Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

IRobot faces a murky future amid rising Roomba competitors

The company is still “number one,” said Elizabeth Parks, president of market research firm Parks Associates in Dallas. But it’s a shaky number one. Parks estimates that iRobot had nearly two-thirds of the robot vacuum market in 2018, but now holds only a 48 percent share. Meanwhile, rival robot makers like SharkNinja, Roborock, Eufy, and Ecovacs have been steadily chipping away.

One possible reason, according to Parks, is concern about data privacy. More advanced versions of the Roomba and other robots use visual sensors to generate detailed maps of the user’s home. This information is shared with the manufacturers to develop more advanced products, but it could also potentially be used to monitor users.

From the article, "IRobot faces a murky future amid rising Roomba competitors" by Hiawatha Bray

Previously In The News

IoT Issues to Be Addressed at CES 2017

“Parks Associates research estimates there will be nearly seven million new Western European households with a smart home controller in 2016,” Tom Kerber, director, IoT strategy at Parks Associates, s...

IoT Security Challenge Announced by FTC

Around 60 percent of U.S. broadband households are concerned about the security of smart home devices, including 45 percent who are very concerned, according to a recently released white paper from Pa...

OTT Plus Terrestrial TV Makes U.S. Cord-Cutting Easier And Sling TV Exploits The Phenomenon With Hybrid AirTV Device

In the U.S., 2017 will be characterized by the rise of online Pay TV services, according to the research company Parks Associates. “While traditional Pay TV provides superior viewing quality, OTT vide...

Five Factors For Connected Video App Success

With the advent of near-ubiquitous broadband and increasing connected TV (CTV) penetration, over-the-top (OTT) video apps are multiplying rapidly to meet consumer demands for more viewing options on b...