Vendors must monitor the channel through which they reach their consumers in order to stay abreast of changing market conditions and consumer demand. Parks Associates' Installing Dealer ePanel is designed to provide vendors with a "finger on the pulse" of the dealer community.

Survey Reports Tables of Contents
1Q 2002  |  3Q 2002  |  1Q 2003

Read the ePanel press release
Installing Dealers Expecting Robust Growth for Residential Sales in 2002

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New products...New systems...New capabilities...New manufacturers...New installers...New business models = Changing Channel Dynamics

• Which product categories are dealers adopting?

• Which brands?

• Why?

• Which categories and brands are dealers NOT adopting? ... Why?

• How are the ranks of installing dealers changing?

• How are installing dealers changing their business models? ... And where do manufacturers fit in these shifting models (if at all)?

All of this change is taking place in a time of economic uncertainty. Vendors must monitor the channel through which they reach their consumers in order to stay abreast of changing market conditions and consumer demand. Parks Associates' Installing Dealer ePanel is designed to provide vendors with a "finger on the pulse" of the dealer community.

Parks Associates' Installing Dealer ePanel

• A feedback mechanism to help manufacturers monitor the pulse of Installing Dealers.

• A Panel comprised of principals from dealerships across the U.S. who have agreed to participate in periodic surveys.

• Surveys are conducted online, which enables:
  — More convenient for respondents;
  — Speeds processing of responses;
  — More flexible questionnaire;
  — Allows effective display of products, concepts, ads and other rich media; and
  — Facilitates tracking changing respondents attitudes over time.

• Panelists are incented to participate with a choice of information to help them run their businesses, chances to win valuable prizes, industry recognition plus summary results from the research so they keep abreast of their peers.

Parks Associates' Installing Dealer ePanel is being developed with the aid of a Dealer Advisory Board of selected dealers chosen for their experience in the market, breadth of product line, and a desire to enter new markets and expand their offerings.

Dealer Advisory Board members will meet, by phone or in person, every six months to review feedback from the ePanel, suggest means for enhancing membership for fellow dealers, and discuss current issues they are facing in the market. Proceedings from these semi-annual meetings will be prepared for all ePanel clients.

Each quarterly survey will be designed based on client input. In addition, the Dealer Advisory Board will review and comment on early topics to add any desired breadth or improvement.

• Survey topics/issues solicited from clients

• Draft of survey distributed to clients for review

• Final draft submitted to Dealer Advisory Board for review & comment

• Timely feedback from a representative group of U.S. installing dealers that serve both US builders and consumers.
• Charter Subscribers will influence the structure of the ePanel and research program.
• Feedback from dealers will be analyzed in context with Parks Associates' consumer surveys and related market assessments.
• Research results will be segmented into dealer types. For example, data will be analyzed by dealer business size, by category or categories of products sold, specialty and other defining attributes.
• Conclusions drawn from dealer feedback will be summarized and presented via teleconference with accompanying "handouts" following each survey.
• Detailed data tables with analysis [and inquiry privileges] prepared following each survey
  - Electronic and hard copy formats available
• Parks Associates' Installing Dealer's ePanel is being developed and nurtured with the assistance of a Dealer Advisory Board.
  - Charter Subscribers invited to nominate dealers for selection to the Dealer Advisory Board
  - Charter Subscribers invited to semi-annual meetings
  - Proceedings prepared for distribution to ePanel clients

View Table of Contents - ePanel 1Q 2003
View Table of Contents - ePanel 3Q 2002
View Table of Contents - ePanel 1Q 2002

The plan described is preliminary. Final details of early surveys will be influenced and directed according to the wishes of Charter Subscribers. In addition, the Dealer Advisory Board will review and comment on early topics to add any desired breadth or improvement.

