pills and have them hold up the little pill
holders.”
From the article, "Video chat gets closer to mainstream" by
Victor Godinez
July 10, 2010 — Daily News
In a series of TV ads in 1993, AT&T pitched a vision of a near-future
absolutely brimming with live video communication.
From a busy mom tucking her kids in bed from a video phone booth to a
student quizzing a professor about the history of jazz from across the
country, narrator Tom Selleck confidently promised that "You will!" soon
be doing all those Jetsonian tricks.
Kurt Scherf, principal analyst with market research firm Parks
Associates, said a study done by his firm in March found that 20
percent of households with broadband Internet connections use
computer-based webcams on a regular basis.
From the article, "Video use on phones still trails forecasts" by
Victor Godinez
July 9, 2010 — Toys and Gadget
The leader manufacturer of hard drives and storage solutions, Seagate,
announced the first three Terabyte external desktop drive in the world.
“As the definition quality of digital cameras increases, playback
devices such as digital photo frames and MP3 players proliferate and the
use of the Internet for downloading music and video continues to grow,
more files accumulate in the home,” said
Kurt Scherf, vice president and principle analyst of Parks
Associates. “Consumers who are active in digital media creation and
consumption will witness their digital media storage needs grow
nine-fold by 2014, driving the demand for higher capacity, easy-to-use
storage solutions.”
From the blog, "The First 3 Terabyte External Desktop Drive
in the World by Seagate"
July 8, 2010 — MacNewsWorld
YouTube's decision to make its mobile Web site compatible with HTML5 may
one day be viewed as a turning point in what is shaping up as an epic
battle for control of the mobile device landscape.
"There is a real battle between Apple and Google, not around devices,
but around software and the ecosystem surrounding it,"
Harry Wang, research director of mobile devices with Parks
Associates, told TechNewsWorld. "With this new site, YouTube is
sending a message to developers that instead of working on multiple
applications for different operating environments, it makes more sense
to create browser-accessible applications with a more Web-like
experience and richer features."
From the article, "Google May Steer Devs Web-Ward With Mobile
YouTube Refresh" by Sidney Hill
July 8, 2010 — TechNewsWorld
YouTube's decision to make its mobile Web site compatible with HTML5 may
one day be viewed as a turning point in what is shaping up as an epic
battle for control of the mobile device landscape.
"There is a real battle between Apple and Google, not around devices,
but around software and the ecosystem surrounding it,"
Harry Wang, research director of mobile devices with Parks
Associates, told TechNewsWorld. "With this new site, YouTube is
sending a message to developers that instead of working on multiple
applications for different operating environments, it makes more sense
to create browser-accessible applications with a more Web-like
experience and richer features."
From the article, "Google May Steer Devs Web-Ward With Mobile
YouTube Refresh" by Sidney Hill
July 8, 2010 — Yahoo! Finance
International research firm Parks Associates forecasts consumer
demand for ubiquitous wireless access will make mobile broadband a
common feature in portable CE, with 55% of the more than 100 million
mobile Internet devices (MIDs) sold worldwide in 2014 containing
embedded mobile 3G or faster connectivity.
The firm's new report Mobile Internet Devices: Uptake and Trends finds the
majority of consumers consider wireless connectivity a necessity for
devices such as e-readers, iPads, and portable game players. As a
result, OEMs will incorporate mobile broadband into more devices, and to
drive end-user adoption further, they could start to forge partnerships
with mobile operators to develop innovative pricing models for mobile
data services.
"The marriage of mobility and the Internet is creating excellent market
opportunities," said
Harry Wang, director, mobile research, Parks Associates.
"Connected PMPs, e-book readers, and Internet tablets account for the
majority of sales through 2014. These devices fit perfectly with the
growing demand for mobility among today's consumers."
Mobile broadband won't replace Wi-Fi completely, however. "Wi-Fi's
advantages as a low-cost, traffic-offloading solution for mobile
carriers are well established,"
Wang said. "Its use on MIDs in homes and at hotspots will increase
in the next few years until mobile carriers fully migrate to their
next-generation LTE network."
From the article, "Parks Associates Forecasts Over 50% of
Mobile Internet Devices Sold in 2014 Will Have Embedded Mobile
Broadband"
 July 8, 2010 — Hardware Zone
A recent report by Parks Associates indicates the average
consumer household will see its digital media storage needs grow to
nearly 900GB by year-end 2014, driven in large part by video downloads,
managed copies of Blu-ray Disc, and increasing use of DVR recording
capabilities. The GoFlex Desk external drive delivers unconstrained,
high-capacity storage and automatic, continuous backup with software
file encryption to help keep all data safe and secure. The standard USB
2.0 interface can be upgraded to USB 3.0 or FireWire 800 by coupling the
drive with the appropriate GoFlex desktop adapter to increase file
transfer performance by up to 10x for easier copying or sharing of
files.
