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June 25, 2009 — EE Times

"It's been going faster than anticipated in part as a result of government stimulus funds," said Bill Ablondi, a Parks Associates researcher.

From the article, "DoE puts out call for $3.9B in smart grid projects" by Rick Merritt.
 

June 25, 2009 — Gearlog
"Consumers are placing high value on connected televisions that open up new content applications," Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst at Parks Associates, said in a statement. "Our recent research has identified a likely target of 2.5 million North American broadband households that are ready to purchase an Internet-connected TV."

From the article, "Vizio Adds Widgets From Facebook, Twitter, Showtime, More."
 

June 24, 2009 — Sigma Designs and Z-Wave  Press Release
“Residential Energy Management: State of the Market” – a Sigma Designs (NASDAQ:SIGM) and Z-Wave sponsored webcast to present Parks Associates’ assessment of the market for digital systems and services used to monitor, control, and manage electric energy in the home.

Over three million smart meters have been deployed in the U.S., and Parks Associates forecasts that the number of U.S. households with a smart meter will grow to 19 million by 2012.

From the press release, "Sigma Designs and Z-Wave Sponsor Residential Energy Management Webcast"
 

June 24, 2009 — Western Digital Press Release
According to a July 2008 report by research firm Parks Associates, the number of households worldwide with data networks will grow from around 170 million in 2008 to 240 million by year-end 2012. The firm also reports that the average broadband household will see its digital media storage needs grow to nearly 900 GB by year-end 2012. In addition, consumers indicate that the most important feature for a network-attached storage (NAS) device is the amount of available storage. With its massive 4 TB capacity, the My Book World Edition II network storage system will serve this rapidly growing need for home data storage."

From the press release, "WD’s New Dual-Drive My Book® World Edition™ II Network Storage System Adds Extra Level of Protection for a Family’s Valuable Data."
 

June 23, 2009 — FOXBusiness
Annual U.S. revenues for remote technical support services will grow to $2.6 billion by 2013, according to a new report from Parks Associates. Digital Home Tech Support: Analysis and Forecasts finds that increased demand and technical innovations will allow retailers, service providers, and third-party providers to grow their customer base and increase revenues across an array of support areas, including PC and home networking setup and troubleshooting.

"On-site and in-facility repair services once dominated consumer technical support," said Kurt Scherf, vice president, principal analyst, Parks Associates. "Today, remote support services allow consumers to keep equipment at home while still giving them access to expert assistance. People are already looking for something to solve their digital challenges and are very interested in these offerings."

Scherf said that the creation and use of automated and deep-diagnostic tools are creating greater efficiency and scale. These tools are especially important as retailers and service providers integrate enhanced support services into new products and subscriptions, which will help grow the number of U.S. households with remote support to over 10 million by 2013.

"The use of diagnostic tools and automated software will help providers increase profitability and deliver more proactive services that can help boost recurring subscription revenues," Scherf said.

From the article, "Consumer Demand, Technical Innovations to Push U.S. Revenues for Remote Technical Support Services to $2.6 Billion by 2013"
 

June 23, 2009 — VIZIO Press Release
VIZIO enables web-based content to be easily accessible and viewed simultaneously with any input on the HDTV and is displayed in an easy to navigate, non-intrusive menu that can be adjusted to fit around the video on your TV screen.

"Consumers are placing high value on connected televisions that open up new content applications," said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst at Parks Associates. "Our recent research has identified a likely target of 2.5 million North American broadband households that are ready to purchase an Internet-connected TV."

From the press release, "VIZIO Internet Apps (VIA(TM)) Connected HDTVs deliver unprecedented choice and easy to access Internet-based content streamed directly to VIZIO HDTVs."
 

June 20, 2009 — Examiner.com
My friend Adam asked me which type of job he should target next. He is tired of 100% commission-based sales jobs, working Saturdays and Sundays, and dreams of an exciting and stable job in the future. Looking at my crystal ball, I told him: "Go Video."

"Everything points to video on demand," said Jayant Dasari, Research Analyst at Parks Associates.

From the article, "Job hunting crystal ball: video, mobile app, interactive TV" by Del Daix.
 

June 18, 2009 — MediaBuyerPlanner

“Mobile advertising is poised to take advantage of opportunities presented by the diffusion of 3G networks and devices such as the smartphone,” said Heather Way, research analyst, Parks Associates. “Advertisers will begin to incorporate mobile into their media campaigns as this medium matures into a viable marketing space.”

Way cautions that advertisers may encounter early resistance from consumers. Previous research from Parks Associates found that 38% of respondents do not want to receive ads on their mobile phone, while 37% remain neutral to the idea.

Perhaps not surprisingly, mobile ads are more welcome among younger age groups. “Teens and young adults are more receptive to ad-supported mobile content, particularly in entertainment genres,” Way added.

From the article, "Mobile Ad Revenues to Hit $1.5B by 2013"

June 18, 2009 — Control4 Press Release

From the press release, "Door-to-Drapes Customization: Four Leading Hotels Select Control4 to Personalize Guest Experience, Bolster Green Initiatives With Automation"

June 18, 2009 — TMCnet

Report predicts that this significant increase will begin in 2010. Additionally, Parks Associates reports that there were around 62 million smartphone users in North America in 2008. The report estimates this user penetration to reach 239 million in 2013. In addition, Parks Associates projects that U.S. 3G network data plans will reach 95 percent penetration by 2013, and Canada achieving 70 percent penetration. “Mobile advertising is poised to take advantage of opportunities presented by the diffusion of 3G networks and devices such as the smartphone,” said Heather Way, research analyst at Parks Associates. She believes that advertisers will begin to incorporate mobile into their media campaigns as this medium matures into a viable marketing space. However, he cautions that advertisers could encounter early resistance from consumers.

Parks Associates’ Mobile Entertainment (Second Edition) found that 38 percent of respondents do not want to receive mobile ads. And, around 37 percent of the respondents remained neutral to the idea of ads on their mobile phone. Way said that teens and young adults are more receptive to ad-supported mobile content, particularly in entertainment genres. She suggested that advertisers need to develop innovative ways to reach these consumers. Mobile Advertising: Analysis and Forecasts examines the current mobile advertising market. It includes a market overview and analyzes effective mobile ad formats and current pricing models.

From the article, "Mobile Advertising to Grow to $1.5 Billion by 2013 in U.S. and Canada" by Anshu Shrivastava

June 18, 2009 — MarketingVOX

Way cautions, however, that advertisers may encounter early resistance from consumers. Previous research from Parks Associates' found that 38% of respondents do not want to receive ads on their mobile phone, while 37% remain neutral to the idea. Perhaps not surprisingly, mobile ads are more welcome among younger age groups. "Teens and young adults are more receptive to ad-supported mobile content, particularly in entertainment genres,” Way added.

From the article, "Mobile Ad Revenues to Hit $1.5B by 2013"

June 17, 2009 — MOD Systems Press Release

The “Digital Den” session, hosted by Parks Associates, will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Pacific on Wednesday, June 24, 2009, at the Luxe Hotel in Los Angeles.

From the press release, "MOD Systems' Brad Gleeson to present at Entertainment Supply Chain Academy"

June 16, 2009 — Fox Business

Parks Associates estimates there were 62 million smartphone users in North America in 2008, with user penetration to reach 239 million in 2013. Parks Associates projects U.S. 3G network data plans will reach 95% penetration by 2013, with Canada achieving 70% penetration.

From the article, "Smartphones, Data Plans, New Apps to Drive Mobile Advertising Revenues to $1.5 Billion in 2013"

June 16, 2009 — Audioholics

From the article, "LG Launches Netflix Enabled HDTV" by Wayde Robson

June 14, 2009 — The Baltimore Sun

From the article, "No site unseen: New home security systems will allow owners to see live video with cell phones or computers without breaking the budget" by Gus G. Sentementes
 

From the article, "Why connected HDTVs are the future" by Don Reisinger

June 11, 2009 — Affinegy Press Release

From the press release, "Affinegy Releases 'DigiDo' Platform for the Digital Lifestyle"
 

June 9, 2009 — RedOrbit

"The number of households worldwide subscribing to TV services will exceed 1.4 billion by 2013," said Stuart Sikes, President, Parks Associates. "This consumer base offers tremendous revenue opportunities for companies deploying innovative services such as local and Web content on the TV as well as place- and time-shifting solutions for different devices throughout the home."

From the article, "Parks Associates' Digital Den at ESCA to Discuss Innovations in Digital Content Delivery and Home Entertainment"

June 8, 2009 — Consumer Electronics Net

'MOD Systems provides retailers with a channel for delivering digital music and video directly to consumers on the high traffic retail floor,' said Kurt Scherf, Vice President and Principal Analyst at Parks Associates. 'This enables consumers to purchase digital tracks and albums where they might be buying their MP3 player or new cell phone, and allows stores to carry an expanded catalog of content that might not otherwise be in stock due to shrinking shelf space. With digital delivery via traditional retailers, every player in the distribution chain stands to gain ' the label, the retailer and the customer.'

From the article, "MOD Systems Brings Digital Album and Single Track Music Sales to Retail Stores"

June 8, 2009 — Affinegy Press Release

From the press release, "Affinegy Launches DigiDo - Broad New Software Platform for Mastering the Digital Lifestyle"

June 6, 2009 — Z-Wave & Z-Wave Alliance Press Release

From the press release, "Z-Wave and Energy Savings Go Hand in Hand"
 

June 5, 2009 —

It sounded like just a gimmick at first, but it had its usefulness. The questions piled up quickly without anybody having to interrupt the current question. The moderator, Parks analyst Jayant Dasari in this case, could pick and choose topics. While he didn't get to most of the questions, the concept seemed to work. Attendees even answered each other's questions, in cases where the answers were simple. And Dasari said at the end that he'd be posting the unanswered questions to the Web, with answers provided by Parks analysts or, in a few cases, the panelists.

From the article, "Panel Session 2.0" by Craig Matsumoto

June 5, 2009 — Consumer Electronics Net

Tricia Parks, CEO, Parks Associates, and Retrevo's CEO Vipin Jain opened the conference on June 3 with "Navigating the Changing CE Purchase Process." The presentation offered insight into 2008 CE purchase patterns, which showed consumers shifting away from spontaneity in their purchase decisions. Then, Kurt Scherf, VP, Parks Associates, moderated the session "Connected TV Strategies," featuring IBM, AnySource Media, VIZIO, and Yahoo!, who discussed the implications of adding Internet connectivity to the televisions.

From the article, "CONNECTIONS(TM) Identifies Key Growth Areas, Obstacles, and Opportunities for Industry Players"

June 5, 2009 — Research and Markets Press Release
"Mobile advertising is poised to take full advantage of opportunities presented by the diffusion of advanced devices such as the smartphone," said Heather Way, research analyst, Parks Associates. "Alongside smartphone proliferation, subscriber growth to 3G network data plans will further accelerate the advancement of mobile advertising in the U.S. and abroad. Advertisers will begin to incorporate mobile into their overall media campaigns as the advertising medium matures into a viable marketing tool."

From the press release, "Mobile Advertising: Analysis & Forecasts Q2 2009 - the Current Mobile Advertising Market as It Exists Today"

June 4, 2009 —

From the article, "Verizon Broadcasts Its TV Visions" by Craig Matsumoto

June 3, 2009 — Dallas Business Journal

The Consumer Decision Process Annual Survey polled more than 5,000 U.S. consumers on their 2008 purchases and planned 2009 purchases. The survey shows that for every $1,000 in income, households will pay $1 more for a PC. In addition, individuals with graduate degrees will spend on average $100 more for a computer than those with only high school degrees.

John Barrett, director of research for Dallas-based Parks Associates, found the prices consumers pay for PCs to be noticeably more variable when compared to other electronics.

From the article, "PC purchases vary with education, income"
 

June 3, 2009 — Smart Meters

From the article, "Z-Wave Takes Position For US Leading Role"

June 3, 2009 —

International research firm Parks Associates recently completed this survey of over 5,000 U.S. consumers on their 2008 purchases and 2009 purchase intentions. The research, part of the Consumer Decision Process Service, examines ownership and attitudes toward product categories such as PCs, MP3 players, LCD and connected TVs, home networks, and Blu-ray players.

"The prices consumers pay for PCs and laptops are remarkably elastic, especially when compared to products such as DVD players, game consoles, and home networks, where prices are basically flat across different income and educational groups," said John Barrett, director, research, Parks Associates. "These results allow us to measure the impact of specific consumer attributes, such as level of education, and use that to predict both the products consumers are interested in and how much they'll pay for certain items." For example, Barrett says, higher-income households would be more willing to pay a little extra for a better laptop, whereas they see less value in paying extra for a high-end DVD player. As a result, high- and low-income households pay basically the same for a DVD player.

Tricia Parks, CEO, Parks Associates, and Vipin Jain, CEO, Retrevo, presented research from the Consumer Decision Process Annual Survey on June 3 at CONNECTIONS(TM): The Digital Living Conference & Showcase. Their presentation, Navigating the Changing CE Purchase Process, discussed the impact of the recession and the need for flexibility in selling CE to consumers, especially as the power of brand has diminished.

From the article, "Parks Associates Survey Identifies Impact of Education and Income on Consumer PC Purchase Habits"

June 2, 2009 — Sigma Designs Press Release

Moderated by Bill Ablondi, Director of Home Systems Research at Parks Associates, panelists will discuss how the advancements in wireless technologies enable new configurations and opportunities in the connected home. This panel will discuss the technology trends, market opportunities, and design challenges in bringing new capabilities to market in familiar packages. Examples include a universal remote control (URC) that controls lights or locks the front door via a mobile phone or the ability for installers to connect security systems to garage doors, lighting controls, and HVAC systems.

From the press release, "Sigma Designs VP Speaks About New Roles for Wireless Home Controls and Z-Wave at Connections 2009"

May 28, 2009 — Frame Media Press Release

From the press release, "Frame Media Expands FrameChannel® Service With Content From Twitter, CNET, and Eventful"

May 28, 2009 — Wall Street Journal

Some 900,000 U.S. homes didn't pay for TV and relied solely on Web TV last year, according to estimates from consulting firm Parks Associates, which projects that the number will grow this year.

From the press release, "More Households Cut the Cord on Cable" by Christopher Lawton

May 7, 2009 — Home Cinema Choice
According to a report from data crunchers Parks Associates, worldwide sales of internet-connected AV kit will top 100 million units by 2013. A big number, sure, but the figure doesn't really surprise HCC, as most new kit coming to market now already has networking capabilities: TVs, Blu-ray players, games consoles, media streamers etc.

But according to Parks Associates, it’s consumer demand rather than joined-up marketing which will drive the trend forwards. ‘People want whole-home access to their personal content. At the same time, they're very interested in bringing Internet content to the television,’ says analyst Kurt Scherf.

From the article, "Internet connected AV sales to top 100m by 2013" by HCC Team

May 6, 2009 — Dallas Morning News
Providing plain old voice telephone service was a profitable and growing business for more than 100 years, but that run could be coming to an end.

Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst in Dallas with tech market research firm Parks Associates, said there's no question that land-line voice is a shrinking business. But it still has value, he said. Scherf noted that, for all his tech savvy, he still hasn't dumped his land-line phone, as making long-distance cellphone-to-cellphone calls is still an exercise in dropped calls and crummy quality.

"I think it would be really tough for them to completely walk away from that business," he said. "If it's just not bleeding them dry to continue to provide that service, then I could see them holding on to it."

From the article, "As land-line use falls, phone companies aren't ready to pull the plug" by Victor Godinez

May 6, 2009 — Dealerscope
"Connected" consumer electronics appear set for a huge period of growth, according to a study released this week by Parks Associates. According to Parks' Home Networks for Consumer Electronics study, the category will boast annual sales of 100 million units by 2013.

"Key consumer trends are aligning to drive this market," the firm's vice president and principal analyst, Kurt Scherf, said as part of the announcement. "People want whole-home access to their personal content, which will increase the storage needs of the average U.S. household to a terabyte. At the same time, consumers are very interested in bringing Internet content to the television.