RESEARCH PLAN

Quarterly Online Surveys - Three in First half of 2002

• Three surveys conducted in first six months of 2002: February, April and June

• Subsequent surveys conducted mid-quarter: August, November

• Four surveys annually in 2003 and on

• 1st survey on schedule to be fielded in February with results available in March
  — Clients can add "proprietary" questions
  — Initial sample size = 250 - 300 [Goal]

• Continuous recruitment designed to build panel to 1,000+ within 12 months

"Gut Checks"

• Proprietary "short" online surveys [5-10 min] initiated by clients

• Schedule determined by client need

• Topics/issues could include:
  — Market conditions
  — Product/brand awareness
  — Intentions to adopt new products/categories
  — Reactions to promotions, advertisements and other marketing programs
  — Pricing issues

• Charter Subscribers entitled to placement on one "Gut Check" every six- (6) months as part of their subscription fee.

Dealer Advisory Board Meetings

• Semi-annual events providing guidance to Parks Associates with building and nurturing the ePanel

• Meeting also provide feedback to clients on issues concerning dealers

• Format/timing to be determined

EPANEL DEVELOPMENT & DELIVERABLE SCHEDULE

Phase I [1Q02]: Kickoff & First Survey - Dealer Profiles & Outlook for 2002

• ePanel registration begins [Actually started in December 2001]

• Clients polled for issues/topics to be addressed in Year-end 2001 Survey
  - Focus on Installing Dealer Profiles, Product Categories Installed/Brands Supported; Key Factors Driving Business & Outlook for 2002

• Dealers recruited to join ePanel; Year-end 2001 Survey Conducted

• Teleconference summarizing findings delivered March 2002

• Data Tables with analysis following

• Dealer Advisory Board Selected; First meeting held

Phase II [2Q02]: Probing Dealers' Relationships with Manufacturers

• Survey "Issue Calendar" determined by Charter Subscribers

• "Gut Check" schedule determined

• Design of deliverables, structure of quarterly trend analyses and presentation of research results/conclusions developed with input from clients

• Two 2Q02 Surveys conducted; results distributed via teleconference and subsequent report with Data Tables
  - April Survey [Proposed]: Dealers' Installation Business Models Part I: Relationships with Suppliers and What Suppliers Can Do To Can Enhance Them
  - June Survey [Proposed]: Dealers' Installation Business Models Part II: Their Customers - Who They Are, How Dealers Win Them and How Suppliers Can Help

Phase III [2nd Half 2002]: Changing Dealer Requirements & Their Outlook for 2003

• Ongoing Quarterly Survey & deliverable schedule implemented

• Second Dealer Advisory Board meeting conducted

• Charter Subscribers invited to submit nominations for selection to Board and to participate in "open" sessions

• Ongoing Dealer [panelist] recruitment continues: ePanel membership targeted to be 1000+ by end of 2002

Charter Subscribers

• Must sign up by 3/31/02

• Benefits in addition to reduced price:
  - Participation in structuring the ePanel and research program
  - Invited to nominate Dealers for selection to Dealer Advisory Board
  - Participation in Dealer Advisory Council meetings
  - Option for questions on Gut Checks- First chance options at research integrating ePanel findings and consumer research

Subscribers

• Participation in Gut Checks for a nominal fee

• Proceedings from Dealer Advisory Council, but not direct participation

For more information about the Installing Dealer ePanel, please call Tricia Parks 972-490-1113 or e-mail sales@parksassociates.com.

• More convenient for respondents - panelists are invited to participate in a survey via email with a link to the survey site. They can take it at their leisure and even complete part of it and come back to finish it later.
• Speeds processing of results - results are compiled immediately so Parks' analysts can quickly develop conclusions and provide clients with timely, actionable information
• Can administer a more flexible questionnaire - branching to separate sections of the survey based on prior responses or designed for specific categories of dealers
• More accurate presentation of questions - eliminates the need to train telephone operators in terminology and nuances of responses given verbally
• Allows effective display of products, concepts, ads and other rich media
• Facilitates tracking changing respondents attitudes over time

Why quarterly surveys? Things aren't changing that fast in this business.
Oh, really? Are you sure? Well, we're not so sure, and don't want to risk missing indications that changes are happening before they become trends you read about in the trade and business press. Remember that line about the early bird?

