Smart home is mainstream, with 49% of US internet households owning a smart home device

Parks Associates, a global market research and consulting firm with 40 years of industry leadership, today announced the first list of featured speakers for its 30th annual CONNECTIONS™: The Premier Connected Home Conference, May 5-7 at the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara in Santa Clara, California. This signature event convenes senior executives and innovators from broadband, smart home, energy, security, AI, and connected services to examine the data-driven opportunities shaping the future of connected living.

CONNECTIONS™ provides research insights from Parks Associates and brings together industry leaders across evolving consumer digital ecosystems. The event’s speakers, sponsors, and attendees represent the hundreds of different brands now active in the smart home ecosystem and vying for consumer attention, engagement, and revenues.

Active US Smart Home Brands

“We can’t wait to welcome industry leaders to our 30th event in May,” said Mindi Sue Sternblitz-Rubenstein, VP, Research, Parks Associates. “Attendees represent the full value chain. From product leaders and service providers to investors and technology strategists, it is an honor to bring the industry together each year at CONNECTIONS™.” 

Parks Associates’ latest proprietary research reveals momentum in connected technologies and AI-enabled experiences:

  • 49% of US internet households now own at least one smart home device.
  • 30% of households purchased a smart home device in the past 12 months.
  • Smart home purchasing patterns are influenced by consumer concerns regarding price changes, with 11% buying to avoid higher costs and 21% delaying due to anticipated price changes.
  • Amazon Alexa leads smart home platform control at 32% adoption, followed by Google Assistant at 14%.

Designed for strategic leaders, CONNECTIONS™ features Parks Associates’ expert research presentations and executive panels:

  • AI-Powered Smart Living 
  • Connected Energy Ecosystems 
  • Security & Privacy 
  • Monetization Strategies 
  • Broadband & Connectivity  

The first round of featured speakers at CONNECTIONS™ includes top executives and thought leaders with high-level industry expertise:

  • Ben Berg, Product Manager, Alarm.com: integrated services and the future of home automation.
  • Robin Crawford, Chief Business Development Officer, Origin AI: building AI-driven ecosystems.
  • Colin Cureton, Product Line VP, Home, Silicon Labs: reliable wireless innovation for smart home.
  • Tim Eskew, Product Director, Residential Electronics, Allegion: leadership in connected home hardware and partnerships.
  • John Grady, CEO, Ayla Networks: platform-based connectivity and IoT integration.
  • Morgan Hertel, VP, Technology & Innovation, Rapid Response Monitoring: security service evolution.
  • Brad Hintze, EVP, Customer Success & Marketing, Crestron: shaping customer experience across enterprise and home systems.
  • Jishnu Kinwar, VP, AI & Innovation, Chamberlain: AI-driven solutions for residential access and automation.
  • Ramkumar Krishnan, Head of Cleantech Incubation, LG NOVA, LG Electronics: innovation in energy and sustainability tech.
  • Dennis Kyle, SVP, Smart Building, RealPage: smart building transformation and IoT convergence.
  • Gene LaNois, VP, Business Development, Vivint, an NRG company: strategy for energy integration and connected services.
  • John Mack, Managing Director & Sector Co-Head, Security & Safety, Raymond James: strategic insight on valuation and growth in security and IoT.
  • Tajinder (Taj) Manku, CEO & Co-Founder, Cognitive Systems: Wi-Fi motion sensing and AI-driven connectivity.
  • Mabell Garcia Paine, West Coast Business Development & Sales Leader, Carrier: advancing smart HVAC and connected solutions.
  • David Puckett, VP II, Global Devices Product Management, Comcast: device strategy and platform evolution.
  • Robert Vance, VP, New Markets, Gentex: new applications and market expansion opportunities across connected living.

CONNECTIONS™ sponsors:

Research

  • Alarm.com
  • Silicon Labs

Platinum

  • Kwikset
  • Origin 
  • Rapid Response Monitoring 
  • Raymond James 
  • TechSee
  • Vivint, an NRG Company

Registration

  • Becklar

Wi-Fi

  • SkyBell

Event

  • Ayla Networks
  • eero
  • Ensure Protect
  • Integrated Systems Technology
  • Ivani
  • MarketBetter
  • Plume
  • Telecom Design
  • Ubiety

Breakfast, Lunch, and Break

  • Arity
  • Calix
  • Moen
  • Morse Micro

Registration is open. For information about attending or sponsoring, contact Mindi Sue Sternblitz-Rubenstein at 972-490-1113.

About CONNECTIONS™

CONNECTIONS™: The Premier Connected Home Conference brings industry leaders together to provide insights and business forecasting about the adoption of technology, including broadband, smart home, security, connected health, energy, and home automation.

Parks Associates will host the 30th annual CONNECTIONS™ on May 5-7, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara.

CONNECTIONS™ provides ongoing insights throughout the year with virtual and in-person conference sessions. Parks Associates' analyst team leads the conference sessions, which are focused on technology innovations, consumer adoption and trends, product and service forecasts, and the evaluation of new business strategies, partnerships, monetization opportunities, and value-added service design.

CONNECTIONS™ is a pivotal platform for partnerships and exploring the future of technology adoption and its impact on consumers and businesses. www.connectionsus.com