From the article, "Sales of Connected CE Seen Booming" by Stephen Silver
 

May 6, 2009 — Smart House

"Key consumer trends are aligning to drive this market," said Kurt Scherf, vice president, principal analyst, Parks Associates.

"People want whole-home access to their personal content, which will increase the storage needs of the average U.S. household to a terabyte. At the same time, consumers are very interested in bringing Internet content to the television. For devices to offer a compelling value proposition, they will have to feature connectivity within the home network and to the services coming to the home."

Diverse user scenarios create multiple challenges for technology developers, according to Scherf, including interface design as well as connectivity.

"Connected CE use cases will include access to many different services and types of content, including video, gaming, user-generated content, music, social networks, and customer care," Scherf said. "Interface design will be an important area as users will need easy access to their content and services."

From the article, "Demand For Consumer Electronics Booming" by David Richards

May 6, 2009 — SmartBrief
Sales of "connected" consumer-electronics products -- including TVs, set-top boxes, servers, consoles and Blu-ray players -- will reach 100 million units by 2013, according to a new study by Parks Associates. Kurt Scherf of Parks said the trend toward connected CE systems was fueled by consumers who wanted "whole-home access" to content as well as the ability to bring Web content to their TVs.

From the article, "Study: Unit sales of connected CE products to hit 100 million by 2013"

May 5, 2009 — CrossLoop Press Release

"As growing numbers of households are using both Macs and PCs, it will be imperative that support vendors support this mixed environment," said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst with Parks Associates. "Adding Mac support will allow CrossLoop to extend its unique service offerings to a growing number of households in need."

From the press release, "CrossLoop Now Provides Support for Mac Users"

May 5, 2009 — Gamasutra
"Gaming has been a remarkably resilient category despite the downturn. If I were Apple, my thoughts would definitely be turning to grabbing a larger piece of low-hanging revenue in this area," Parks Associates VP Kurt Scherf says, according to TechNewsWorld.

From the article, "Apple Beefs Up Gaming Presence With New Execs " by Leigh Alexander

May 5, 2009 — MacNewsWorld
"Gaming has been a remarkably resilient category despite the downturn," Kurt Scherf, VP and principal analyst at Parks Associates , told MacNewsWorld. "If I were Apple, my thoughts would definitely be turning to grabbing a larger piece of low-hanging revenue in this area."

Still, it is difficult to guess how Apple wants to proceed, based on Teversham's move alone, said Scherf.

The iPhone has thousands of gaming apps, he noted. Indeed, Apple "has transformed the way the gaming industry is earnings its profits." E

ducational games, in particular, are a burgeoning category, and if Apple were to target it, it would want someone of Teversham's caliber overseeing the operations, Scherf mused. "No matter what it is, though, it surely will be helpful to have someone who has strong relationships with the game producers themselves."

From the article, "Is It 'Game On' for Apple?" by Erika Morphy

May 5, 2009 — CEPro
Annual unit sales of "connected" consumer electronics products is expected to nearly double by 2013, according to the Parks Associates. The category, which allows users to access and display photos and music on home networks and retrieve online contents like games and videos, includes networked TVs, Blu-ray players, game consoles, home media servers and set-top boxes.

More than 100 million units of these connected products will be sold annually by 2013, according to a Parks report. Compare that to an estimated 57million units that will be sold in 2009.

The stars are aligning for products that allow consumers to remain connected and multi-task, according to Kurt Scherf, vice president, principal analyst, Parks Associates.

From the article, "‘Connected’ CE Sales Poised to Explode, Driven by Consumer Demand" by Tom LeBlanc


May 1, 2009 — E-commerce Times
Parks Associates predicts that in the home of the future, one method will not dominate the other -- i.e., cloud media versus media server -- but instead, an adaptive scenario will evolve, bringing in aspects of both systems, creating a completely new networking ecosystem for the home.

From the article, "Home Server vs. the Cloud: Connecting Digital Devices" by Kurt Scherf

May 1, 2009 — TMCnet
A survey conducted by Parks Associates finds consumer use of tech support has tripled since 2006 thus creating opportunities for service providers, retailers, and third-party providers. One major reason for users turning to tech support is the lack of time and/or expertise to deal with the complications of today's technology, according to Customer Support in the Digital Home.

“Consumers purchasing new technologies have less time and inclination to solve the growing number of technology challenges in the home, while the technology and threats such as viruses and malware have become more complicated,” said Kurt Scherf, vice president, principal analyst, Parks Associates.

This 2009 consumer survey from international research firm Parks Associates reports more than 30 percent of consumers have used in-store or in-home technical support to solve a computer problem, up from ten percent in 2006.

The Customer Support in the Digital Home reported fifteen percent of consumers have used professional tech support for home networking problems, up from six percent in 2006. Parks Associates forecasts U.S. revenues for PC and home networking troubleshooting services will exceed $2 billion due in large part to growing consumer demand and increased prevalence of connected devices.

From the article, "Study: Professional Tech Support Revenue to Exceed $2 Billion by 2013" by Jessica Kostek

May 1, 2009 — BNET

According to Scherf, consumers are likely to migrate towards a single site, like Hulu, where they can watch their favorite television shows. “We’re going back towards a more walled-garden version of the Web [like portals in the early days of the Internet] in that sense,” Scherf told me.

Scherf believes there’s going to be even less room for a third competitor like Joost or even Fox going forward, in which case the battle will increasingly pitch YouTube against Hulu for which garden party consumers will prefer to attend.

From the article, "Is Hulu Overtaking YouTube?" by Michael Hickins
 

April 30, 2009 — CEPro

The research firm says revenues for the professional tech industry will surpass $2 billion by 2013. Parks Associates finds that more than 30 percent of consumers have used either in-store or in-home tech support to solve a problem. That number was just 10 percent in 2006.

According to Parks Associates, demand for tech support has increased because consumers have less time and knowledge of today's complex technologies.

"The consumers purchasing new technologies have less time and inclination to solve the growing number of technology challenges in the home, while the technology and threats such as viruses and malware have become more complicated," says Kurt Scherf, vice president, principal analyst, Parks Associates.

"As a result, they are choosing professional services and looking to broadband service providers and retailers to provide digital home tech support services. The companies that offer the best solutions at the most competitive prices will come out ahead."

From the article, "Study: Revenue for Tech Support Industry to Hit $2B by 2013" by Steve Crowe
 

April 28, 2009 — TMCnet
"Several factors are driving the connected consumer electronics market, but none is more significant than the rise of premium access content services - such as multichannel television and broadband Internet offerings - and the continued trend of centralized digital media in the home," said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst with Parks Associates. "The pace of product and service development in this space will grow more intense as the market is joined in force by CE manufacturers, service providers, retailers, and the content industry."

From the article, "Home Networks for Consumer Electronics - The Complete 2009 Review"

April 28, 2009 — Verizon Press Release
A recent study conducted by Parks Associates found that respondents in general would be willing to pay $20 more per month to have access to fiber-optic services in a multifamily dwelling.

From the press release, "Verizon Wins the First 'Outstanding Multifamily Partner Award,' at Broadband Properties Annual Summit"

April 28, 2009 — Verizon Press Release
A recent study conducted by Parks Associates found that respondents in general would be willing to pay $20 more per month to have access to fiber-optic services in a multifamily dwelling.

From the press release, "Verizon, Other Fiber Builders Cautiously Optimistic About Broadband Recovery"

April 27, 2009 — BroadbandCensus.com

From the article, "Verizon, Other Fiber Builders Cautiously Optimistic About Broadband Recovery" by Drew Clark

April 22, 2009 — TVN Entertainment Corporation  Press Release
“For household services such as the Internet and pay TV, recessionary concerns have less impact,” said Kurt Scherf, Principal analyst of Parks. “Consumers are more likely to cut back on outside entertainment expenses before trimming household services such as home telephone, pay TV and the Internet.”

From the press release, "TVN Entertainment Strikes Oscar Gold with VOD Lineup"

April 21, 2009 — DiiVA Press Release
"With its ability to carry high-bandwidth streams and its support for underlying home networking device discovery and content sharing protocols such as DLNA, DiiVA has the opportunity to play a significant role in creating a larger market for home multimedia networks," stated Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst at Parks Associates, a market research firm that studies emerging consumer technologies. "With major consumer electronics manufacturers joining the DiiVA consortium and with the official release of the specification, DiiVA's presence in the networked household is expected to grow significantly."

From the press release, "DiiVA Specification Ready for Design In, Membership Expands to Global CE Leaders"

April 21, 2009 — TMCnet
With that as a backdrop, analysts at Parks Associates continue to estimate that U.S. consumers are reluctant to engage in such cord cutting, and that, as a result, demand for cable TV and related video packages will remain “strong,” with revenues exceeding $11

ion by 2013.

“Currently 37 percent of U.S. digital cable customers use premium video on demand regularly, up from 21 percent in late 2004,” says Kurt Scherf, Parks Associates principal analyst. “The cable companies need to use this type of service to combat challenges from telco IPTV services, which grew over 110 percent in subscriptions from 2007 to 2008.”

From the article, "Still No Cord Cutting, Says Parks" by Gary Kim

April 21, 2009 — Radialpoint Press Release
“Digital home managed services constituted a $2.8 billion market in the U.S. alone in 2008, and ISPs have a tremendous opportunity to deploy these offerings as significant revenue-generating value-added services,” said Kurt Scherf, Vice President and Principal Analyst with Parks Associates. “Radialpoint’s ISP-exclusive solution offers ISPs a one-stop shop for such services – including security, online storage, media sharing and premium support under the same umbrella. This positions Radialpoint as a key global partner for the broadband community.”

From the press release, "Radialpoint Acquires Broadband Solution Provider Casero, Establishing Itself as the Market Share Leader for Managed IT Services for Internet Service Providers"

April 19, 2009 — BusinessWeek
Ubiquitous Wi-Fi coverage, offered for free, could cut customer turnover by 15%, Eagan estimates. What's more, Wi-Fi could help meet the growing demand for so-called converged services, says Parks Associates analyst Jayant Dasari. Customers increasingly want communications services that seamlessly integrate voice, video, and Internet access—for instance, by letting a person watch and record a movie on a home TV, a laptop, or a mobile handset.

From the article, "Cablevision's New Wireless Bid: Wi-Fi Hotspots" by Olga Kharif

April 17, 2009 — Broadband TV News
Broadband households in Europe and the US consistently rank ‘primetime anytime VOD services’ as the most valuable service out of all TV 2.0 offerings, according to Parks Associates.

“Online video is not robbing primetime of its audience but supplementing it,” said Jayant Dasari, research analyst, Parks Associates, in a statement. “The majority of US broadband households use online video to catch up on their TV viewing, and 36% of those who pay for Internet video content have increased consumption of primetime television. Moving video from the PC to the TV is a natural progression, one that aligns with consumers’ current behavior.”

“Terrestrial television is still a major source for viewers in many of the major Western European markets including France, Italy, Spain, and the UK,” added Dasari. “Almost 44% of the television viewership in these markets relies on terrestrial services. Digital terrestrial television will continue to play an important role in the TV market in Europe over the next five to ten years.”

From the article, "Global pay-TV subs set to grow" by Robert Briel

April 17, 2009 — TMCnet

Jayant Dasari, the author of the report also adds that terrestrial television is still a major source for viewers in major Western European markets like France, Italy, Spain, and U.K. Around 44 percent of the television viewers in these markets rely on terrestrial services. Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) is expected to play an important role in the TV market in Europe over the next five to ten years.

From the article, "TV Service Subscriptions to Exceed 1.4 Billion by 2013" by Calvin Azuri

April 16, 2009 — Broadband TV News
Broadband households in Europe and the US consistently rank primetime anytime VoD services, or 'catch-up TV', as the most valuable of all TV 2.0 offerings, according to a new report from US firm Parks Associates.

"Online video is not robbing primetime of its audience but supplementing it," said Jayant Dasari, research analyst, Parks Associates. "The majority of US broadband households use online video to catch up on their TV viewing, and 36% of those who pay for Internet video content have increased consumption of primetime television. Moving video from the PC to the TV is a natural progression, one that aligns with consumers' current behavior."

From the article, "Catch-up services ranked "most valuable" of TV 2.0 services"
 

April 15, 2009 — E-commerce Times
Regional differences in Europe make it difficult to offer broad, pan-continental statements about the potential for social networking. However, research indicates that an opportunity is forming to craft relevant, ad-based strategies that complement the array of connected services currently under development, writes Parks Associates' Kurt Scherf.

From the article, "Advertising Within Borders: Europe's Fragmented Social Circles" by By Kurt Scherf

April 13, 2009 — Home Media Magazine
Following a first quarter that saw little or no pricing shift on Blu-ray players, several retailers have slashed unit prices in addition to marketing substantially discounted refurbished models.

Research firm Parks Associates said consumers are willing to purchase a Blu-ray Disc player if priced no more than $50 above a standard-DVD player.

From the article, "Retail Drops Blu-ray Player Prices, Ups Used Selections" by Erik Gruenwedel

April 10, 2009 — Dallas Business Journal
Several factors add complexity to the process of deploying smart meters, analysts say.

Bill Ablondi, a New York-based director of home systems research at the market research firm Parks Associates, says utilities must get approval from state regulators for whatever way they want to pursue for paying for the meters. Then, he adds, “some utilities are deciding what is the benefit to them. By and large, many are testing the water by putting pilot programs in place to see if the meters work as advertised and work properly.”

From the article, "Texas Instruments plots ‘smart’ meter play" by Jeff Bounds
 

April 8, 2009 — Home Media Magazine

“Access to additional content is the key demand driver,” said John Barrett, director of research, Parks Associates. “Most people can get popular video titles through their pay-TV providers, but if they want to watch niche or personal content on their TV, they have to burn or buy DVDs. With a connected TV, they suddenly have lots more options.”

From the article, "Report: 2.5M North American Homes Want Web TV, Blu-ray At Right Price" by Erik Gruenwedel

April 8, 2009 — Smart Brief

From the article, "Study: 2.5 million would pay more for connected TV"

April 8, 2009 — Audio Video Revolution

From the article, "Study Shows 2.5 Million Households Ready for Connected TV"

April 8, 2009 — The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com

"Right now, everyone is still gaining," said Harry Wang, director of mobile product research at Parks Associates, a technology research firm in Dallas. He said most providers are seeing growth as people continue to drop their land lines in favor of cell phones.

From the article, "Revol Wireless of Independence to expand nationwide, add jobs" by Shaheen Samavati

April 7, 2009 — Red Herring

“I think tiered pricing cannot permanently reverse the trend of declining sales in the music industry,” said Harry Wang, director of health and mobile product research at Parks Associates.

“This is a permanent change of consumer behavior,” added Mr. Wang. “Any pricing scheme change or DRM lift will not erase the detrimental impact from this new consumption behavior.”

From the article, "iTunes Pricing: Too Little, Too Late?" by Michael Lee

April 7, 2009 — CE Pro
Nearly 2.5 million North American broadband households want to purchase a connected TV, according to Parks Associates.

Consumers will purchase the Internet-connected TVs if priced at a $100 premium over non-connected TVs, the study finds. That would turn into $250 million in revenue for the consumer electronics industry, Parks Associates says.

According to the study, video-on-demand content is the main attraction consumers find in connected TVs. Other desired features include: 33 percent of broadband households want on-screen widgets & 27 percent want to access content stored on home computers

"Access to additional content is the key demand driver," says John Barrett, director of research, Parks Associates. "Most people can get popular video titles through their pay-TV providers, but if they want to watch niche or personal content on their TV, they have to burn or buy DVDs. With a connected TV, they suddenly have lots more options."

From the article, "2.5M Households Ready to Purchase Connected TVs" by Steve Crowe

April 3, 2009 — Cable 360 Net

From the article, "Cable Show: Meeting Consumer Demand" by Monta Monaco Hernon

April 2, 2009 — RedOrbit
"This year's event is especially important given the current economy," said Kurt Scherf, Vice President, Principal Analyst, Parks Associates. "Over 60% of U.S. Internet households indicated they would cut out-of-home expenses first, including travel and dining, and we are already seeing these changes, with 35% now watching fewer movies in the theater compared to two years ago. This recessionary shift in consumer habits could benefit service providers and CE companies, provided they are focused on bringing new entertainment experiences to the home. CONNECTIONS(TM) will focus on these opportunities as consumer spending shifts to in-home entertainment and services."