Plus, there are several other good reasons for conducting the research quarterly:

• Limit the length of each survey so that our quest for information doesn't burden our panelists with surveys that are too long and tedious. Over the period of a year we will be able to ask a lot more than we could on one or two long surveys.
• Regular contact with panelists keeps them involved - helps them remember that they are panelists and gives us the opportunity to provide them more frequent incentives to participate.
• Allows us to keep up to date with our panelists. Their businesses are changing, moving and growing - we want to keep track of them so we can better assess the feedback they are providing.

How are the results going to be delivered to clients?
We will conduct a teleconference briefing as soon as possible after the close of each survey to present highlights of our findings. Slides and other "handouts" will be sent to clients prior to the briefing. This will be followed by detailed data tables and written analysis for subsequent reference.

Tricia Parks, President, Parks Associates
Tricia Parks, a founder of MARTECH and formerly a vice president of Future Computing, is the founder and president of Parks Associates. Ms. Parks also created Habitech, a trade and training show for home systems now under the auspices of CEA. With CEA, Parks Associates hosts CONNECTIONS™, a conference showcase for home networks and their digital attachments.

Ms. Parks is on the board of CEA's Integrated Home Systems division and the National Research Council's Committee for a Partnership to Assess Technology for Housing (PATH). She presents worldwide on consumer trends and market requirements for emerging consumer technologies and writes for a variety of industry publications. Tricia Parks has a B.A. from Sweet Briar College and graduate studies from the University of Texas.

Founded in 1986, Parks Associates studies emerging and converging technologies bringing new applications and benefits to and for homes. Parks Associates provides timely, strategic information for residential and light commercial systems and services. Parks Associates' research includes analytical industry reports, customer research reports, distribution channel analysis, and competitor analysis. Primary consumer research techniques employed include focus group research, central location testing, online surveys, national consumer surveys, and industry surveys and interviews. These are available in syndicated and custom reports. Parks Associates hosts two key industry events, Parks' Forum and CONNECTIONS™, each year.

Kurt Scherf, Vice President of Research, Parks Associates
Kurt Scherf studies in-home networking developments and is the author of Networks in the Home: Emerging Technologies and Standards and Networks in the Home: Analysis and Forecasts. Mr. Scherf also co-authored The Residential Wiring Infrastructure Report. Most recently, Mr. Scherf has contributed to Networks @ Home: Multiple-PC Households, High-End Entertainment Households, and Home Builders and Networking Wiring, components of a quantitative and qualitative study on the early market for home networks.

Mr. Scherf is also Parks Associates' Certified Focus Group Director and is responsible for the design, moderation, and analysis of Parks Associates' focus group studies. Mr. Scherf joined Parks Associates following a career in political research and multi-tenant dwelling management. He earned his B.A. from the University of Iowa.

William F. Ablondi, Director, ePanel Research
Mr. Ablondi is a seasoned information technology market analyst with 25 years experience in advising computer and related peripheral manufacturers, software publishers and communication service providers. He has directed syndicated advisory services and related custom consulting activities for several leading research firms including IDC [International Data Corporation], Giga Information Group (BIS Strategic Decisions), INTECO and Future Computing, Inc.

Mr. Ablondi was IDC's Vice President of the New Media Group, analyzing opportunities fostered by the convergence of communications and computing technologies in the consumer, home office, small business, and education markets in the US and abroad. In this role, Mr. Ablondi helped drive the company's thinking on the adoption and use of personal computers, the Internet and other interactive systems and media in these markets.

Mr. Ablondi began his information technology career as an engineer and business development manager at Texas Instruments. He holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a M.B.A. from Columbia University with a concentration in management science, emphasizing operations research and finance.

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