Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

AI and smart homes: We may not notice the future

Security experts have always known that potential end users are not always ready for what is available to make their homes more secure. That dynamic often emerges from discomfort with what is new and unknown. Brad Russell, a research analyst at Parks Associates, based in Addison, Texas, describes that discomfort as “friction”—and he suggests that it has been around longer than we realize. Parks Associates is a market research company specializing in emerging consumer technology.

“New technology always comes with friction,” said Russell. From his perspective, however, the security industry has seen “a reduction in friction between technology and usage.”

The gap closes, he said, “If I can just call [my device] rather than use three or four buttons … now you’ve got the ‘wow and delight’ factor. It sounds cliché but it’s true—fun, easy, convenient.”

From the article "AI and smart homes: We may not notice the future" by Kenneth Z. Chutchian.
 

Previously In The News

EVs Need Long-Term Love to Live Up to Their Engineering

A new survey from Parks Associates finds that “Inflation and interest rates are up, and consumers perceive electric vehicles as expensive, challenging to charge outside the home, and limited in range....

Save Money While Staying Connected. Here Are 8 Ways to Lower Your Internet Bill

For many Americans, the average cost of home internet is $63 a month, which might seem like a good deal. However, according to Parks Associates data from 2022, US households spend an average of $116 a...

Everyone's watching free TV

"Consumers are spending less, but rather than go without, many are using ad-based alternatives to save on costs," Sarah Lee, research analyst at Parks Associates, said in a report. Recent research...

Ring This Up: Smart Wearables Hitting Mainstream Status

Consumer adoption of smart wearables is now nearly half (48%) of U.S. Internet households, Kristen Hanich, director of research for Parks Associates, told a Connected Health Summit audience Thursday,...