From the article, "Parks Associates Addresses Connected CE, Digital Home Support, Controls, and Advanced Media and Services at CONNECTIONS"

April 1, 2009 — Fox Business
"In response to consumer demand for sophisticated home networking functionality, service providers continue to develop robust multi-room DVR strategies to build and reinforce their subscriber base," said Kurt Scherf, vice president, principal analyst, Parks Associates. "We recently collected data among U.S. broadband households and of those surveyed, 43% find multi-room DVR features appealing, and 16% are willing to pay extra to receive this feature."

From the article, "Macrovision's Connected Platform to Support Tru2way(TM) Technology to Enable Multi-Room Digital Video Recorder Applications"

April 1, 2009 — Research and Markets Press Release
Social networking is moving to the television, driven by a young audience interested in video features such as multiplayer games, chat, and content discovery. This trend will help increase U.S. ad spending in social media to almost $3 billion by 2013, according to Parks Associates.

The international research firm, in its report Social Media & User-Generated Content, finds over one-fourth of broadband users ages 18-24 are interested in social media features on the TV. Key applications include multiplayer gaming, in-program chat, and "most watched" lists. At the same time, 23% of U.S. broadband households want to view content from sites like YouTube and Flickr on their TVs.

From the press release, "Social Media & User-generated Content (Q1 09), Including Market Forecasts for Social Networking Through 2013"

April 1, 2009 — Macrovision Press Release
“In response to consumer demand for sophisticated home networking functionality, service providers continue to develop robust multi-room DVR strategies to build and reinforce their subscriber base,” said Kurt Scherf, vice president, principal analyst, Parks Associates. “We recently collected data among U.S. broadband households and of those surveyed, 43% find multi-room DVR features appealing, and 16% are willing to pay extra to receive this feature.”

From the press release, "Macrovision’s Connected Platform to Support Tru2way™ Technology to Enable Multi-Room Digital Video Recorder Applications"

April 1, 2009 — Home Media Magazine
The Connected Platform solution would let consumers access not just DVR-recorded content, but also music, video, photos and Internet content from a variety of locations with compliant data devices.

According to Kurt Scherf, VP and principal analyst at Parks Associates, 43% of U.S. broadband users found multiroom DVR features appealing, and 16% would pay more to receive the feature.

From the article, "Macrovision Expands DVR Capabilities" by John Latchem

April 1, 2009 — xChange Magazine
Some 2.5 million broadband households in the United States and Canada are ready to purchase an Internet-connected TV if priced at a $100 premium over regular TVs. This figure translates into $250 million in additional revenues for the consumer electronics industry, according to new research from Parks Associates.

Parks Associates' latest consumer study, Digital Media Evolution, gauges market demand for Internet-connected devices and the applications. The study covers digital cameras, TVs, digital photo frames and Blu-ray players.

From the article, "2.5M Set to Buy Internet-Connected TV"

April 1, 2009 — E-commerce Times
Social networking sites like Facebook are growing fast, and they mostly rely on ads for revenue. Bringing in more advertisers is an important step because this market is not being monetized effectively, writes Parks Associates' Kurt Scherf. Monetization inefficiencies abound, mainly because brands treat advertising in social media the same as they treat advertising in traditional media.

From the article, "Social Networks: From Media to Monetization to Multiplatform" by Kurt Scherf

March 31, 2009 — Los Angeles Times
In another bit o' news about online TV, a report released today by Parks Associates estimates that 2.5 million Americans and Canadians would be willing to pay up to $100 extra for a TV if it could connect to the Internet. What they want most, according to Parks' research director John Barrett, is the ability to watch TV shows and movies on demand. Ahh, if only set manufacturers would provide TVs that could connect to any online VOD service, rather than just a hand-picked few.... Anyway, consider those households the first adopters for portals such as Boxee, which offer a TV-style user interface for online video.

From the article, "First on Mars, Take 2" by Jon Healey

March 31, 2009 — Broadband TV News
The International research firm Parks Associates reports that approximately 2.5 million broadband households in the US and Canada are ready to purchase an internet-connected TV if priced at a $100 (€75.7) premium over regular TVs. This figure translates into $250 million in additional revenues for the consumer electronics industry.

Parks Associates’ latest consumer study, Digital Media Evolution, gauges market demand for Internet-connected devices and the applications consumers want to use in conjunction with this new capability.

From the article, "North Americans ready to buy connected TV" by Robert Briel
 

March 29, 2009 — The Star-Ledger

Watching video on a PC isn't as comfortable as watching TV while relaxing on a couch. And the quality of internet video, while improving, still isn't as good.

From the article, "More American TV viewers are ditching cable to watch shows online" by Venuri Siriwardane
 

March 27, 2009 — Telephony Online

“Widgets, in and of themselves, present the opportunity,” Scherf said. “Verizon can deploy a feature like a casual games service and, using EBIF, allow the sales team to sell static ads that wrap around the user interface for that application itself. Any ad revenue that the operator can get is a plus for them at this point.”

Existing models today shut service providers out of the majority of the revenue in advertising, Scherf added. For every hour of programming they deliver, they traditionally get two minutes to sell the ad slots – the rest of the ads are sold by the programmer. For the operator, the next best thing to introducing more minutes to the hour is taking advantage of interactive apps to sell ads, he said. Services like t-commerce to place an order direct on the TV screen or telescoping into ads to receive more information, on the other hand, just haven’t been practical to do yet. These features have been discussed for some time, but the business model – and content rights – have yet to be worked out yet, Scherf said.

From the article, "Will interactivity equal revenues?" by Sarah Reedy
 

March 26, 2009 — Read Write Web

From the article, "Gen Y Says: 'I Want My Social TV!' " by Sarah Perez

March 24, 2009 — Top Tech News

From the article, "Paging Dr. iPhone: A Physician's Digital Reference" by Arik Hesseldahl

March 23, 2009 — MediaPost Blogs
The powerful viral exchange of communications and content between family, friends and affinity group members is morphing so quickly that even the Internet's social leaders are straining to generate related dollars. Facebook's latest round of modifications makes it more Twitter-like, and MySpace's music exchange among friends has become an effective springboard for sales. Hulu.com, TV.com, MTV, AOL, and Disney are among the big guns that are feverishly integrating social-networking features. And that doesn't take into account the bloggers that are just a "noisy minority," says Parks Associates analyst Kurt Scherf.

...the pervasive impact of social networking will far exceed conventional projections: 95 million U.S. social network users by 2013 (up from 76 million this year) and as much as $2.9 billion advertising revenues (up from about $700 million in 2009), according to Parks Associates.

From the blog posting, "Wanted: Financially Viable Social Networks" by Diane Mermigas

March 23, 2009 — BusinessWeek

From the article, "Paging Dr. iPhone: Tapping a Physician's Digital Reference" by Arik Hesseldahl
 

March 19, 2009 — Everywire
Parks Associates’ VP and Principal Analyst, Kurt Scherf, has been a long time observer of home networks, IPTV and broadband technologies.

Kurt’s take on G.hn is that it is an important step to resolving much of the confusion that has existed in the powerline networking space with the existence of three major specifications – Universal Powerline Association (led by Spanish chipmaker DS2), Panasonic’s HD-PLC (supported by Japan’s Consumer Electronics Powerline Communication Alliance, or CEPCA), and HomePlug. Standardizing on a powerline networking solution for the service provider community was critical, according to Scherf, because it is among broadband service providers where the need for powerline bridges between modems and set-top boxes are critical in reducing CapEx costs for the installation of triple-play and IPTV services. Despite the current economic slowdown, Scherf points to home networking deployments as but one example of continued investments by service providers to innovate with new services and to seek ways to lower deployment costs at the same time.

From the article, "The Everywire Conversation with Parks Associates’ VP and Principal Analyst, Kurt Scherf" by Alan Weinkrantz
 

March 18, 2009 — San Francisco Chronicle
Criticism about Facebook's changes range from the site being too cluttered to features that don't work to the service's new resemblance to Twitter, the increasingly popular micro-blogging site.

"Unfortunately, the end user isn't in charge of the design," said Kurt Scherf, an analyst with Parks Associates. "It's about whatever is going to maximize revenue, page views and advertising dollars down the road." A relatively new Facebook user himself, Scherf said he's having trouble finding requests from friends to connect following the latest redesign. But he said Facebook isn't in danger of any long-term damage. People have spent so much time personalizing their Facebook pages that it's difficult for them to defect to other sites.

From the article, "Facebook changes again unpopular with users" by Verne Kopytoff

March 18, 2009 — MarketWatch
Facebook's recent redesign has not made the Internet working site easier for people to keep in touch with friends and families, U.S. critics say. "Unfortunately, the end user isn't in charge of the design," said Kurt Scherf, an analyst with Parks Associates. "It's about whatever is going to maximize revenue, page views and advertising dollars down the road." Scherf, a Facebook user, said since the redesign he is having trouble finding requests from friends to connect.

From the article, "Critics decry Facebook's new look"

March 17, 2009 — TechNewsWorld
In their current incarnation, free-to-play massively multiplayer online role-playing games are positioned between social networks on the one hand and subscription-based MMORPGs and niche virtual worlds on the other. Parks Associates data show that nearly half of MMORPG players in the U.S. play only free-to-play games.

In 2008, a larger percentage of MMORPG players in the U.S. played free-to-play games than subscription-based games. Parks Associates data show that roughly 46 percent of MMORPG players in the U.S. play only free-to-play games.

From the article, "Free-to-Play MMORPGs: A Fertile Yet Fragmented Field"

March 17, 2009 — E-commerce Times
The prediction of 1 billion .tel identities is based on trends in mobile phone adoption around the world. Parks Associates forecasts that by 2013 there will be 4.5 mobile phone users worldwide. This compares to 3 billion in February 2008, when the International Telecommunication Union announced that the total number of global cell phone subscribers had exceeded half the population of the globe.

From the article, "Social Media Revolution Will Be .Tel-evised" by Anthony Mitchell

March 16, 2009 — Mariner Press Release
According to a 2008 report by Parks Associates, European operators have still only penetrated around 10% of their service markets, despite Europe holding the global top spot in terms of IPTV subscribers. With strong growth from 2006-2007 in major countries such as France, Belgium, Italy and Spain, 2010 is expected to see further growth acceleration in IPTV deployment. The TV market remains fragmented yet competitive while the smaller geographical territories make the build-out of country-specific broadband networks less costly.

From the press release, "Mariner Sets Sail for the European IPTV Market"
 

March 15, 2009 — ZDNet

From the article, "Do consumers want widgets on their HDTVs? Survey says definitely maybe" by Sean Portnoy

March 15, 2009 — CopperGate Press Release
"The biggest benefit of the new CopperGate solution is it allows MSOs to quickly ramp up premium service offerings such as HDTV, VoIP, and very high speed Internet to residents without the tremendous cost for retrofitting with CAT-5," said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst with Parks Associates. "This new product will be particularly well-positioned in Asian markets because of the rapidly-growing middle class of consumers who are seeking these amenities for their apartments." The new CopperGate MDU solution increases service providers' profits by enabling them to: Reduce initial capital expense.

From the press release, "CopperGate Doubles EoC Performance for MDU and Hospitality Industries"

March 12, 2009 — Tampa Tribune / Tampa Bay Online

From the article, "DVR Fallout: More People Delaying Season Premiere Watching" by Richard Mullins
 

March 12, 2009 — ipTV News

From the article, "Parks Associates anticipates over 100mn IPTV households globally by 2013"
 

March 12, 2009 — TMCnet

From the article, "Report: Western Europe Added 17 Million Digital Households in 2008" by Michael Dinan

March 12, 2009 — Tampa Tribune / Tampa Bay Online
A recent study found 17 percent of U.S. households watch TV episodes on a home computer and 8 percent hooked a PC directly to a TV to watch shows on a bigger screen, according to Parks Associates, a technology research company. Most people said they wanted to watch shows free or avoid ads.

Growing broadband use helps the trend along, and 83 million American households already have broadband, according to Parks Associates.

From the article, "Internet may provide cheap alternative to TV" by Richard Mullins

March 11, 2009 — Research and Markets Press Release
"Social media can be an extremely profitable market for advertisers and media companies," said Anton Denissov, a digital media analyst with Parks Associates. "However, it is radically different from traditional media and would require new and unique business models to monetize the market successfully."

From the press release, "Social Media & User-Generated Content"

March 11, 2009 — TMCnet
Market research and consulting company Parks Associates recently released a new report, ‘Social Media & User-Generated Content,’ which found social networking on television will soon be a trend that helps increase U.S. advertising spending in social media to almost $3 billion by 2013.

"For younger consumers in particular, their appetite for social experiences don't end on the computer screen but are enhanced via their access on TVs and mobile phones," said Kurt Scherf, vice president, principal analyst, Parks Associates. "This expansion of social media has implications for service providers, advertisers, and CE manufacturers as well as the networking sites."

From the article, "Report: Social Media on TV Helps Service Providers and Advertisers" by Jayashree Adkoli

March 11, 2009 — Research and Markets Press Release
"Millions of U.S. gamers are already paying to play different kinds of online games," said Stuart Sikes, president, Parks Associates. "As online gaming further diversifies gamer audience and introduces new genres and business models, gaming industry revenue mix will inevitably continue to shift towards online gaming."

From the press release, "Networked Gaming: Driving the Future 2009"
 

March 10, 2009 — Here's How!
Revenue for gaming is anticipated to top US$1 billion by 2013, says market research firm Parks Associates; and the company pegs social networking as an area of growth for that industry.

"Game companies should use social networks and gamer communities as marketing and distribution channels for their new and existing games," advises Stuart Sikes, President of Parks Associates. "Gaming has proven remarkably recession-proof, so as companies try to capture subscriber dollars, these offerings will serve as differentiators in a very competitive market."

From the article, "Gaming Revenue to Top US$1B" by Christine Persaud

March 10, 2009 — DailyTech
TV viewers who kick back on the couch in their living room to watch a movie or popular TV show now have more power than ever over the content they can watch.

Another analyst, Kurt Scherf from Parks Associates, said "It's just become amazing to watch this space," when talking about TV viewing.

From the article, "The Digital Living Room Continues to Take Shape" by Michael Barkoviak
 

March 10, 2009 — Tampa Tribune / Tampa Bay Online
Thanks to an awful economy, more Americans are eyeballing any monthly bills they can reduce - such as cable TV. True, it's simple to go with a lower-tier package with fewer channels, but that can mean doing without a favorite channel.

A recent study found 17 percent of U.S. households watch TV episodes on a home computer and 8 percent hooked a PC directly to a TV to watch shows on a bigger screen, according to Parks Associates, a technology research company. Most people said they wanted to watch shows free or avoid ads.

From the article, "Internet May Provide Cheap Alternative To TV" by Richard Mullins

March 8, 2009 — Mercury News
The digital living room is still under construction, but consumers can now get a glimpse of what it might look like. The electronics industry has long dreamed of giving consumers on-demand access in their living rooms to a universe of movies, music and other entertainment content and information at the touch of a button. Recent announcements from electronics companies, Hollywood studios, Internet firms and cable networks suggest that dream is becoming a reality.

With all the recent changes, "it's just become amazing to watch this space," said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst at Parks Associates, a research and consulting firm.

From the article, "'Digital living room' getting closer" by Troy Wolverton

March 6, 2009 — About-Electronics.EU
Video-on-demand (VoD) libraries and widgets will be the first generation of video services driving adoption of connected television experiences in the U.S., according to international research firm Parks Associates.

Parks Associates, in its new white paper From Boob Tube to YouTube: Consumers and TV, reports strong interest among U.S. broadband households for VoD libraries and TV widgets, which are Web-like displays that show customized news, weather, sports, or traffic information. In particular, 33% are interested in widgets, and almost 50% are interested in premium Web content, including TV shows and movies, through a connected set-top box.