“As the definition quality of digital cameras increases, playback devices
such as digital photo frames and MP3 players proliferate and the use of
the Internet for downloading music and video continues to grow, more
files accumulate in the home,” said
Kurt Scherf, vice president and principle analyst of Parks
Associates. “Consumers who are active in digital media creation and
consumption will witness their digital media storage needs grow
nine-fold by 2014, driving the demand for higher capacity, easy-to-use
storage solutions.”
From the article, "Seagate Breaks Capacity Ceiling with
World's First 3TB External Desktop Drive"
July 7, 2010 — Charlotte Observer
In a series of TV ads in 1993, AT&T pitched a vision of a near-future
absolutely brimming with live video communication.
From a busy mom tucking her kids in bed from a video phone booth to a
student quizzing a professor about the history of jazz from across the
country, narrator Tom Selleck confidently promised that "You will!" soon
be doing all those Jetsonian tricks.
Kurt Scherf, principal analyst with market research firm Parks
Associates, said a study done by his firm in March found that 20
percent of households with broadband Internet connections use
computer-based webcams on a regular basis.
“That would be a mass-market phenomenon right there,” he said.
Scherf said the new wave of mobile devices—as well as more
sophisticated systems such as telepresence—could well boost video
communication’s popularity.
Much of that could be generational.
Scherf said teenagers might be quick to adopt mobile video chat.
“Frankly, I think that’s how dating may start,” he said. “Folks are
getting together and breaking up over text messages, so maybe video chat
is the next phase.”
At the other end of the age spectrum, simple-to-use HD
videoconferencing is ideal for adults who want to check on elderly
parents who live far away.
“You can physically see the parent,”
Scherf said. “You can see the color of their skin. You can ask them
if they’re taking their pills and have them hold up the little pill
holders.”
From the article, "With new video chats, you can definitely
hear me now" by Victor Godinez
July 7, 2010 — Chicago Tribune
Paul Gagnon, an analyst with market research and consulting firm
DisplaySearch, calculated that based on the NPD figures, about 20,000 of
the flat-panel sets were sold by those major retailers.
That's a tiny number compared with the approximately 7 million TV
sets overall that were shipped to retailers around that time frame,
according to the Consumer Electronics Association trade group.
And a study last month by research firm Parks Associates
showed that despite the success of several recent 3-D movies, awareness
of the home technology is middling.
"We don't see a large percentage of people going out of their way to
go buy a new TV just because of 3-D," said Parks analyst
Pietro Macchiarella.
He and other analysts say the slow going was to be expected,
especially considering that the only major manufacturers with the 3-D
sets available in the period were Samsung and Panasonic. Parks forecasts
that sales will shoot upward as more manufacturers send sets to market.
In 2014, the firm estimated, 80 percent of TVs sold will be 3-D capable.
But
Macchiarella had not expected only 13 percent of the people
surveyed to describe themselves as "familiar" with 3-D TV.
"I think it's a little bit of a surprise," he said.
From the article, "Future of 3-D TV remains hazy" by Kristena
Hansen
July 6, 2010 — Broadband
Breakfast.com
A survey conducted by researcher Parks Associates on behalf of
the Femto Forum, which represents mobile operators and vendors of
wireless systems, also found that femtocell services could reduce churn
and improve customer satisfaction. Although the study was commissioned
by a group with a vested interest in the success of femtocells, similar
sentiments are emerging from Europe. Vodafone, which launched one of the
world’s first major commercial femtocell services in the United Kingdom
in July 2009, has reported a significant drop in churn and is now
deploying the technology in other European countries.
From the article, "Femtocell Technology Gains Mass Appeal for
Mobile Broadband" by
Philip Hunter
July 6, 2010 — Lansing State Journal
Paul Gagnon, an analyst with
DisplaySearch, calculated that based on parent company NPD figures,
about 20,000 of the flat-panel sets were sold by those major retailers.
That's a tiny number compared with the some 7
million TVs overall that were shipped to retailers around that time
frame, according to the Consumer Electronics Association trade group.
And a recent Parks Associates study
showed that despite the success of several recent 3-D movies, awareness
of the home technology is middling, even in the tech-savvy 18-to-34 age
group.
"We don't see a large percentage of people
going out of their way to go buy a new TV just because of 3-D," Parks
analyst
Pietro Macchiarella said.
Parks forecasts sales will shoot upward as more manufacturers get
sets to market. In 2014, the firm estimated, 80 percent of all TVs sold
will be 3-D capable.
But
Macchiarella had not expected only 13 percent of the people surveyed
this quarter to describe themselves as "familiar" with 3-D TV.