From the article, "Web TV? 33% of homes want it, says US research"

March 6, 2009 — Tampa Tribune / Tampa Bay Online
A recent study found 17 percent of U.S. households watch TV episodes on a home computer, and 8 percent hooked a PC directly up to a TV to watch shows on a bigger screen, according to Parks Associates, a technology research company. Most of the time, people said they wanted to watch shows for free or avoid ads.

No single product makes the entire experience possible. Rather, TV viewers must handle a range of gadgets, programs and links, with segments of the chain constantly evolving: Boxee with more shows, Hulu's shifting catalog, PC speeds improving, easier connections to the TV.

Growing broadband use helps the trend along, and already 83 million American households have broadband, according to Parks Associates.

From the article, "Cable Isn't Your Only Option For Watching TV" by Richard Mullins

March 5, 2009 — engadgetHD
Parks Associates new white paper From Boob Tube to YouTube: Consumers and TVs breaks down consumer interest in all the new features popping up in televisions of late, like VOD access and various widget services, finding almost 50% are interested in "premium web content" like TVs and movies delivered through a set-top box, and 33% showing interest in widgets. VP of Parks Associates Kurt Scherf sees this as just the beginning, with customers making hardware purchasing decisions and subscription choices based on the availability advanced video services. So far so good, but we guess the real test comes when these new TVs hit the shelves later this year.

From the article, "Analyst: Nearly half of broadband households are interested in Internet TV" by Richard Lawler

March 5, 2009 — CISCO Press Release
According to Parks Associates, eight million households in the U.S. have entertainment devices connected to the network in the home. This is expected to grow to more than 30 million households by year-end 2013.

From the press release, "Cisco Adds to Media-Enabled Home with New Linksys by Cisco Dual-Band Wireless-N Products"
 

March 5, 2009 — TMCnet
Research firm Parks Associates has indicated in its new white paper, “From Boob Tube to YouTube: Consumers and TV,” that more than 33 percent of U.S. broadband households are showing a strong interest in Web-enhanced features such as widgets for connected TVs and set-top-boxes (STBs).

The report also indicates that nearly 50 percent of U.S. viewers are interested in premium Web content such as video-on-demand (VoD) libraries, including TV shows and movies, through a connected set-top box. Web-like displays that show customized news, weather, sports, or traffic information are the ones that have attracted the viewers the most, said the research firm.

"Broadband households are growing accustomed to viewing video off the Internet," said Kurt Scherf, vice president, principal analyst, Parks Associates. "Demand for Web and user-generated content will increase, and those desires will influence their CE purchases and service provider choices. Widgets and VoD libraries will be the first in a long line of advanced video services people will want in their living rooms."

Scherf also said that consumers are responding favorably to enhanced interactive features and are also willing to pay - either on the price of a television or as an additional subscription cost - for certain features. Parks Associates said that the present connected TV research at CONNECTIONS Europe in Nice, France, and also at the Cable Show.

From the article, "Report: Increased Interest in Web-Enhanced Features on TV" by Jayashree Adkoli

March 4, 2009 — E-commerce Times
Consumers are decreasing their cinema and DVD viewing because the Internet now offers alternative forms of entertainment, online video being just one of them. They still retain a preference for watching videos offline, but overall use is decreasing due to Internet use, which boosts online video in the process. A second factor is the "free factor." A notable percentage of broadband users watch videos online only because they are free. Conversely, the percentage who would pay for a download rather than a DVD is quite small. Even a general test of home vs. cinema viewing is revealing -- a lackluster percentage of consumers prefer in-home viewing.

From the article, "Europe's Mercurial Online Video Habits" by John Barrett
 

March 3, 2009 — Mercury News
The partnership may bring the digital living room one step closer to reality. That's the idea of making available at the touch of a button on consumers' entertainment centers a universe of movies, TV shows, music and other content.

"It's a significant step,'' said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst at Parks Associates, a research and consulting firm.

From the article, "Roku teams with Amazon to stream videos" by Troy Wolverton

March 3, 2009 — Western Digital Press Release
Twenty-six percent of broadband households worldwide find it very appealing to be able to play PC-stored content on their TV, and the majority of consumers buying network storage cite as important the ability to serve content to other devices (58 percent), according to a recent Parks Associates studies (Aug. 2008).

From the press release, "WD Announces 8TB Capacity on ShareSpace Network Storage Systems"

March 3, 2009 — Home Media Magazine
More than 33% of American households with broadband want Web features for their Internet-connected TVs and set-top boxes, according to a new report from research firm Parks Associates.

“Broadband households are growing accustomed to viewing video off the Internet,” said Kurt Scherf, VP and principal analyst and Parks Associates. “Demand for Web and user-generated content will increase, and those desires will influence their CE purchases and service-provider choices. Widgets and VOD libraries will be the first in a long line of advanced video services people will want in their living rooms.”

From the article, "Report: People Want Web features, Premium Content on TVs" by Chris Tribbey

February 27, 2009 — TechRadar.com
Have you ever paid for online video? If so, you're in the minority, according to a new survey by international research firm Parks Associates. It found that while 31 per cent of broadband households in Western Europe have downloaded a movie or TV show for free in the last six months, only 8 per cent have paid for an Internet download.

"While you always expect free to outpace for-pay offerings, the real problem emerges for content and solution providers when analysing consumers' preferred means of watching video," said John Barrett, director, research, Parks Associates.

From the article, "Online video only growing because it's free" by Mark Harris

February 25, 2009 — Joystiq
International research firm Parks Associates envisions a bright future for casual gaming. The firm predicts the "premium" casual games business will be worth a very cool $1 billion by 2013 and the key to all of it is social networking.

Parks Associates president Stuart Sikes says "a persistent identity and integration with social network sites" will allow casual gaming to maintain its core audience, while expanding its reach at the same time." As companies try to capture subscriber dollars, these offerings will serve as differentiators in a very competitive market," he added. He says social networks and other game communities should been seen as marketing and distribution channels.

From the article, "Analyst: Casual gaming to top $1 billion by 2013, social networking key" by David Hinkle
 

February 25, 2009 — GIGAOM
To folks keeping tabs on the rise of free-to-play games, Quake Live is just another entrant in an emerging market. No one has a concrete picture of free-to-play revenues, but online “gaming phenomena” (like casual games and digital distribution services) generated over $2 billion in 2008, estimates Parks Associates. Free-to-play massively multiplayer games seized $129 million, or 15 percent of total MMO revenues in 2008, estimates the firm.

From the article, "Quake Live May Spark Gaming Industry Shake-up" by Mary Jane Irwin

February 25, 2009 — Smart Brief
Vendors of personal health records and other customized technologies could earn $460 million in yearly revenue by 2013 by zeroing in on the disease-management industry, according to a report from consulting company Parks Associates. The sector needs to use a new service model that incorporates both "human expertise" and numerous "high-tech tools," a Parks director said.

From the article, "Study: Personal health IT vendors should target disease management"

February 25, 2009 — MediaPost's Online Media Daily
Brands looking to gain loyalty and reach into consumers' wallets might want to take a closer look at video games, according to a study released Tuesday by Parks Associates.

The market has begun to gain traction across the board. Premium casual games, for example, will exceed $1 billion in revenue by 2013. Subscription services will become a major driver for growth in the casual game industry, increasing from $138 million to $417 million between 2008 and 2013, according to the research firm. Video game makers are reaching beyond traditional target markets to find new buyers.

"Take a look at Wii, for example," said Stuart Sikes, president, Parks Associates. "Nintendo managed to capture a market segment who didn't think of themselves as gamers."

From the article, "Parks: Casual Gaming Revenue To Top $1 Billion By '13" by Laurie Sullivan

February 25, 2009 — Smart House

Parks Associates claims hat social and community features can help companies in casual gaming expand beyond their traditional target demographic of women ages 35-54. Offering features such as a persistent identity and integration with social network sites allows companies to maintain their core audience while broadening their appeal.

"Game companies should use social networks and gamer communities as marketing and distribution channels for their new and existing games," said Stuart Sikes, president, Parks Associates. "Gaming has proven remarkably recession-proof, so as companies try to capture subscriber dollars, these offerings will serve as differentiators in a very competitive market."

From the article, "Family Gaming Set To Be Billion Dollar Industry By 2013" by David Richards

February 24, 2009 — Game Daily
Parks Associates today released its new report titled "Networked Gaming: Driving the Future II." In this study, the firm projects that the premium casual gaming market will exceed $1 billion in revenue by 2013. Parks also expects that over 20 million gamers will be engaged in free-to-play MMORPGs by that same date.

"Game companies should use social networks and gamer communities as marketing and distribution channels for their new and existing games," said Stuart Sikes, president, Parks Associates. "Gaming has proven remarkably recession-proof, so as companies try to capture subscriber dollars, these offerings will serve as differentiators in a very competitive market."

From the article, "Casual Gaming Industry to Exceed $1 Billion by 2013" by David Radd

February 24, 2009 — TechNewsWorld
"Have there been any complaints about outages related to Google's other hosted services, like its productivity suite? If there have, then yes, I'd say there's room to be concerned. If not, and it's only isolated to e-mail, then -- unfortunately -- this characterizes all of the Web-based e-mail services, so I'm not sure that it does damage to their ability to offer hosted services," Kurt Scherf, principal analyst at Parks Associates, told TechNewsWorld.

From the article, "Will Gfail Undermine Gmail's Enterprise Efforts?" by Walaika Haskins

February 23, 2009 — TMCnet

From the article, "Report: Americans Are Watching More TV than Ever, Including Online" by Michael Dinan

February 23, 2009 — ADWEEK
But as the company continues to struggle to find a sustainable revenue model while catering to an increasingly vocal user base, many believe that Facebook will soon impose some sort of tax or revenue sharing requirement on apps companies. "A deal of that sort is probably in the works," observed Anton Denissov, digital media analyst, Parks Associates.

From the article, "Facebook Grapples With Revenue and Data" by Mike Shields, Mediaweek

February 23, 2009 — TMCnet

Parks Associates is a market research and consulting company specializing in emerging consumer technology products and services. Their latest report titled “Disease Management Industry and High-Tech Adoption” says that the catalysts for accelerated technology spending over the next five years are changes in the healthcare landscape, Obama administration’s stimulus package and reform initiatives. The Disease Management Industry and High-Tech Adoption highlights challenges and opportunities and discusses technology’s role in driving innovations in new care management models.

Harry Wang, director of Health and Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates noted that people are increasingly demanding transformation of their healthcare system. If the DM sector doesn’t act quickly it may become obsolete due to the competing care management models. According to Wang, technology vendors that are familiar with the unique characteristics of the DM business and can show the clear and immediate benefits of their solution within this context have more chances to win these contracts.

From the article, "Report: Personal Health Technology Spending to Exceed in 2013" by Anuradha Shukla

February 23, 2009 — engadgetHD
Given just how few Europeans are actually biting on pay-HDTV, we suppose we're not too surprised to see the results from Parks Associates Research's latest study. In looking at a number of European nations, the firm found that some 80 percent of broadband households "prefer a more traditional option for viewing video, including going to the cinema or watching a DVD." John Barrett, director of research at the company, noted that it "will be difficult for companies to sell video streams and downloads to consumers in Europe when there is this undercurrent of reluctance." Of course, we're not sure we believe all this doom and gloom -- surely it's just a matter of time before Euro cable companies are pulling the same trick as Comcast and TWC are looking to do. Or, so we hope.

From the article, "Study shows Europe slow to bite on internet TV viewing" by Darren Murph

February 22, 2009 — Telecommunications Industry News

By 2013, nearly 70% of handsets sold in the U.S. will come equipped with a camera of 2-megapixels or more, researchers predicted, noting that consumers will respond to this trend by making greater use of mobile imaging software, including photo-editing, photo-sharing, comparison shopping, and social networking applications.

“Recent trends, including the launch of Google’s Android MarketPlace and Apple’s success with the App Store, have revived interest in the camera phone platform among carriers, handset makers, and application developers,” commented Parks Associates’ director of mobile product research, Harry Wang. “Consumers want to do more with their phones, which makes this area fertile for service innovation.”

From the article, "Mobile Imaging Software Market to Surge in Coming Years: Parks Associates"

February 22, 2009 — SunSentinel.com

"With the economy [in recession], consumers will choose first to look at fixing their computer problem or optimizing the performance of their PC before buying a new computer," said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst at Parks Associates, a technology consulting firm.

From the article, "A fix for tech support services"
 

February 20, 2009 — Smart Brief
More-energy-conscious Americans will help the home-energy-management industry swell to more than 6 million "smart meters" by 2012, according to a new report by researcher Parks Associates. Bill Ablondi of Parks said that in addition to consumers being more cognizant of the green benefits of smart meters, governments are offering incentives to those who upgrade and utilities are looking to improve the electrical grid.

From the article, "Smart meters" expected to reach 6 million homes by 2012"

February 20, 2009 — FierceIPTV
Parks Associates has new research suggesting that at least 20 percent of broadband households in Western Europe have viewed a movie or TV program online within the last six months. Despite the sizable figure, the research firm also says that among countries surveyed, including the U.K., Germany, Spain, Italy and France, more than 80 percent of broadband households still actually prefer going out to a cinema or watching a DVD as video viewing methods versus watching a video program online. Free video content has some allure, but still apparently hasn't changed actual consumer preferences.

From the article, "Parks: Old-time viewing habits still reign" by Dan O'Shea

February 19, 2009 — vnunet.com
Researcher firm Parks Associates said that a recent survey of broadband users in Europe found that just one in five have watched a film or television program online in the past six months.

The survey studied both the viewing habits and preferences of broadband users in the UK, France, Spain, Germany and Italy. The results showed that while they are not watching films online, users overwhelmingly preferred to watch films in the cinema or wait for a film or programme to air on television.

Respondents in the UK cited television and cinema as the favored methods of viewing, followed by DVD sales and DVD rentals. Users in Spain overwhelmingly preferred cinema, while Germans showed a preference for television broadcasts and DVD purchases. Parks Associates research director John Barrettsaid the findings could present new challenges to companies and studios looking to invest in broadband video projects. "It will be difficult for companies to sell video streams and downloads to consumers in Europe when there is this undercurrent of reluctance," said Barrett. "Even if all piracy issues are resolved, the realities of consumer preferences could still undermine the service plans of content providers, if they don’t understand their customers."

From the article, "Europe not yet warming to broadband video" by Shaun Nichols

February 19, 2009 — ENN: Ireland's IT News Source
Meanwhile, research from Parks Associates has found that the vast majority of European broadband users prefer watching videos away from their computer. The paper, entitled 'The Impact of Online Video in Europe', examines the impact of consumer preferences on future services found that broadband has changed video viewing habits in Western Europe, with over 20 percent of broadband-ready households watching a film or TV program online in the past six months. Despite this figure however, the researchers found considerable reluctance to embrace online video-watching with over 80 percent of broadband-ready households preferring to watch video the old-fashioned way on television, DVD, or in the cinema.

From the article, "Daily Digest 19 February: Ryanair launches in-flight telecoms | It's official: women use phone more often than men" by Emmet Cole
 

February 19, 2009 — Security Systems News
A January report from Parks Associates, an international market research and consulting company specializing in emerging consumer technology products and services, finds security system monitoring revenue is likely to be very stable despite current economic conditions, and customers may even tolerate a rate increase.

The report, "Home Systems: Home Security Update," finds the number of monitored security households intending to cancel their service is only 4-8 percent higher than normal due to the economic downturn, but still quite stable. This is good news for the industry, but Parks also warns that the resilience of this service category will attract new competitors among telcos, cable companies, and others.

"Anybody who is already getting into the house has the potential to do security as one more thing when they get there," Parks Associates CEO Tricia Parks. "There have been fits and starts at this before, and it turns out its not so easy. And also other market opportunities were bigger and more important and more critical to the telcos and the cablecos, and they really receded." Parks said, however, that with broadband slowing down and cable approaching saturation, telcos and cable providers are beginning to look elsewhere once again. "They're looking around, if not for this year, then for years ahead, saying 'Where's the next incremental revenue come from?' And in that context they're all looking at security."

Parks suggested end users will tolerate a slight increase in monthly monitoring fees, especially if monitoring companies begin adding value to their solutions, citing in particular the recent partnership between ADT and iControl. "A slight rise in monthly fees, such as from $25 to $26.95, will not cause current subscribers to abandon their services," Parks said. "We're not just saying, 'go raise your fees,' but just saying, 'find out what you can do.' Or offer another kind of benefit to accompany what they already have and one can probably get another fee for that."

From the article, "Report suggests increased monitoring fees, new services could 'buffer' flat revenues" by Daniel Gelinas

February 19, 2009 — Washington Post
Many stations that switched early said they did so for financial reasons.

"Local and regional broadcasters have been losing ad revenue, and it's cutting into their budgets. Trying to broadcast a digital and analog signal simultaneously is very expensive for them," said Jayant Dasari, a research analyst at Parks Associates, a market research firm in Dallas. 

From the article, "Some Markets Pull Plug on Analog TV" by Kim Hart

February 18, 2009 — ZDNet Healthcare
It’s from Parks Associates, best known for its work in networking, and it shows personal disease management becoming a $460 million consumer market in four years, up from $100 million last year.

From the article, "Disease management becoming a consumer market" by Dana Blankenhorn
 

February 18, 2009 — Western Digital Press Release
Consumers are amassing increasing amounts of digital media on their computers, including irreplaceable photos, movies and documents. While 70 percent of users in a recent WD study of 1,500 U.S. consumers claimed to be "backing up," most use sporadic, tedious processes such as copying to CDs/DVDs or USB thumb drives. Having several computers multiplies the work. My Book World Edition network drives are designed to automate and simplify the backup chore for the 36 million networked homes in the U.S. according to research firm Parks Associates. Just plug the My Book World Edition drive into a network router, click a few buttons and the My Book World Edition storage device backs up the files from all the PCs and Macs on the network. Any changes to the files on these computers are automatically and continuously backed up to the drive.

"For easier safekeeping of personal files and media collections stored around the home, families need network storage solutions with true plug-and-play installation, automatic backup capability and familiar file organization," said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst with Parks Associates. "With My Book(TM) World Edition, WD is delivering peace-of-mind for users who want to easily back up all their computers, as well as bringing to the table media centralization, streaming and remote access functions for more advanced families."

From the press release, "WD(R) Provides an Easy Way to Back Up All the Computers in the Home"

February 18, 2009 — TechNewsWorld
Consumers can benefit too by taking advantage of pricing structures for electrical power that change with overall demand, i.e., they schedule their usage during off-peak times when electricity is less expensive. They can set appliances to run when prices drop below a certain level or program a thermostat to adjust based on constantly updated pricing information. U.S. consumers are becoming more sensitive to energy costs; therefore, the time may be right for residential energy management systems to gain traction here as they already have in other countries.

As a result, Parks Associates ' Home Systems Group is assessing the market opportunities that could come from upgrades to electricity distribution systems. This area includes new prospects for manufacturers of appliances, HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning) systems, controls, and consumer electronics; home networking software developers; broadband Internet service providers; and utilities.

From the article, "Powering Up Smart Grid Technology " by Bill Ablondi

February 12, 2009 — EE Times
Vodafone in Germany and Orange in France are also looking into connecting cellular cards into digital photo frames, according to Harry Wang, senior analyst at Parks Associates. Verizon and AT&T are interested in an electronic device called a "home center" which can display digital photos, while connected to a fixed-line phone, he added.

From the article, "Wireless carriers look to cash in on digital photo frames" by Junko Yoshida

February 11, 2009 — Gamasutra
Given the level of growth and the relative figures to other forms of entertainment, games have become increasingly attractive areas for marketing communications by advertisers. Research firm Parks Associates estimated advertising in the game industry to be $370 million in 2006, growing to $2 billion by 2012

From the article, "Emerging Issues in In-Game Advertising " by Greg Boyd and Vejay Lalla

February 11, 2009 — MediaPost's Online Media Daily
In 2008, U.S. consumers spent $491 million on premium casual games and services, according to Parks Associates. The research firm estimates that revenue in 2013 will reach about $1 billion.

From the article, "Merscom Produces Games Based On Lifetime Shows" by Laurie Sullivan

February 10, 2009 — eMarketer
More than 2.5 billion consumers will subscribe to 3G worldwide by 2013, according to a Parks Associates report. Parks Associates predicts more than 1 billion of those subscribers will be in Asia alone.

“Service providers have to offer personalized services that fit individual needs, instead of uniform sets of services,” said Jayant Dasari, Parks Associates research analyst, in a company press release. “Consumers rely on their mobile phones for communications and for entertainment and social networking.”

From the article, "Smartphones to Get Smarter as 3G Expands"

February 6, 2009 — TechNewsWorld
What EA and other game publishers do is push action/adventure and shooter games to the consumer segments where retail spending is strongest; that makes the launch sequence interesting, Kurt Scherf, principal analyst at Parks Associates, told TechNewsWorld.

"So, our 'power gamer' segment, the kind that would be looking at the 'Battlefiled' game, is spending (US)$146 a month in software on average. It's kind of like what the studios do with releasing movies through the channels. They get 'X' percent at the theater and another big percentage at DVD. The game developers work the same way -- target the core gamers first on the console and then work through the other different distribution paths," he explained.

From the article, "EA Plans Multi-Pronged 'Battlefield' Blitz" by Walaika Haskins
 

February 6, 2009 — CE Pro
We have been pushing recurring revenue model for integrators for years. A recent Parks Associates study found 75 percent of residential security revenue comes from monitoring, not installation.

From the article, "Find Pockets of Success in Down Market at EHX Spring" by Jason Knott

February 3, 2009 — TechNewsWorld
A decade ago, companies were falling all over themselves to build prototypical homes of the future -- smart homes that maximized the potential of digital advancements. Where has the enthusiasm gone? The European market in particular appears to be experiencing a renaissance in service-provider activity in the digital home/smart home, writes Parks Associates' Kurt Scherf.

From the article, "Is It Too Late for Homes to Get Smart?" by Kurt Scherf
 

February 3, 2009 — NewBay Software Press Release
“Users digital content requirements are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and there is an emerging need to not only manage and share content, but also to access it across multiple screens,” said Harry Wang, Director of Mobile Product Research at Dallas-based Parks Associates. “This presents operators with the opportunity to develop new revenue sources to supplement traditional voice revenues. NewBay’s LifeCache PVA provides operators with the tools to monetize converged user-content management services.”

From the press release, "New Version of NewBay’s Photo & Video Album Drives ARPU For Operators"

February 2, 2009 — Mercury News
As computers have become more complex and more pervasive, the business of supporting them has become more challenging and often more costly. Tech research firm IDC estimates that the broad U.S. market for support services, including the sale of extended warranties and subscription packages, will grow from about $2 billion in 2007 to $3.6 billion in 2012. Ironically, one of the factors likely to drive that growth is the economic downturn, analysts say.

"With the economy (in recession), consumers will choose first to look at fixing their computer problem or optimizing the performance of their PC before buying a new computer," said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst at Parks Associates, a technology consulting firm.

From the article, "Need PC repairs? Go to eBays of tech support" by Troy Wolverton
 

January 30, 2009 — Mass High Tech
Kurt Scherf, a vice president and principal analyst at Texas-based Parks Associates, was among the reviewers that reported a poor user experience with the original consumer product. However, he also said there is considerable demand for the consumer product, citing a recent survey his firm conducted in which 20 percent of people said they wanted to see their online video content through their televisions.

From the article, "ZeeVee goes pro with PC-HDTV box" by Efrain Viscarolasaga
 

January 29, 2009 — Actiontec Press Release
"Each DSL network has its own unique characteristics and settings making it harder for small- to medium-sized providers to gain the advantage of buying made-to-order devices in bulk, cutting down on the overall cost," said Kurt Scherf, Vice President, Principal Analyst with Parks Associates. "The Actiontec Provisioning Application allows the ISP to add their network settings to the application and quickly download to each device cutting off valuable time provisioning each unit at the customer's home or business." 

From the press release, "Actiontec Launches New Provisioning Application Enabling ISPs to Quickly Provision and Brand Their Actiontec DSL Modems"

January 29, 2009 — mocoNews.net

From the article, "Mobile Subscriber Growth To Slow, Handset Sales To Fall In 2009: Report" by James Quintana Pearce
 

January 28, 2009 — TMCnet

According to the report, the increase will lead to the development of fixed-mobile convergence solutions. This will in turn facilitate the creation of new service options which will enable subscribers to access video, audio and community applications through their mobile devices. 

From the article, "Report: 3G Subscribers to Exceed 2.5 Billion by 2013" by Calvin Azuri

January 25, 2009 — RedOrbit
A new generation of Web-connected televisions may play a key role for the recording industry in reaching its ongoing goal of expanding digital music into household living rooms.

However, none of these systems have found widespread market adoption. Indeed, Market research firm Parks Associates estimates there are only about a 500,000 digital media adapters installed throughout the entire country.

"It's a niche category, and the really good products are priced at a premium," Kurt Scherf, principal analyst with Parks Associates, told Reuters. "You're looking at a very specific market segment that will adopt these."

From the article, "Internet TVs Broaden Viewer’s Entertainment Options"

January 24, 2009 — Reuters

Yet none of these systems has found a mass audience. Market research firm Parks Associates estimates there are only about a half-million digital media adapters installed nationwide.

"It's a niche category, and the really good products are priced at a premium," Parks Associates vice president/principal analyst Kurt Scherf said. "You're looking at a very specific market segment that will adopt these."

From the article, "Web-connected TVs expanding entertainment offerings" by Anthony Bruno

January 23, 2009 — CIO Today

"The fact that the pope set up a channel on YouTube means they believe they can get in touch with the people who are the hope for the next generation. This will be the channel where the next generation will get information from," Wang said. "From a marketing perspective, this is a must-win battle to stay relevant and get to know their audience better."

From the article, "Vatican Launches YouTube Channel " by Jennifer LeClaire

January 21, 2009 — SmartMoney

From the article, "5 Ways to Get Gadget Help Cheap" by Kelli B. Grant

January 21, 2009 — ZDnet Asia

The study projects the number of U.S. mobile broadband users to more than double between 2008 and 2013.The research firm expects mobile broadband reliance to be increased by sales of smartphones throughout the period.

From the article, "Wi-Fi won't replace mobile broadband" by Victoria Ho

January 20, 2009 — Bazaarvoice Press Release
US mobile adoption has surpassed 75% and more than 83% of cell phone users take their phones with them wherever they ago. In addition, adoption of smart phones and iPhones is accelerating at a breakneck pace and more than 140 million U.S. consumers will be paying for mobile broadband services in 2013 – up from 46 million in 2008. (Parks Associates, 2009).

From the press release, "Bazaarvoice Introduces MobileVoice, Bringing Product Reviews to the Mobile Device and Into the Retail Store"

January 18, 2009 — ZDF Television Media
Parks Associates Digital Media Analyst, Anton Denissov, was featured at CES by ZDF, a German television station.

From media coverage, "CES 2009"

January 16, 2009 — BluePhone Press Release

Remote PC support services are a fast-emerging industry, estimated by Parks Associates in the report as a "$650 million business in the U.S. at present." The report went on to say that "...In the last few years, a number of third-party vendors, retailers, and broadband service providers have entered this space, employing agents and utilizing software clients and other remote tools to initiate remote support sessions. As opposed to blind telephone support, an agent is able -- upon receiving permission from the customer -- to take over control of a home computer and run diagnostic, maintenance, and break/fix services."

This because "consumers are recognizing that the complexity of their home IT problems and their lack of time to fully understand and solve these problems on their own means that they will be turning more home technology services over to professionals."

"The market for digital home technology support is one of the most dynamically growing segments," says Scherf. "As consumers grapple with ever-more complex digital home technology headaches, 'DIY' is quickly becoming 'do-if-for-me,' which opens up significant opportunity for many players."

From the press Release, "BluePhone Personal Tech Experts Ranked as "Notable Remote Support Vendor" in Parks Associates Paper"

January 14, 2009 — TelecomTV

From the article, "'Snapping the tag': will cameras be driving mobile commerce by 2013?" by Ian Scales

January 14, 2009 — SmartBrief
The growing increase in the quality of cameraphones will likely result in an explosion of imaging applications for wireless devices, according to a new report from Parks Associates, a research and consulting firm. The study predicted revenue from the new opportunities should reach $500 million by 2013.

From the article, "Boom in photo apps seen as phones add pixels"

January 13, 2009 — MacNewsWorld

It's unlikely that Apple would attend CES, agreed Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst at Parks Associates . "I think Apple has gotten so used to building an aura of exclusivity, I just don't see them breaking that at this point," Scherf told MacNewsWorld.

"And their model is so different -- it's so much based on direct distribution online and through their Apple retail stores," he added. 

From the article, "CES 2010 to Feature Apple Orchard - With or Without Apple" by Chris Maxcer

January 13, 2009 — InformationWeek

Predicting that the photo-sharing services businesses will expand to personalized content management and social networking applications, Parks Associates said consumers will be willing to pay for the new applications as they improve. "Recent trends, including the launch of Google's Android MarketPlace and Apple's success with the App Store, have revived interest in the camera phone platform among carriers, handset makers, and application developers," said Parks Associates' Harry Wang in a statement. Wang, who is director of the firm's Health and Mobile Product Research unit, added: "Handset makers and mobile carriers will need to embrace a more consumer-centric business model in application development and marketing. Consumers want to do more with their phones, which makes this area fertile for service innovation." Wang said current mobile printing services, now dominant among mobile imaging applications, will gradually give way to new revenue models including application a la carte purchasing and software as a service. Noting the growth in cell phones with cameras, Wang predicted that nearly 70% of handsets sold in the United States will include a camera with a capacity of at least two megapixels. Eight megapixel camera phones are also coming onto the U.S. market. Consumers, Wang added, will be willing to pay extra for photo-editing features as well as for social networking services.

From the article, "Cell Phone Pixel Progress Hints At Imaging App Boom" by W. David Gardner

January 11, 2009 — Didiom Press Release

From the press release, "Didiom Now Available for VGA-based Windows Mobile Phones and the BlackBerry Pearl 8100 Series"

January 09, 2009 — TWICE

Panelists, however, were split over whether consumers are more interested in wireless for replacing HDMI cables within a room or for distributing HD video throughout the house. “We surveyed consumers worldwide, and 75 percent said in-room connectivity is their priority,” said John Marshall, chairman of WirelessHD, a consortium of CE companies supporting the technology. Lior Weiss, marketing VP of fabless semiconductor startup Celeno, disagreed. He claimed consumers are more interested in such applications as using a multi-room DVR to transmit different programs to different TVs throughout the house. 

From the article, "CES 2009: Wireless In-Room, In-Home HD Video Readied" by Joseph Palenchar
 

January 08, 2009 — Bunchball Press Release

From the press release, "Bunchball Announces Significant Additions to Client List"

January 8, 2009 — Biz Report
The latest forecast from Parks Associates suggests that US mobile broadband subscribers will more than triple by 2013; growth from 46 million in 2008 to more than 140 million subscribers in 2013. In the same time period researchers suggest that the sale of Smartphones will increase to more than 60 million.

Anton Denissov, research analyst with Parks Associates says the anytime connectivity is something consumers will grow to depend on. Even more encouraging for phone providers and mobile marketers is that despite the recessionist economy in the US in 2008 the sale of smartphones did not slow as the sale of other luxury products did. Both Research in Motion (Blackberry) and Apple (iPhone 3G) reported record or strong sales in Q3 2008.

From the article, "Forecast: Mobile broadband to triple by 2013" by Kristina Knight

January 8, 2009 — TV Week

From the blog posting, "Mobile Broadband to Reach 140 Mil " by Sergio Ibarra

January 7, 2009 — NETGEAR Press Release
"NETGEAR's product introductions take advantage of two major trends that we are seeing with consumers -- digital media and connectivity," said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst of Parks Associates, which specializes in research and analysis for digital living technologies. "First, as digital media collections grow, we anticipate that the average broadband household will require a significant amount of additional storage and media centralization capabilities. Second, our Digital Media Evolution study finds high demand for connected CE experiences that can deliver premium Web content to the living room." 