"I think it's a little bit of a surprise,"
Macchiarella said.
From the article, "Sales showing 3-D TVs not living up to the hype" by Kristena Hansen
July 6, 2010 — The Tennessean
Paul Gagnon, an analyst with DisplaySearch, calculated that based on the
NPD figures, about 20,000 of the flat-panel sets were sold by those
major retailers.
That's a tiny number compared with the approximately 7 million TVs
overall that were shipped to retailers around that time frame, according
to the Consumer Electronics Association trade group.
And a recent Parks Associates study showed that despite the
success of several recent 3-D movies, awareness of the home technology
is middling, even in the tech-savvy 18-to-34 age group.
"We don't see a large percentage of people going out of their way to
go buy a new TV just because of 3-D," said Parks analyst
Pietro Macchiarella.
Parks forecasts that sales will shoot up as more manufacturers
get sets to market. In 2014, the firm estimated, 80 percent of all TVs
sold will be 3-D capable.
But
Macchiarella had not expected only 13 percent of the people
surveyed this quarter to describe themselves as "familiar" with 3-D TV.
"I think it's a little bit of a surprise,"
Macchiarella said.
From the article, "3-D TVs are selling but not in huge
numbers" by
Kristena Hansen
July 5, 2010 — Louisville Courier Journal
Paul Gagnon, an analyst with
DisplaySearch, calculated that based on parent company NPD figures,
about 20,000 of the flat-panel sets were sold by those major retailers.
That's a tiny number compared with the some 7
million TVs overall that were shipped to retailers around that time
frame, according to the Consumer Electronics Association trade group.
And a recent Parks Associates study
showed that despite the success of several recent 3-D movies, awareness
of the home technology is middling, even in the tech-savvy 18-to-34 age
group.
"We don't see a large percentage of people
going out of their way to go buy a new TV just because of 3-D," Parks
analyst
Pietro Macchiarella said.
Parks forecasts sales will shoot upward as more manufacturers get
sets to market. In 2014, the firm estimated, 80 percent of all TVs sold
will be 3-D capable.
But
Macchiarella had not expected only 13 percent of the people surveyed
this quarter to describe themselves as "familiar" with 3-D TV.
"I think it's a little bit of a surprise,"
Macchiarella said.
From the article, "3-D TV sells- but it's no great craze" by Kristena Hansen
July 2, 2010 — High-Def Digest
The research firm says market penetration could be as high as 20 percent
by 2014. Most folks don't have a remote control to manage their curtains
or a tablet that lets them turn on their music while dimming the lights.
That sort of luxury has historically been within the realm of the super
rich. According to Parks Associates, it's going to be taking off
in a big way over the next few years.
'Back to the Future: The Complete Trilogy' The wait is almost over! Order
your copy today! Home controls are incredibly cool, and they're actually
not as expensive as one might expect. Parks says that one of the
biggest issues is consumer awareness, but thanks to an upcoming push
from companies like Best Buy, Radio Shack and Schlage, that issue will
be a thing of the past.
The main focus, of course, will be entertainment controls like music and
movie servers and the devices to manage them. These can be expanded to
do lighting, windows and security, which should inspire more folks to
jump on the bandwagon.
As Parks director
Bill Ablondi puts it, "Consumers see the value in these areas,
which, once established, can serve as the base for expanded control
systems in the home."
From the article, "Home Automation is the Next Big
Thing According to Parks Associates"
July
1, 2010 — MediaPost Publications
The advanced market should expand to $681 million in 2011 (out of a
total $29.6 billion multichannel-provider ad spend that year) and then
hit $4 billion in 2014, representing almost 12 percent of the projected
multichannel haul for that year, says
Heather Way, an analyst with Parks Associates, which surveyed
media buyers on their advanced ad spending plans. Parks tracks
multichannel video providers because their infrastructure enables
advanced ads.
The money projected to flow into advanced
ad formats is not new money,
Way
adds. Advertisers will move some of their traditional TV ad spend to the
newer formats. "We are predicting there will be a major shift in
advanced TV ads in the next few years, as advertisers want to shift to
more targeted TV formats that are relevant and easily targeted,"
Way
says.
From the article, "Behind the Numbers: A Bigger Boat" by Daisy
Whitney
July 1, 2010 — Financial Times
External hard drives have traditionally trailed internals ones in their
capacities, but Seagate has well and truly flipped that notion by
announcing the world’s first 3-terabyte external desktop drive.
The average household will store around 900Gb in digital media by
2014, according to a Parks Associates report, driven by video
downloads and increasing use of DVRs.