From the press release, "NETGEAR Unveils Two New Internet-Connected Set-Top Products to Enrich TV Entertainment for Internet Families and Serious Media Enthusiasts"

January 7, 2009 — New York Times Blog
Apple’s announcement on Tuesday that it would drop anticopying measures from all of the music in its iTunes store is likely to shake up the digital music business in more ways than one.
Harry Wang, director of mobile product research at the consulting company Parks Associates, said Apple’s announcement could actually bode well for boutique music sellers. They may stand a better shot at striking deals with major labels that are eager to explore new outlets for revenue.  

The record labels “have realized they can make money elsewhere, with more sales approaches like selling music through the mobile space, game development and sponsoring live events,” Mr. Wang said.

Meanwhile, he said, the announcement is “a big win for consumers to have more flexibility to have more options in terms of digital downloads.” 

From the technology blog posting, "Will iTunes Changes Hurt Competing Music Sellers?" by Jenna Wortham

January 7, 2009 — Seagate Press Release
However, according to a recent survey by Parks Associates, more than a quarter of consumers are interested in accessing personal content -- such as photos and music -- directly on the TV, while nearly a third of respondents expressed interest in being able to view movies and other PC-hosted video through the TV. Historically the only way to transfer digital files from the computer to the home entertainment center was through complicated home networking solutions or the time-consuming task of burning multiple DVDs or CDs. Now the Seagate FreeAgent Theatre media player provides a way for people to easily store and move their media library between their PC and home entertainment system so they can share their favorite photos, movies and videos with family and friends in a familiar and comfortable setting. 

From the press release, "Seagate Brings Enjoyment of Digital Content to the Living Room With Seagate(R) FreeAgent(R) Theater(TM) HD Media Player"
 

January 7, 2009 — New York Times
In moves that will help shape the online future of the music business, Apple said Tuesday that it would remove anticopying restrictions on all of the songs in its popular iTunes Store and allow record companies to set a range of prices for them.

Harry Wang, director of mobile product research at the consulting company Parks Associates, said, “They aren’t going to get a huge amount of money from this new arrangement, but in an ailing music industry, anything that can provide more money will be better than the status quo.”

From the article, "Want to Copy iTunes Music? Go Ahead, Apple Says" by Brad Stone

January 6, 2009 — MediaPost's Online Media Daily
More than 140 million U.S. consumers will be paying for mobile broadband services in 2013--up from 46 million in 2008, according to a new study by Parks Associates.

"Consumers will grow more comfortable with mobile broadband, and the service will become part of their daily lives, as they will be able to surf the Web, play games, share pictures, and connect via social networks from anywhere," said Anton Denissov, a research analyst at Parks Associates.

He noted that the smartphone sales have remained strong this year despite the recession, underscoring their allure as both status symbols and utilities. "We haven't seen the slowdown," said Denissov. "The smartphone market is either a lagging indicator or is more recession-resistant."

But Denissov acknowledged that demand could diminish this year as the downturn lingers. "It's safe to say there will be an impact," he said. Under what Parks Associates terms a "realistic" scenario, smartphone sales will grow by only 1 million in 2009 to 19 million. Most of the growth will come in the out years.

From the article, "U.S. Mobile Broadband Users To Surpass 140 Million By 2013" by Mark Walsh

January 5, 2009 — Wall Street Journal

Over the past year, Panasonic Corp., Sharp Corp. and Samsung have come out with HD TVs that can access services such as Google Inc.'s YouTube and Picasa photo albums, along with online weather forecasts and stock tickers. Kurt Scherf, an analyst with Parks Associates, estimates the number of Web-enabled TV sets will grow to 14% of the projected 26 million-28 million TV sets to be sold in the U.S. in 2012 from 1% last year. 

From the article, "Internet-Ready TVs Usher Web Into Living Room" by NICK WINGFIELD and DON CLARK

January 2, 2009 — E-commerce Times

From the article, "What's Lighting the Fire Under Mobile Broadband?" by Anton Denissov

January 2, 2009 — Dealerscope

According to the study, called Digital Media Evolution, large numbers of consumers have interest in the networking capabilities of digital cameras, photo frames, and mobile phones.

"We're entering a new stage in home networking, where interoperability between fixed and portable devices defines new user experiences," Parks' principal analyst, Kurt Scherf, said as part of the announcement. "This trend will guide the development of powerful but energy-efficient networking solutions and the design of middleware and user interfaces that can be implemented on multiple devices running a variety of processors and core software."

From the article, "Survey: Networking Interest to Drive CE Purchases" by Stephen Silver

January 2, 2009 — Mobile Marketer

“I think that that iPhone and other multimedia-capable mobile phones have a significant opportunity to persuade consumers to drop their current phone for one with more rich multimedia capabilities” said Kurt Scherf, vice president, principal analyst at Parks Associates, Dallas, TX.

Also, 48 percent of respondents said that they would buy fewer consumer electronics as holiday gifts, but there is a wide disparity between ages of respondents. “I don’t know if younger consumers are whistling past the graveyard, but only 31 percent of 18-24-year-olds said that they would buy fewer consumer electronics products,” Mr. Scherf said. 

From the article, "Consumer interest in mobile devices to drive next technology wave" by Giselle Abramovich

December 30, 2008 — Network World

From the article, "Parks: Home networking gets mobile in '09" by Keith Shaw

December 30, 2008 — InformationWeek

Consumer electronics purchases will get a new push in the coming months from increased consumer demand for networking among imaging and mobile devices, according to a survey announced Tuesday by Parks Associates.

The new demand, which Parks described as the "next wave of consumer electronics purchasing," will center largely on the home use of digital cameras, photo frames, and mobile phones, the market research firm said, adding that the complete results of the study will be released at the Connection Summit at next month's CES event.

Parks said its survey of U.S. consumers found that nearly 50% of U.S. households with broadband want a digital camera with networking capabilities and nearly 40% would like a networked digital photo frame.

"We're entering a new stage in home networking where interoperability between fixed and portable devices defines new user experiences," Kurt Scherf, VP and principal Parks analyst, said in a statement. "This trend will guide the development of powerful but energy-efficient networking solutions and the design of middleware and user interfaces that can be implemented on multiple devices running a variety of processors and core software."

The Parks study found that consumers see new value in products and services that enable them to transfer mobile calls to fixed line phones and to move music and photos among PCs and portable multimedia players. The market research firm noted that the new surge of interest in networking among portable devices is being driven by a new generation of applications that enable the transfer of media and communications offerings among the devices. 

From the article, "Home Networking: Next Big Thing For Consumer Devices" by David Gardner

December 29, 2008 — Mercury News

This year it became clear that the stereotype just doesn't square with reality. Increasingly girls — and women — are gaming.

Nintendo's Wii became the top-selling console in the United States this year in large part by appealing to women. More than half of active Wii users are female, according to Parks Associates. 

From the article, "The year's top tech trends" by Troy Wolverton

December 27, 2008 — Nitely.net Tech News

From the article, "Does Apple’s iPhone Meet Expectations?" by Rachel McCarthy

December 26, 2008 — Los Angeles Times
The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas -- known in years past for its outsized booths, wall-to-wall crowds and lobster dinners -- is going to be a lot tamer next month.

Other companies will have similarly somber approaches at CES, said Kurt Scherf, principal analyst at Parks Associates, a technology consulting firm in Dallas.

"CES will be much more strategic for companies," Scherf said. "Employees are being sent with very specific goals. The idea of attending just to see a bunch of cool stuff is not going to play very well in this economy."  

From the article, "A less electrifying electronics expo" by Alex Pham

December 19 - 25, 2008 — Dallas Business Journal

Some 85% of consumers upgrade their phones after the two-year contract expires, he says. “That’s where the demand will be coming from.”

Indeed, in an October study by market research firm Parks, some 15% of consumers said they planned to buy a mobile phone during the holiday season. That put mobile phones among the top four of various types of electronics, such as high-definition televisions, laptop computers and game consoles.

From the article, "Cell phone sales may dial downward in ’09" by Jeff Bounds
 

December 24, 2008 — New Business Hunter

Parks Associates, through its recent Digital Media Evolution survey, predicts that service providers such as broadband companies could turn this consumer demand for expertise into service revenue. This trend has already been noticed by industry heavyweight Best Buy which has been emphasizing its Geek Squad division in 2008.  

From the article, "Growth Market Expected for At-Home Entertainment Providers"

December 22, 2008 — EE Times

Wi-Fi dominates today used in an estimated 53 percent of networked homes in the U.S. according to Parks Associates (Dallas). By contrast, only about 19 percent use some form of wired networking other than Category 5 Ethernet cable. Powerline represents a little less than half that group.

From the article, "Powerline group breaks two-year deadlock: IEEE P1901 embraces ITU's G.hn as one part of spec" by Rick Merritt

December 19, 2008 — BETA NEWS
Since Blu-ray became the unofficial successor to DVD, a number of analysts predicted that sales of the high definition media would eventually come to offset any declines in DVD sales. Parks Associates analysts went so far as to predict that Blu-ray player sales would actually surpass most other electronics items during the next four years as they gain traction in the developing world. Analyst Kurt Scherf predicted that unit sales would climb to around 40 million by 2012.

From the article, "CES Countdown #12: Has streaming media already rendered discs obsolete?" by Tim Conneally

December 19, 2008 — engadgetHD

From the article, "Economy, HD adoption to blame for higher stay-at-home entertainment numbers" by Darren Murph

December 18, 2008 — Reuters  

"Indicators for Hollywood don't look good right now, based on the economy and the potential actor's strike. Layoffs around the studios would not surprise me," said Kurt Scherf, an analyst with consulting firm Parks Associates. 

From the article, "Hollywood gears up for more tough times in 2009" by Sue Zeidler

December 17, 2008 — TechNewsWorld  

"I don't think most consumers care about this stuff. There is a core group, a very small percentage of the market that understands what all that is and cares about it. That group is an important constituency, and for them it is probably something of note. But for the majority of the market, I don't think this is something they will go, 'Oh, now I feel more comfortable using Yahoo because of some data retention policy they've never heard of before,'" he told TechNewsWorld.

Yahoo, he continued, is probably just trying to keep up with and set best practice policies in the industry. However, without greater demand from a large number of users, Barrett said he does not think the 90-day policy will be adopted by the industry as a whole. 

From the article, "Yahoo Pledges to Forget You Sooner" by Walaika Haskins 

December 15, 2008 — Mercury News  
Cable and satellite providers have been particularly aggressive in rolling out HD programming in recent months, noted Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst at Parks Associates, a consulting firm. Dish Network, for instance, launched its TurboHD service packages, which offer subscribers an all-high-definition lineup of up to 122 channels.

The idea that an HDTV buyer may have been disappointed with the HD programming choices "may have been true a year ago," said Scherf. But given what the pay TV networks have done recently, "that buyer's remorse "... is fading quickly," he said. 

From the article, "HDTV: Content is playing catch-up" by Troy Wolverton

December 13, 2008 — ZDNet

From the article, "Wireless HD standards battle for supremacy" by Sean Portnoy

December 12, 2008 — Light Readings's CABLE DIGITAL NEWS

From the article, "ITU Stamps G.hn Home Net Standard"

December 12, 2008 — ProVision Communication Technologies Ltd Press Release

From the press release, "How to Deliver Household Wide Wireless HDTV: ProVision Joins Parks Associates’ Signature CES Debate"

December 11, 2008 — Wired Blog Network

From the blog posting, "In-Game Advertising Starts To Drift"  by Meghan Keane

December 11, 2008 — paidContent.org
Still, some analysts say Sony will be the victor in the long run, particularly when it comes to the virtual marketplace. Michael Cai, Parks Associates’ director of digital media and gaming told the FT that Sony would “beat Microsoft in virtual item sales.” Cai is forecasting the virtual goods market on the Xbox 360 and PS3 to reach $500 million by 2013, and that Sony will grab 80 percent of it.

From the article, "Sony (Finally) Lets Us Play In Home"  by Tameka Kee
 

December 11, 2008 — Financial Times

From the article, "Sony aims for a new virtual world order"  by Chris Nuttall
 

December 11, 2008 — Forbes.com

Will Home work? As with every virtual world and social network, it has to offer compelling, regularly updated content, says Parks Associates analyst Michael Cai. And it has to add value to the PlayStation 3 experience.

From the article, "Sony Brings Gamers 'Home'"  by Mary Jane Irwin
 

December 11, 2008 — Electronic House
Everyone is cutting back these days. According to a recent survey by Parks Associates, about 66 percent of American consumers have tweaked spending habits to adjust to the current economic climate.  

“For household services such as Internet and pay TV, recessionary concerns have less impact,” said Kurt Scherf, VP and principal analyst for Parks Associates. “Consumers are more likely to cut back on outside entertainment expenses before trimming household services such as home telephone, pay TV, and Internet.”

People may be staying at home more, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t in the need of a little help. Parks says this might be the perfect opportunity for at-home services that offer customer support, self-diagnostic, and troubleshooting solutions.

The report, titled “Digital Media Evolution,” also says that 50 percent of those surveyed said they would be spending less on consumer electronics because of economic conditions.

From the article, "Economy May Build At-Home Entertainment Services" by Rachel Cericola

December 9, 2008 — engadgetHD

From the article, "AMIMON ships 100,000th WHDI wireless chipset" by Darren Murph

December 8, 2008 — Technologizer

From the article, "Survey Says Gaming Isn’t Just For the Nerdy. Or Is It?" by Jared Newman

December 8, 2008 — BETA NEWS

From the article, "CES to feature DLNA media streaming on CE devices" by Jacqueline Emigh

December 8, 2008 — HiddenWires

From the article, "NETGEAR Ships Powerline Adapters for HD and Multimedia Streaming"
 

December 5, 2008 — Slash Gear

"Mobile has long been in need of a scalable advertising model and Greystripe's new ad formats resolve that issue on the iPhone," said Michael Cai, Director of Digital Media and Gaming at Parks Associates. "Using the iPhone's revolutionary platform, Greystripe has solved the serving, reporting, third-party tracking and, best of all, ad creation problems that have plagued the mobile advertising industry since inception."

From the article, "Mobile advertiser claims to offer Flash ads for iPhone" by Chris Davies

December 4, 2008 — Greystripe Press Release

"Mobile has long been in need of a scalable advertising model and Greystripe's new ad formats resolve that issue on the iPhone," said Michael Cai, Director of Digital Media and Gaming at Parks Associates. "Using the iPhone's revolutionary platform, Greystripe has solved the serving, reporting, third-party tracking and, best of all, ad creation problems that have plagued the mobile advertising industry since inception."

From the press release, "Flash Finally Launches on the iPhone via Advertising Units by Greystripe"

December 3, 2008 — MoneyControl.com

From the article, "WD unveils affordable network storage for offices & homes"

December 2, 2008 — ipTVnews

From the article, "Brits go doolally over DVRs"

December 2, 2008 — Greystripe Press Release

From the press release, "Flash Finally Launches on the iPhone via Advertising Units by Greystripe"

December 2, 2008 — Top Tech News

Traditionally, Cai said, video-game consoles reach mass adoption when the price drops below $200. Microsoft is the first to achieve that goal, in part, because the Xbox 360 was the first console released in the current generation.

"In this economy you do have a lot more bargain hunters and the price tag for the PS3 is likely to scare away some of the potential buyers in this environment than in a normal economic environment," Cai said.

"There's no question that PS3 will come in last," he added. "I also would anticipate the Wii still outselling the Xbox 360 for the holiday season because the Wii was constrained by supply until recently. Nintendo has pumped up their production capacity and you can see a Wii almost everywhere. With that, the Wii is selling well."

From the article, "Microsoft's Xbox 360 Outsells Sony's PS3 on Black Friday" by Jennifer LeClaire

December 2, 2008 — CRM Buyer

The notion of cable companies as poor service providers has been borne out in numerous consumer satisfaction surveys. Recently, Parks Associates found that that subscribers to satellite television and IPTV (Internet protocol television) services are significantly more likely to be satisfied with their decisions than both basic and digital cable subscribers.

Pricing is another area where cable companies are often viewed as inferior to their competitors. "Cable companies have focused on delivering product bundles, but customers view their services as much more expensive than those from competitors," Kurt Scherf, vice president at Parks Associates, told CRM Buyer.

That "clean slate" nature also applies to customer perceptions. "Satellite service and IPTV providers are now in a honeymoon period with customers, and it will be interesting to see if their high marks in customer service remain as the market mature," said Parks Associates' Scherf. Consumers tend to remember negative experiences more than positive ones, and many have had only a limited number of interactions -- and therefore a limited number of possible bad experiences -- with the new entrants.

From the article, "Cable's Customer Satisfaction Tangle" by Paul Korzeniowski

December 2, 2008 — ABC Channel 2 News

Parks Associates has estimated this is the year that HDTVs will cross the penetration mark of 50 percent of U.S. households. But lackluster holiday sales could prevent the figure from hitting Parks' earlier projected figure of 56 percent of U.S. households.

From the article, "Good news: Cheaper electronics for the holiday season" by Jeff Smith 
 

December 1, 2008 — CRM Buyer

From the article, "Competition for the Portable People Meter?" by Heather Way 
 

November 27, 2008 — The Albany Herald

“Overall, the upcoming shopping season is a good place for consumers with good credit and cash on hand — it’s definitely going to be a bargain-hunting place,” said Harry Wang, director of research at Parks Associates in Dallas. “I expect some retailers to aggressively cut price points before Black Friday in order to jump-start their sales.”

From the article, "Stores get ready for shoppers" by Susan McCord
 

November 24, 2008 — Tech Policy Central

He listed eight innovations that are likely to drive future broadband growth:

-  High-definition video-on-demand services like Hulu and Netflix (Parks Associates forecasts that the customer base will expand seven-fold in five years, to about 30% of households)
-  Internet TV services like Joost, Fancast and Veoh (iSuppli predicts the market will reach $5.8 billion by 2011)
-  High-definition video conferencing like telepresence
-  Telemedicine
-  Virtual worlds
-  Internet-connected gaming consoles like Xbox Live (Parks Associates forecasts it to be a $8 billion+ market by 2013)
-  Cloud computing (According to IDC, spending on cloud services will reach $42 billion by 2012)

From the article, "PRI Fellow: The Future of Broadband Looks Bright"

November 23, 2008 — Rocky Mountain News

"Overall, the upcoming shopping season is a good place for consumers with good credit and cash on hand - it's definitely going to be a bargain-hunting place," Wang said. "I expect some retailers to aggressively cut price points before Black Friday in order to jump-start their sales."

Parks Associates has estimated this is the year that HDTVs will cross the penetration mark of 50 percent of U.S. households. But lackluster holiday sales could prevent the figure from hitting Parks' earlier projected figure of 56 percent of U.S. households.

From the article, "HDTV costs fall, but will people buy?: Discounts likely during holidays amid weak economy, high inventory" by Jeff Smith
 

November 19, 2008 — Satellite Today

The transition will directly affect the roughly 1,500 local television stations and an estimated 11,000 cable headends across the United States. "When you combine DBS and cable subscribers in the United States, market penetration is close to 80 percent," says Jayant Dasari of Parks Associates, a Dallas-based consultancy which does research on digital and home networking markets. "Over 12 percent of American households rely on over-the-air programming, which translates to roughly 13 million homes. Each of these homes will need to do something before the February deadline."

From the article, "Digital Switchover Creates New Opportunities" by Greg Berlocher

November 19, 2008 — WIRED Blog Network
Appearing to cave to Hollywood demands, Apple has quietly added a restrictive copyright protection mechanism to its new MacBooks that is preventing customers from watching movies on external displays. Apple has secretly included a copy protection scheme called High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) in the external display ports on the latest models of it MacBooks, released in the middle of October.

Michael Cai, director of digital media at Parks Associates, a digital market research firm, said the headaches caused by HDCP is largely a result of poor communication between manufacturers.

"The industry hasn't done a very good job in coordinating with each other to make sure their devices are compatible with each other so you won't feel this issue," Cai said. "And they haven't done a very good job in terms of educating consumers with these issues."

Cai, himself, experienced the pains of HDCP. He recently tried to plug his Blu-ray equipped Sony VAIO laptop into his Sharp high-definition TV, and the image wouldn't show up.

From the blog posting, "Apple Bends to Studios, Adds Copyright Protection to MacBooks" by Brian X. Chen
 

November 18, 2008 — Top Tech News

"This is a combination of what I call the mainstreamization of video games," said Michael Cai, a video-game analyst at Parks Associates. "Many different types of media companies and household brands are leveraging video games to a certain degree, whether it's driving people to their portals or using video games as an advertising vehicle."

From the article, "National Geographic Launches Video-Game Division " by Jennifer LeClaire

November 17, 2008 — engadgetHD

From the article, "Netgear's HDXB111 / XAVB101 powerline adapters now shipping" by Darren Murph
 

November 17, 2008 — Test Freaks

From the blog, "NETGEAR's Award-Winning Powerline Adapters for HD and Multimedia Streaming Now Available"

November 15, 2008 — What's New In Tech?
That’s indeed the billion-dollar question as telecom service providers enter today’s video arena — a market that spans cable, satellite, the Internet and mobile devices. At the TelcoTV show this week, Parks Associates released some video-viewing data showing just how confusing — yet full of opportunity — today’s video market really is.

According to Parks, Internet video viewing is indeed on the rise, but so is the viewing of prime-time TV shows. The research shows that 80% of adults in broadband homes do some form of Internet video viewing. Twenty-six million adult home broadband users are watching streaming TV episodes at least once a month, and about 6 million adults in broadband homes pay for premium Web video content on a monthly basis. At the same time, many of those are catching up on TV viewing they missed — with just over half (52%) watching missed episodes, while 37% liked watching shows for free, and 29% appreciated having fewer ads in Web replays.

From the blog, "Who watches TV on TV anymore?"

November 14, 2008 — Digital Lifescapes
The tremendous growth of mobile broadband usage, with annual growth rates of 200 percent in some parts of North America and upwards of 800 percent in parts of Europe, could create future challenges for mobile service providers. However, a new market study from Parks Associates found that many carriers rely on outdated business models, excessive pricing or flat-rate billing strategies, to manage traffic or otherwise attempt to reduce user demand.

"Carriers need to create business models with more refined network controls in order to facilitate market growth while maintaining profitability," said Anton Denissov, research analyst, Parks Associates.

The custom study, conducted by Parks Associates on behalf of Camiant, a global provider of policy control for the wireless, fixed, and cable industries, included interviews with executives at major mobile broadband providers in Canada, Europe, and the U.S. market. The study determined the adoption and usage of mobile broadband and each carrier's capabilities with respect to network and user control.

From the blog, "Manipulation of Mobile Broadband Usage" by David H. Deans
 

November 13, 2008 — Reuters
After Thanksgiving, electronics retailers are expected to slash prices of Blu-ray players, which originally sold for as high as $1,500 in 2006, to between $150 and $200 per unit.

U.S. sales of Blu-ray titles have totaled 14 million units this year, with studio officials anticipating another 12 million to 15 million units selling in the fourth quarter. But some industry analysts are skeptical.

"Earlier in the year, I would have been more likely to think that we'd see a Blu-ray player plus a title or two as perhaps a good gift," said Kurt Scherf, analyst with research firm Parks Associates, who said now he believes the economy will "put a crimp in planned purchases."

From the article, "Hollywood holding breath on holiday DVD sales" by Sue Zeidler
 

November 12, 2008 — San Jose Mercury News

The company plans to announce today that it has completed technical trials of its system in the Seattle area and will begin consumer trials there and in other areas by the end of the year.

With the completion of the technical trial, Sezmi has taken "another step toward reality," said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst at Parks Associates, a Dallas market research and consulting firm.

From the article, "New type of pay TV being tested " by Troy Wolverton

November 12, 2008 — Sezmi Press Release

From the press release, "Sezmi Completes Landmark Seattle Trial"
 

November 12, 2008 — Extend Media Press Release

From the press release, "ExtendMedia's Video Distribution Platform Offers More Flexibility to Deliver Online Content to PCs, Televisions and Mobile Devices"
 

November 12, 2008 — Nortel Press Release

From the press release, "Nortel Program Helps Service Providers Speed Time to Market for New Video Applications"
 

November 11, 2008 — Telephony Online
Consumers are most interested in using Internet video to catch up on prime-time television shows they missed, according to consumer research by Parks Associates, which hosted a day-long research workshop at Telco TV here today. That reality creates opportunity for both IPTV providers and content owners if they are able to package content in a way that generates advertising revenue.

One of the real surprises of Parks’s consumer research is that, while Internet video viewing is on the rise, so is viewing of prime-time TV shows, said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst at Parks. The research shows that 80% of adults in broadband homes do some form of Internet video viewing. Twenty-six million adult home broadband users are watching streaming TV episodes at least once a month, and about 6 million adults in broadband homes pay for premium Web video content on a monthly basis, Scherf said. “When I say ‘adults,’ it’s because we deliberately separated the viewing habits of teenagers and younger people in broadband homes,” Scherf said.

Among those not watching Internet video services, nearly 75% indicated they don’t like to watch video on a PC screen, “So if you can find a way to make this work on a TV screen, they might be attracted,” Scherf said.

“More than one third of those engaged in monthly Internet viewing indicate that they are watching more prime-time TV than they did two years ago, compared to 29% of all broadband users surveyed,” Scherf said. While that’s good news for producers of prime-time content, he added, it doesn’t mean their ad models aren’t shifting, particularly as viewers keep up with their shows via digital video recorders and Web replays.

From the article, "Telco TV: Online video, prime-time TV both growing" by Carol Wilson
 

November 10, 2008 — Forbes.com
The 39-person team behind "Whirled" is best known for its online game "Puzzle Pirates." The massively multiplayer game amassed $4 million in revenue in 2007--primarily from the sale of virtual items like boots or parrots for players' pirate avatars. The entire virtual goods economy, estimates Parks Associates analyst Michael Cai, is worth about $1.5 billion globally. Injected with $3.5 million in funding last March, Three Rings hopes it can expand its virtual item business to support an entire network of "Whirled" developers and designers.

"It's an interesting idea that combines user-generated content, open source and embeddable virtual worlds, as well as successful business models," says Parks Associates analyst Michael Cai. "All those elements have been tried; it was just a matter of time before someone came in and combined all those [elements]." Whirled's success will depend on how well it manages its user-created content to ensure consumers are finding the best games and items, Cai notes.

From the article, "A Brand New 'Whirled'" by Mary Jane Irwin

November 10, 2008 — San Jose Mercury News

"That seems to be a pretty ripe market," said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst at Parks Associates.

About 30 percent of Xbox 360 owners are paying for video monthly, noted Scherf. The device has become a Trojan horse of sorts: Consumers who bought it for one purpose are finding an additional use for it.

"They're not asking the end user to bring another black box into living room to receive this content," Scherf said.

From the article, "Fully digital living room still a few years away" by Troy Wolverton
 

November 10, 2008 — TechNewsWorld

Counting eyeballs also isn't enough for YouTube in tough economic times. Hulu is currently capturing the eyeballs of major media executives because it's found a way to make money from premium content versus user-generated content, which most execs associate with viral marketing campaigns. "It appears the major strategy (with online video) is the length of time that a viewer spends watching video on a site. The more time they're on there, the more ads you get in front of them, and even more than that, it's the validity of the ads themselves, the number of impressions and runs of a particular ad, that you get in concert," Scherf said.

"It's the dichotomy of the Internet. It can be used for good eyeball stuff but in the end what's going to pay the rent? In the end you do have to bow before Hollywood and the content creators. It's their content that's going to make the money." 

From the article, "YouTube Bags a Lion" by Renay San Miguel
 

November 7, 2008 — BETA NEWS

From the article, "Analyst: Blu-ray prices will nosedive for the holidays" by Jacqueline Emigh

November 6, 2008 — San Francisco Chronicle

Michael Cai, a broadband analyst for Parks Associates, said the move toward caps appears inevitable as Internet service providers try to deal with a dramatic rise in online video viewing and downloading and peer-to-peer file sharing. He said service providers and Internet content companies may consider partnering with content companies in the future. But until that happens, he expects service providers to stick with the caps, especially as network traffic increases.

"The extra bandwidth consumers are consuming is not that expensive for service providers to stomach right now, but they're really trying to future-proof their networks and also set up the right expectation for consumers and content providers," Cai said.

From the article, "AT&T to test monthly cap on broadband users" by Ryan Kim
 

November 5, 2008 — TMCnet

This deal comes at a critical time, as one report “TV 2.0: The Consumer Perspective” by Parks Associates, expects cable TV providers likely will lose significant numbers of customers to satellite TV and IPTV if they don’t improve their services.

From the article, "Sky, Virgin Media End Channel Dispute, Ink Carriage Deals" by Anuradha Shukla

November 5, 2008 — Red Herring

But the DSi may not have enough going for it to keep up the initial success.

“The DS has reached a kind of plateau,” says Michael Cai, Director of Digital Media and Gaming for Parks Associates, “and I don’t think the DSi will appeal to all the DS owners to upgrade or help [Nintendo] further expand the market for the DS.”

From the article, "Nintendo DSi Sales Rocket" by Michael Lee
 

November 4, 2008 — CRM Buyer

From the article, "Service Providers Compete on Technology - Why Not Support? " by Kurt Scherf
 

November 3, 2008 — Electronic House

Quoting research from Parks Associates, Rader [Scott Rader, senior product manager of branded products at Western Digital] says less than 3-percent of broadband households currently connect a PC to a TV. At the same time, he said, 14-percent of consumers want to be able to do it but that existing solutions have either been too difficult or too expensive. 

From the article, "Western Digital Launches WDTV Box for PC-to-TV Streaming" by Rebecca Day
 

October 30, 2008 — TechNewsWorld

"I remember four years ago when I was talking to one of the founders of Harmonix," Michael Cai, director of digital media and gaming for Parks Associates, recalled for TechNewsWorld. "I don't think the company's founders themselves envisioned just how popular these games have become. They are already trumping the sports genre on the consoles." 

From the article, "Happiness Is a Warm Controller" by Renay San Miguel
 

October 30, 2008 — Forbes.com

From the article, "The Business Of Avatars" by Mary Jane Irwin
 

October 30, 2008 — PC Magazine

Nonetheless, Parks Associates estimates that the market for universal remote controls will be about $27 million in 2008. That is a remarkable number, because I don't know many people working outside of this building who can successfully get them to work. Much more common is the remote control basket on the coffee table. Wicker or plastic, this repository is typically filled with legacy remotes. Some are kept simply for one crucial button—perhaps to turn on the DVD player. How many remotes are in your basket? 

From the article, "Lose Your Remote Control? " by Dan Costa
 

October 29, 2008 — Forbes.com

This means instant access and massive distribution. No need to download and install a bulky application. It'll be the next big boon for 3-D virtual worlds, which are expected to reach 33 million users by 2013, up from 7 million in 2007, according to Parks Associates analyst Michael Cai.

From the article, "Making Virtual Worlds Portable" by Mary Jane Irwin
 

October 29, 2008 — Camiant Press Release

"Mobile carriers around the world, especially those offering 'unlimited' data plans, must rethink their approach to wireless broadband network management," said Anton Denissov, research analyst with Parks Associates. "Failure to implement refined network controls and business policies would condition abusive consumer use patterns and accelerate service commoditization."

From the press release, "European and North American Mobile Broadband Study Finds Change Is Key to Maintaining Profitability"
 

Although PMP export figures from China are not available as the product line is not tracked independently by customs, the country is estimated to account for 30 to 40 percent of global PMP shipments. CCID Consulting predicts that China's PMP industry will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 34.5 percent from 2008 to 2012, outperforming the 30 percent CAGR for global shipments forecast by market research firm Parks Associates.