From the article, "Seagate 3TB Drive is too big for the PC" by
Chris Nuttall
July 1, 2010 — Research and
Markets
CE manufacturers are betting on network connectivity to revitalize their
product line and drive new revenue growth. Mobile carriers are searching
for new device categories to cross-sell and up-sell mobile data
services. Consumers increasingly appreciate the 'anywhere, anytime'
experience, said
Harry Wang, Director of Health and Mobile Product Research at
Parks Associates. The time is right to bring wireless/mobile
connectivity to new generation consumer electronics.
From the press release, "Mobile Internet Devices - Analysing the
Emerging Market for Mobile Internet Devices, Its Uptake and Trends "
July 1, 2010 — Audio Video Revolution
According to the research firm Parks Associates, home control
solutions are only in six percent of homes. The number is expected to
increase thanks in no small part to home entertainment controls, which
are seeing a nice upturn already thanks to simplified installations and
less costly prices of entry.
"Consumers see the value in these areas," says Parks Associates
director
Bill Ablondi, speaking of energy management, entertainment systems
and remote home self-monitoring. "Once established," says
Ablondi, "[they] can serve as the base for expanded control systems
in the home."
From the article, "Home Control Solutions to Reach 20 Percent
of Homes by 2014" by Dick Ward
June 30, 2010 — Yahoo! Finance
The home controls market must focus on individual applications, such as
entertainment and energy management, to overcome current inhibitors and
boost its penetration beyond the present 6% of U.S. households,
according to international research firm Parks Associates.
The firm's report Home Systems: Home Controls - Analysis and Forecasts
finds low consumer awareness and a shortage of affordable installation
services currently hinder widespread adoption. The entry of well-known
players, including ADT, Best Buy, Radio Shack, and Schlage, will help
grow this market, but players should focus their value proposition on
specific, easily understood applications in order to build consumer
awareness and lay the foundation for future expansion.
"Three applications will drive adoption of control systems over the next
five years: energy management, entertainment systems and content
control, and remote home self-monitoring," said
Bill Ablondi, director, home systems research, Parks Associates.
"Consumers see the value in these areas, which, once established, can
serve as the base for expanded control systems in the home."
From the press release, "Parks Associates Forecasts Home Controls to
Jump From 6% to Almost 20% of U.S. Households by 2014"
June 29, 2010 — Philadelphia Inquirer
Paul Gagnon, an analyst with
DisplaySearch, calculated that based on parent company NPD figures,
about 20,000 of the flat-panel sets were sold by those major retailers.
That's a tiny number compared with the some 7
million TVs overall that were shipped to retailers around that time
frame, according to the Consumer Electronics Association trade group.
And a recent Parks Associates study
showed that despite the success of several recent 3-D movies, awareness
of the home technology is middling, even in the tech-savvy 18-to-34 age
group.
"We don't see a large percentage of people
going out of their way to go buy a new TV just because of 3-D," Parks
analyst
Pietro Macchiarella said.
Parks forecasts sales will shoot upward as more manufacturers get
sets to market. In 2014, the firm estimated, 80 percent of all TVs sold
will be 3-D capable.
But
Macchiarella had not expected only 13 percent of the people surveyed
this quarter to describe themselves as "familiar" with 3-D TV.
"I think it's a little bit of a surprise,"
Macchiarella said.
From the article, "3-D TV sets are selling, but it's no instant
craze" by Kristena Hansen
June 29, 2010 — Newsweek
Turning what is essentially cell-phone-bugging software into a business
model is not a bad idea, technically speaking. The smart-phone
market—largely dominated by the Symbian, Research in Motion, and iPhone
operating systems—has 47 million users in the United States and is
expected to exceed 1 billion worldwide by 2014, according to Parks
Associates, a market-research firm. In most cases, people’s lives
are tethered to these handsets. It’s how we e-mail, text, search, and,
on occasion, even call someone. And the dependence just continues to
grow. Last year consumers paid for and downloaded more than 670 million
apps that can turn a phone into everything from a book reader to a
compass. Smart-phone users effectively carry a real-time snapshot of
what happens in their daily lives. This is what makes the smart phone
the perfect way to track someone.
From the article, "Spyware on Your Cell Phone?" by
Jessica Ramirez
June 29, 2010 — TechEye
Seagate has officially announced its 3TB FreeAgent GoFlex Desk external
hard drive today, nearly two months after it was first rumoured.
This comes just in time, according to Parks Associates analyst
Kurt Scherf, who said: “Consumers who are active in digital media
creation and consumption will witness their digital media storage needs
grow nine-fold by 2014, driving the demand for higher capacity,
easy-to-use storage.”
A recent Parks Associates report suggested that the average
household will need 900GB of storage by 2014, so we can probably expect
more substantial hard drives to surface in the near future.
From the article, "Seagate announces 3TB FreeAgent GoFlex
external hard drive" by Dean Wilson
June 29, 2010 — Computer World
The drive comes with a standard USB 2.0 interface offering a 480Mbit/sec
data transfer speed, but with a separate GoFlex desktop adapter it can
be upgraded to USB 3.0 or FireWire 800 to increase file transfer
performance by up to 10 times. USB 3.0 has data transfer rates of up to
4.8Gbit/sec and FireWire 800 supports transfer rates of up to
800Mbit/sec.
"As the definition quality of digital cameras increases, playback devices
such as digital photo frames and MP3 players proliferate and the use of
the Internet for downloading music and video continues to grow, more
files accumulate in the home,"
Kurt Scherf, principle analyst for market research firm Parks
Associates, said in a statement. "Consumers who are active in
digital media creation and consumption will witness their digital media
storage needs grow nine-fold by 2014, driving the demand for higher
capacity, easy-to-use storage solutions."
From the article, "Seagate releases first 3TB external desktop
hard drive" by Lucas Mearian
June 29, 2010 — CIO Today
The drive comes with a standard USB 2.0 interface offering a 480Mbit/sec
data transfer speed, but with a separate GoFlex desktop adapter it can
be upgraded to USB 3.0 or FireWire 800 to increase file transfer
performance by up to 10 times. USB 3.0 has data transfer rates of up to
4.8Gbit/sec and FireWire 800 supports transfer rates of up to
800Mbit/sec.
"As the definition quality of digital cameras increases, playback devices
such as digital photo frames and MP3 players proliferate and the use of
the Internet for downloading music and video continues to grow, more
files accumulate in the home,"
Kurt Scherf, principle analyst for market research firm Parks
Associates, said in a statement. "Consumers who are active in
digital media creation and consumption will witness their digital media
storage needs grow nine-fold by 2014, driving the demand for higher
capacity, easy-to-use storage solutions."
From the article, "Seagate releases first 3TB external desktop
hard drive" by Lucas Mearian
June 29, 2010 — InformationWeek
Quoting a recent report by Parks Associates, the vendor says
digital media storage for the average consumer household will increase
nine-fold to nearly 900 GB by the end of 2014. Much of that growth will
be due to video downloads and managing copies of Blu-ray high-definition
movies.
From the article, "Seagate Launches 3TB External Hard Drive" by
Antone Gonsalves
June 25, 2010 — Macsimum News
International research firm Parks Associates announced the
results of the most comprehensive survey to date of U.S. consumer
attitudes to femtocells, conducted on behalf of the Femto Forum.
The survey found that fewer than 10% of consumers were previously familiar
with femtocells. However upon exposure to a description of the femtocell
and its benefits, 56% of respondents found femtocells appealing—of
these, two thirds found the technology either “very” or “extremely”
appealing. Additionally, 89% of those respondents who were already
familiar with femtocells found them appealing, suggesting that interest
will increase as awareness grows.
From the blog, "More US consumers eyeing femtocells" by Dennis
Sellers
June
25, 2010 — Los Angeles Times
Paul Gagnon, an analyst with DisplaySearch, calculated that based on the
NPD figures, about 20,000 of the flat-panel sets were sold by those
major retailers.
That's a tiny number compared with the approximately 7 million TV sets
overall that were shipped to retailers around that time frame, according
to the Consumer Electronics Assn. trade group.
And a Parks Associates study released Thursday showed that despite
the success of several recent 3-D movies, awareness of the home
technology is middling, even in the tech-savvy 18-to-34 age group.
"We don't see a large percentage of people going out of their way to go
buy a new TV just because of 3-D," said Parks analyst
Pietro Macchiarella.
He and other analysts say the slow going was to be expected — especially
considering that the only major manufacturers with the new generation of
3-D sets available in the period were Samsung and Panasonic. Parks
forecasts that sales will shoot upward as more manufacturers get
sets to market. In 2014, the firm estimated, 80% of all TVs sold will be
3-D capable.
But
Macchiarella had not expected only 13% of the people surveyed this
quarter to describe themselves as "familiar" with 3-D TV.
"I think it's a little bit of a surprise,"
Macchiarella said.
Despite the hype, only a tiny amount of 3-D content has been available for
the home screen. That's changing, slowly — currently, World Cup soccer
matches can be viewed in 3-D by DirecTV and Comcast cable subscribers.
Macchiarella said the matches could up the awareness of 3-D. "Maybe
in the next study we'll get better data," he said.
From the article, "3-D TV sets are selling, but no instant
craze" by
Kristena Hansen
June
25, 2010 — TMC Net
Despite what consumers might say, it isn't clear how strong demand might
be for each potential solution. T-Mobile USA, for example, cancelled its
'Hotspot at Home' service, apparently for lack of consumer interest in a
service that partly was to improve indoor voice coverage, but also
partly a way of stretching the value of voice calling plans. Maybe that
isn't such a problem anymore.
Still, more than half of U.S. broadband households with mobile phones
are interested in femtocell benefits, and are willing to pay for the
devices and associated new services, a survey by Parks Associates,
conducted for the Femto Forum has found.
From the article, "Femtocells Primed for Adoption, or Not?" by
Gary Kim
June
24, 2010 — Yahoo Finance
DVRs and video downloads will push the storage needs of U.S. broadband
households to almost one terabyte by 2014, creating a parallel rise in
the market for file backup and storage solutions, according to
international research firm Parks Associates.
The firm's new report "Consumer Storage Opportunities" finds almost 50% of
households are performing regular backups, including external storage,
flash drives, and online backup, up from only 35% in 2006.
"This is a classic example where growth in one area is spurring another
industry," said
Pietro Macchiarella, research analyst, Parks Associates. "As
people accumulate more digital content, the prospect of losing that data
becomes more ominous. Companies marketing network-attached storage (NAS)
and home server devices should target high-use consumers such as
videophiles and music enthusiasts and demonstrate the ease with which
these products protect against loss of critical data."
Macchiarella predicts that consumers' backup methods will become
more sophisticated as files get larger and as people invest more time
and money into their digital media collections.
"The majority of consumers still use less-reliable media such as
CDs, DVDs, and flash drives, but in the past four years, portable hard
drives and direct- and networked-attached storage have become more
popular," he said. "This trend will accelerate, fueled by growth in
digital media and dropping storage costs. In particular, product
revenues from NAS devices will nearly quadruple between 2010 and 2014."
Parks Associates' "Consumer Storage Opportunities" examines the
current storage solutions on the market and highlights the growing
business opportunities for CE manufacturers and service and technology
providers.
From the press release, "Parks Associates Forecasts Revenues
From Network-Attached Storage to Exceed $4.4 Billion in 2014"
June
24, 2010 — IT Chronicle
DVRs have become an indispensable technology for consumers by helping
users time-shift their TV and recommend new shows. According to Parks
Associates, 40 percent of U.S. broadband households and 38 percent
of Western European broadband households have a DVR (Parks Associates:
The Consumer Perspective 2009). HD programs take up several times more
storage space than standard definition programs, requiring users to
constantly delete old shows to make more room for new ones. Shortage of
storage also prevents the DVR's recommendation engine from suggesting
new shows, limiting the use of a favorite consumer feature. WD's My Book
AV DVR expander addresses these issues by providing users with up to 120
additional hours of HD storage for their TiVo, DirecTV, Dish Network and
other compatible DVRs.
From the blog, "WD Debuts 1TB My Book AV DVR Expander for
Heavy TV Watchers" by Admin
June
24, 2010 — Fierce Broadband Wireless
This week, Parks Associates revealed the results of a survey that
found more than half of U.S. broadband households with mobile phones
would be willing to pay for the devices and associated new services.
"The findings also indicate femtocells can significantly improve
subscriber satisfaction and lead many households to consolidate with a
single provider."
Basically, once survey respondents were educated about what
femtocells were (only 10 percent knew before the survey), 56 percent of
them found femtocells appealing. And 72 percent said they would be
interested in at least one advanced femtocell service, such as virtual
home number that rings to every cell phone in the home, and would pay
about $10 a month for a bundle of three advanced services.
Parks Associates also found that respondents are sensitive to
the price level of the device. Demand was highest when upfront costs
were in the $20 to $50 range. This demand halves when in the $50-$100
range and halves again when the cost exceeds $100.
From the article, "Femtocells are evolving, but operators
aren't" by Lynnette Luna
June
24, 2010 — The Register
"The mobile data boom - and the increased demand on capacity it has led
to - is the biggest challenge currently facing mobile networks," said
Simon Saunders, chairman of the Femto Forum. "Femtocells represent the
natural solution for offloading this data. They allow mobile operators
to significantly improve the mobile broadband experience as well as
their other services without incurring the costs that macro upgrades
would require."
The Forum - which unlike some industry bodies focuses its research and
activities firmly on real world experiences rather than technical and
political debates - published its latest research, commissioned from
Parks Associates, at the event. This found that awareness in the US
market, where three cellcos now have femto services, remains low at only
10% of mobile consumers, but once explained, the technology and services
appealed to 56%. Of those that were already aware of femtocells, a huge
89% found them appealing.
From the article, "Femto World Summit is all smiles (mostly)" by
Wireless Watch
June
23, 2010 — TMC Net
Commissioned by the Femto Forum to conduct a custom consumer research in
the U.S., Parks Associates, an internationally recognized market
research and consulting company specializing in emerging consumer
technology products and service, announced the results of the most
comprehensive survey ever conducted.
Regarding the impact of femtocells on consumer satisfaction and loyalty,
the study revealed that 44 percent of the consumers who were likely to
consider a change of operators within the coming year, indicated a
preference for the current operator, if offered a femtocell. Likewise 35
percent of consumers in multi-operator households preferred to
consolidate their services around a single provider, if offered a
femtocell.
Although over 90 percent of those who found the technology appealing
expressed willingness to pay upfront for the device, the survey found
that the demand was highest when the device costs were in the $20-$50
range, and lowest when the cost exceeded $300.About 45 percent were
willing to buy the device when it was in the $50-$100 range.
“The clear message from this research is that femtocells have
widespread appeal and consumers are willing to pay for them. There is a
major opportunity for operators to gain new subscribers by taking over
the contracts of whole families, and by better retaining their existing
subscribers,”
Harry Wang, director of mobile product research, Parks Associates,
said.
Parks Associates’ research director
John Barrett presented the results of the study at the Femtocells
World Summit conference in London on 23 June at 2:10pm. A slidepack
summarizing the results will be available on the Femto Forum Web site
after the event.
Founded in 1986, Parks Associates creates research capital for
companies ranging from Fortune 500 to small start-ups through market
reports, primary studies, consumer research, custom research, workshops,
executive conferences, and annual service subscriptions.
From the article, "Survey: Femtocell Technology Finds Appeal
With the Masses" by
Mini Swamy
June
22, 2010 — ConnectedPlanet
If you have a broadband connection and a mobile phone, you’re more
likely than not interested in what femtocells have to offer — at least
that’s what a study of U.S. consumers conducted by the Femto Forum and
Parks Associates found.
From the article, "Consumers' Interest in femtocells piqued, study
finds " by
Kevin Fitchard
 June
22, 2010 — Wireless Week
Less than 10 percent of U.S. consumers are familiar with femtocells,
according to a survey conducted on behalf of The Femto Forum by market
research firm Parks Associates.
Harry Wang, Parks Associates' director of mobile product
research, said in a report that the survey indicated "widespread appeal"
for femtocells.
"There is a major opportunity for operators to gain new subscribers
by taking over the contracts of whole families and by better retaining
their existing subscribers,"
Wang said. "However, operators need to build their business models
on market share gains and new service revenues rather than on upfront
device purchase revenues alone."
From the article, "Survey: Femtocell Awareness Low " by
Maisie Ramsay
 June
22, 2010 — Cellular-News
A survey on U.S. consumer attitudes on femtocells found that more than
half of U.S. broadband households with mobile phones are interested in
femtocell benefits, and are willing to pay for the devices and
associated new services. The findings also indicate femtocells can
significantly improve subscriber satisfaction and lead many households
to consolidate with a single operator.
The survey was commissioned by the Femto Forum, and carried out by
Parks Associates.
"The clear message from this research is that femtocells have widespread
appeal and consumers are willing to pay for them. There is a major
opportunity for operators to gain new subscribers by taking over the
contracts of whole families, and by better retaining their existing
subscribers," said
Harry Wang, director of mobile product research, Parks Associates.
"However, operators need to build their business models on market share
gains and new service revenues rather than on upfront device purchase
revenues alone."
From the article, "Survey Finds Femtocells Appeal to 56%
of US Consumers"
June
22, 2010 — Western Digital
DVRs have become an indispensable technology for consumers by helping
users time-shift their TV and recommend new shows. According to Parks
Associates, 40 percent of U.S. broadband households and 38 percent
of Western European broadband households have a DVR (Parks
Associates: The Consumer Perspective 2009). HD programs take up
several times more storage space than standard definition programs,
requiring users to constantly delete old shows to make more room for new
ones. Shortage of storage also prevents the DVR's recommendation engine
from suggesting new shows, limiting the use of a favorite consumer
feature. WD's My Book AV DVR expander addresses these issues by
providing users with up to 120 additional hours of HD storage for their
TiVo, DirecTV, Dish Network and other compatible DVRs.
From the press release, "WD(R) Enables Consumers to Instantly
Add More Recording Hours to DVRs With New My Book(R) AV DVR Expander"
June
21, 2010 — ADWEEK
From an expenditure standpoint, interactive advertising is still a
nascent medium. According to
Heather Way, analyst at Dallas-based market research firm Parks
Associates, spending on interactive TV ads amounted to roughly $50
million in 2009. She sees the sector expanding exponentially over the
next few years, exceeding $4 billion by 2014 -- assuming the successful
rollout of Canoe Ventures' national advanced TV platforms.
From the article, "Media Vet Grubbs Signs With BrightLine iTV" by
Steve McClellan
June
20, 2010 — San Francisco Chronicle
Over the next few months, Sony and its competitors will introduce a new
generation of Web-connected televisions - and services that will stream
movies, TV shows and music over the Internet and onto those sets. The
idea is to make it easier for consumers to bypass cable and effectively
create their own personal TV channels.
Web delivery of TV content won't be a huge revenue stream for years.
Excluding income from video games, online video revenues may rise to
$800 million by 2014, up from $180 million this year, according to
researcher Parks Associates. This year cable and broadcast
companies will take in $51 billion from advertising alone, forecaster
Magna Global says.
From the article, "Sony, rivals to launch new Web-linked Tvs" by
Cliff Edwards and Ronald Grover
June
17, 2010 — Bloomberg Businessweek
Over the next few months, Sony and its competitors will introduce a new
generation of Web-connected televisions - and services that will stream
movies, TV shows and music over the Internet and onto those sets. The
idea is to make it easier for consumers to bypass cable and effectively
create their own personal TV channels.
Web delivery of TV content won't be a huge revenue stream for years.
Excluding income from video games, online video revenues may rise to
$800 million by 2014, up from $180 million this year, according to
researcher Parks Associates. This year cable and broadcast
companies will take in $51 billion from advertising alone, forecaster
Magna Global says.
From the article, "Sony's Move into Web TV" by
Cliff Edwards and Ronald Grover
June
16, 2010 — PC Advisor
The HomePlug Green PHY (HomePlug GP) specification is designed for
networking devices such as home air conditioners, heaters, appliances,
plug-in vehicles and smart power meters. It will work with devices using
the existing HomePlug AV standard, such as TVs and other consumer
electronics, and with those using the emerging IEEE 1901 standard, which
is based on HomePlugAV, according to the HomePlug Powerline Alliance.
That compatibility will make it easier for chip manufacturers to come
out with HomePlug GP chips, the group said.
"More standards do make sense in this case," said Parks Associates
analyst
Kurt Scherf. That's because carriers' implementations of technology
are often largely custom-built and proprietary, he said. As a result,
the G.hn standard is unlikely to sway many carriers from their chosen
paths, he said.
"The bottom line is that MoCA and HomePlug work - and seem to work well -
for the service providers that have chosen them. They'd be very
reluctant to make a wholesale move to a technology that's not proven in
large field deployments,"
Scherf said.
From the article, "HomePlug & MoCA announce new networking
standards" by
Stephen Lawson
June
15, 2010 — TVOver.net
The WD TV Live Plus HD media player fulfills consumers' growing demand
for large libraries of digital videos, photos and music. According to
research firm Parks Associates, the average broadband household
will see its digital media storage needs grow to nearly 900 GB by
year-end 2014. And users are increasingly looking for easy ways to enjoy
the content on the big screen. Parks' findings reveal that the
sales of connected consumer electronics devices, such as connected TVs
and digital media adapters, is expected to more than double from 57
million units in 2009 to 115 million units in 2013 (Home Networks for
Consumer Electronics 2009).
From the press release, "WD TV Live Plus HD Media Player Delivers
Thousands of TV Episodes and Movies for Netflix Members to Watch
Instantly"
June
15, 2010 — PC World
The HomePlug Green PHY (HomePlug GP) specification is designed for
networking devices such as home air conditioners, heaters, appliances,
plug-in vehicles and smart power meters. It will work with devices using
the existing HomePlug AV standard, such as TVs and other consumer
electronics, and with those using the emerging IEEE 1901 standard, which
is based on HomePlugAV, according to the HomePlug Powerline Alliance.
That compatibility will make it easier for chip manufacturers to come
out with HomePlug GP chips, the group said.
"More standards do make sense in this case," said Parks Associates
analyst
Kurt Scherf. That's because carriers' implementations of technology
are often largely custom-built and proprietary, he said. As a result,
the G.hn standard is unlikely to sway many carriers from their chosen
paths, he said.
From the article, "More Home Networking Standards Advance" by
Stephen Lawson
June
13, 2010 — Mercury News
What if you could pay one fee to buy a digital movie online or at a
retail store, and then watch it on your home computer, a friend's TV or
even a smartphone? "If I buy a movie, I think of it as my movie," said
Matt DiMaria of software maker Sonic Solutions, one of the companies
working to create "digital rights lockers," which are online accounts
that would keep track of consumers' digital video purchases so they can
"buy once and play it anywhere."
DiMaria described the concept in an interview last week at Connections,
an annual conference on consumer electronics and "digital living" that
is sponsored by the research firm Parks Associates.
During the three-day conference, panelists and exhibitors at the Santa
Clara Convention Center discussed a host of consumer tech trends, from
downloadable video and 3-D television to home networks, security systems
and even a low-power computer the size of a plug-in room deodorizer,
which can be used to control home energy use.
From the article, "New ways to store and share digital movies" by
Brandon Bailey
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