From the press release, "China's Portable Media Players Industry Will Grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 34.5 Percent from 2008 to 2012"
 

October 24, 2008 — TMCnet

The report maintains that when customers are unsatisfied they naturally tend to look for other services and satellite and telco/IPTV providers are planning targeting unsatisfied cable customers. Although cable operators have improved service efforts, these operators will still hemorrhage subscribers unless they are perceived as offering leading-edge features at equal or better value. In today's economic climate, carriers cannot afford to ignore these findings.

“Subscribers who actively use primetime VoD services show significantly higher satisfaction levels,” said Parks Associates analyst Kurt Scherf, in a statement. “VoD initiatives, particularly those aimed at delivering a ‘Primetime, Anytime’ experience are potential ARPU [average revenue per user] generators and trigger churn toward the provider, a reversal of current market trends.”

From the article, "Report: Cable TV Faces Stiff Competition from Satellite TV, IPTV" by Nathesh
 

October 23, 2008 — The Viodi View

Scherf's presentation provides an update on the broadband video space and the various players that are distributing online video content, how online video is being monetized and the rise of networked consumer electronics as a way of viewing broadband video.

The major content owners are finding advertising as one way to monetize existing content, with ad rates up to $70 CPM on sites such as Hulu. The value of online advertising is more than just impressions, as ad executives surveyed by Parks Associates highly value the interactivity, reporting, immediate feedback and direct customer relationships that broadband video provides.

From the article, "An Excellent Broadband TV Primer"
 

October 23, 2008 — MediaPost Publications's TV WATCH

The crux of this research, recently put together by Parks Associates, says giving consumers more Video On Demand services would improve these results. What does all this mean? Giving viewers more individual control is good. 

From the article, "Give Me Control -- Over Cable, Network Programming, Racy Content ," by Wayne Friedman
 

October 20, 2008 — San Francisco Chronicle

Sony's own PlayStation 3 video game console, which plays Blu-ray discs, helped swing the tide.

With that roadblock cleared, Blu-ray backers hoped to see the start of an upswing in sales this year, especially as the holiday shopping season approached. Research firms such as Parks Associates in Dallas have projected worldwide sales of would jump from about 800,000 in 2007 to about 40 million by 2012. 

From the article, "Blu-ray has case of the economic blues," Chronicle Staff Writer
 

October 20, 2008 — Los Angeles Times

The growth of wireless networking equipment was driven by consumers, who adopted the technology for its convenience even as companies that worried about the expense and security issues were slower to use it, Scherf said.

"It used to be that technology trickled down from the corporation to the consumer," he said. "That's really turned on its head. Consumers are now driving the purchases and the innovation."

From the article, "Consumers now key to high tech's sales" by Michelle Quinn and Alex Pham
 

October 17, 2008 — Multifamily Executive

"Approximately a third of consumers go into the decision process wanting to know what the technology offering is," explained Parks Associates president Stuart Sikes during his keynote review of the survey results. "Multifamily executives need to have their properties do a better job promoting the broadband services that have already been identified as critical to market competitiveness."

Survey results additionally indicate that 85 percent of multifamily firms are not planning on changing their technology investment levels in 2009 compared to 2008. According to the survey, the median investment range for multifamily technology products and infrastructure is 1 percent to 5 percent of the total project cost.  

From the article, "WiFi, Internet Service are Top Demands at Multifamily Projects" by Chris Wood

October 15, 2008 — Wall Street Journal

Overall, prices for Blu-ray players dropped 12% in the third quarter to $350, after adjusting for new-model introductions and old models pulled from the market, according to PriceScan, a price- and product-comparison service. Even now, market share for Blu-ray players is still relatively small. Parks Associates, a market research and consulting firm, says stand-alone Blu-ray players are in 1.7% of U.S. households versus high-def TV from cable or satellite providers, which is in 26% of U.S. households.

Manufacturers have been outfitting their Blu-ray DVD players with new features to lure shoppers. Sony's new players now start up in about six seconds, down from up to 50 seconds for previous players. Samsung's new players come with a chip that improves the picture quality for standard-definition DVDs on HD TVs.  

From the article, "High-Def Options Vie With Blu-ray" by Christopher Lawton
 

October 15, 2008 — Forbes.com

Parks Associates analyst Michael Cai is skeptical that consumers, particularly young consumers, will buy albums on memory cards or that less tech savvy folks will understand SlotMusic. But, he notes, "if I'm in the market for a 1-GB SD card, I may as well get some music with it."  

From the article, "SanDisk's iPod Challenge" by Mary Jane Irwin
 

October 13, 2008 — Unicorn Media Press Release

From the press release, "Unicorn Media Connects Artists and Fans With Ultimate Online Entertainment Experience"
 

October 13, 2008 — Boston Globe

From the article, "Devices designed with older people in mind" byHiawatha Bray
 

October 10, 2008 — Forbes.com

Indeed, the number of registered and active users of Second Life, a virtual world that simulates real-world experiences, have flattened out, says Parks Associates analyst Michael Cai. But this might not be a reaction to the economy; it could be due to consumers shifting to other virtual worlds. Cai predicts that corporations will start using Second Life or custom 3D virtual worlds to hold meetings and cut travel costs.

From the article, "A 'Virtual' Escape From Economic Pain" by Mary Jane Irwin
 

October 9, 2008 — Top Tech News

"Because Sony took a step further with Home, the graphics are so advanced and you can do much more than just create an avatar for yourself," Cai said. "You can roam around, you can go into different theaters and rooms to experiment with new game demos or watch movie trailers, or you can go into a lobby and play with some other avatars to warm up a little bit before you make new friends."

"If you turn on your PS3 every day and you go into the virtual environment, you can not only say hi to your real friends with a virtual avatar but also go into other environments and play games or watch a movie together," Cai said. "It's definitely going to appeal to a lot of people."

From the article, "Microsoft, Sony will Launch Competing Virtual Worlds" by Jennifer LeClaire
 

October 8, 2008 — Forbes.com

The in-game advertising market is small, scoring only $1 billion from advertising and subscriptions in 2007, according to research firm Parks Associates, but the entry of Google is expected to make it explode.

From the article, "Google Gets Game" by Mary Jane Irwin
 

October 8, 2008 — TMCnet

According to research firm, Parks Associates, casual gaming is still small with about $1 billion from advertising and subscription revenues in 2007. Independent developers distribute their games on Web portals and via blogs and social networks, just like YouTube videos. A copy of a casual game might be on every gaming blog on the Web, but once set free from its developer's site, the developer might not have any clue how many people have played it.

From the article, "Mochi Media Joins Google for Launch of AdSense for Games" by Anamika Singh
 

October 6, 2008 — The Wall Street Journal

Overall, revenue for the casual-gaming market — including downloads, subscription fees and advertising sales — reached nearly $1 billion last year, according to Parks Associates, a market research firm. Michael Cai, an analyst with Parks, says there are more than 150 million Internet users in the U.S., and the majority of them play some kind of casual game.

From the article, "Notes From the Underground: Indie Videogames Come of Age" by Christopher Lawton
 

October 3, 2008 — CE Pro

The study says significant growth will be driven by broadband and telecom service providers that start to offer managed services, which provide functionality and remote monitoring via a computer or smartphone, as part of "quintuple play" bundles.

Parks Associates says the wireless controls market will exceed $3 billion in 2012. 

From the article, "Number of Home Automation Systems to Hit 4 Million in 2013" by Jason Knott
 

October 2, 2008 — Boston Globe

From the article, "Bigger can be better" by Hiawatha Bray
 

October 1, 2008 — Los Angeles Times Blog

The Starz agreement helps to narrow that gap. Netflix subscribers who have unlimited plans, which start at $8.99 a month, gain access to the 2,500 movies and other video offerings from Starz as part of the package.

"This solves a huge problem for Netflix, because so much of the criticism about the instant-watch feature is it's just cruddy content," said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst for researcher Parks Associates.

From the Entertainment News & Buzz blog posting, "More mainstream movies for Netflix online" by Dawn C. Chmielewski
 

October 1, 2008 — EE Times

From the article, "Standard to unify powerline shot down in Madrid " by Rick Merritt
 

September 30, 2008 — WD (Western Digital) Press Release

From the press release, "WD ShareSpace(TM) Storage Systems Offer Up To 4 TB of Storage in a Small Footprint"
 

September 30, 2008 — Forbes.com

From the article, "IGA's Massive Ad Play" by Mary Jane Irwin
 

September 24, 2008 — DivX Press Release

From the press release, "DivX Announces the Panasonic "UniPhier" as the World's First DivX Certified(R) Blu-ray Chip to Support Full HD Playback"
 

September 24, 2008 — MediaPost's Online Media Daily

Yuanzhe (Michael) Cai, Parks Associates' director of digital media and gaming, said that companies like Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo will increasingly compete with cable providers and set-top box makers for user and advertiser dollars as they reach those projections.

"Game consoles are becoming multimedia Trojan horses," Cai said. "They're well-positioned as a platform for other types of entertainment media because they're typically in the living room, connected to that gorgeous, 42-inch plasma screen. It's setting up a serious competition between console makers, service providers and emerging set-top box providers like Vudu."

Parks Associates estimates that by the end of this year, roughly 40 million households worldwide will have a connected console. By 2013, that number will jump to 170 million, posing a serious threat to set-top box manufacturers in the short term, and "established incumbents like Comcast and DirecTV in the longer term," Cai said. The threat lies in both the sheer number of consoles and the increased consumption of non-game media by their owners.

In the U.S., well over 50% of all current-generation consoles (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii) are connected to the Internet. Nearly one-third of all Xbox 360 owners and almost half of all PS3 owners watch DVDs on their consoles, while about a third of owners play music on either one. In terms of downloadable content, over a quarter of all PS3 owners download movies and TV shows, while just about 20% of Xbox 360 owners do. Cai said that the industry could expect those multimedia usage numbers to grow, particularly as console makers continue to broker content deals like the Netflix/Xbox Live partnership, which was announced over the summer.

Still, Cai said the Wii would emerge as the king of connected consoles in terms of market penetration, followed by the PlayStation 3. By 2011, there will be nearly 60 million Internet-connected Wiis, according to Parks Associates' estimates. In contrast, there will be roughly 40 million and 30 million connected PS3s and Xbox 360's, respectively. "The PS3 is catching up quickly in sales and connection rate with the Xbox 360," Cai said. "So we expect it will end up in third place by the end of this cycle."

From the article, "Consoles Gain In Popularity, May Steal Ad Dollars " by Tameka Kee
 

September 23, 2008 — TMCnet

Second, the Parks research says the size of the Internet Service Provider (ISP)-managed Internet security and care services will be $2.6 billion by 2012 in North America alone. Market penetration for managed Internet security services are to jump from 9 percent in 2008 to more than 17 percent by 2012.

From the article, "TA Associates Infuses $98 Million in Radialpoint" by Rajani Baburajan

September 19, 2008 — CE Pro

Parks Associates attributes the growth to more companies entering the market with remote monitoring and energy management products, including Black & Decker, Hawking, iControl, Schlage and Wayne Dalton.

The study also says remote control through Wi-Fi-enabled devices, like the iPhone, will help the increase.

"The era of electronic home controls has arrived," says Bill Ablondi, director of home systems research for Parks Associates.

The report says lighting applications will drive the growth for powerline controls.

"Another key application is remote home monitoring," Ablondi said. "We expect to see major manufacturers join forces with telecommunications and video service providers to fuel consumer demand for remote monitoring and Web-based security services."

From the article, "Wireless Controls Market to Exceed $3 billion by 2012" by Steve Crowe
 

September 17, 2008 — CE Pro

Parks Associates says potential clients will range from seniors with chronic conditions to young consumers who want to "self-manage their personal health."

"Service providers cannot ignore the opportunities inherent in the e-Health care model," says Harry Wang, director, health and mobile product research for Parks Associates.

Parks Associates says integrators shouldn't worry about the complexities of insurance and reimbursement in the home health market. It says integrators have dealt with similar issues, saying digital TV services "required negotiating franchise and licensing fees with a variety of different players."

"Service providers are in a unique, once-in-a-lifetime position to enter and serve this growing service industry," Wang says.

From the article, "Home Health Technology Users to Hit 7 Million in 2012 " by Steve Crowe
 

September 15, 2008 — Dallas Morning News Technology Blog

Consumers were more enthusiastic about switching providers to get a multiroom DVR than most other hypothetical features Parks asked about in the survey, including video games, said Kurt Scherf, a vice president at the Dallas-based firm. The two features that outranked the DVR: a wide selection of on-demand TV programs, and having caller identification information appear on the TV screen.

From the blog posting, "U-verse adds multi-room DVR service" by Andrew Smith
 

From the press release, "Seagate Debuts New Storage Solutions to Address Growing Consumer Need to Store, Share and Enjoy Digital Content"
 

September 15, 2008 — Denver Post

From the article, "Slim hard drive opens windows to future" by Steve Raabe
 

September 13, 2008 — InformationWeek

"The average dealer-installed security system in 2008 was about $770-$800," said Ablondi. Whereas for DIY, "it's about $180 for the average security controller," and while that doesn't include the sensors, adding a grab-bag of wireless sensors and a motion detector should still keep the bill under $400. Of course, "if you have a large home with 37 rooms and you're putting window monitors on all of that," he said, expect to pay more.

Monitoring for the absence of expected activities can also be quite useful. For example, Ablondi said such a system could monitor the home of an elderly relative, with a notification set to alert you if the motion detector doesn't detect any movement in the home by noon. "It could be comforting for people who are concerned about elderly parents, and perhaps let them live in the home a little longer and not need so much care," he notes.

What else might next-generation security systems offer? One trend to watch, said Ablondi, is more remote-control security for the home, such as the new Z-Wave lock made by Schlage.

Beyond remote locks, Ablondi said his research finds that 12-15% of households are interested in remotely controlling the temperature or lighting in their home, and remote-controlled thermostats are likewise on the way. 

From the article, "Home Security Gets A Web Makeover" by Mathew Schwartz
 

September 12, 2008 — MacNewsWorld

In the future, there may be little difference between virtual worlds, video games and social networks, predicted Michael Cai, an analyst with Parks Associates in Dallas.

"We're obviously seeing a lot of convergence of them all already," he said.

From the article, "Virtual Worlds: Big Business for Kids' Games" by Bob Keefe, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 
 

September 11, 2008 — LinuxInsider

Virtual worlds come in all shapes and sizes, says Michael Cai, director of broadband and gaming for Dallas-based research firm Parks Associates.

In this exclusive interview with ECT News Network, Cai discusses how virtual worlds are currently being implemented in the enterprise and offers his best guess as to how virtual worlds will shape up in the enterprise in the next three to five years.

We're only about three years into serious applications of virtual worlds in the enterprise, according to Cai. Business applications are still very much in the experimental stage. Tech companies such as Cisco, IBM and Intel are leading the way in adapting virtual worlds for business purposes.

For the future, Cai expects a deeper adoption of virtual worlds by corporations. He also makes an interesting note about the future of virtual worlds in the enterprise. In five to 10 years, teens who have grown up with and engaged heavily in the pure entertainment offered by virtual worlds will begin bringing their expertise to the corporate suite, Cai predicts. This will probably translate into longevity for virtual worlds in the real world of business.  

From the article, "Parks Associates' Michael Cai: Business Gets Done in Virtual Worlds" by Blake Glenn
 

September 10, 2008 — Media Post's Online Daily

From the article, "Helping Brands 'Play' with Gamers: Q & A with Matt Story " by Tameka Kee
 

September 9, 2008 — Bloomberg.com

Consumers were more enthusiastic about switching providers to get a multiroom DVR than most other hypothetical features Parks asked about in the survey, including video games, said Kurt Scherf, a vice president at the Dallas-based firm. The two features that outranked the DVR: a wide selection of on-demand TV programs, and having caller identification information appear on the TV screen.

The Parks survey found that 16 percent of consumers would be willing to pay more per month for a multiroom DVR.

From the article, "AT&T Sells Digital Recorder for TVs Throughout Home (Update2) " by Crayton Harrison
 

September 9, 2008 — USA Today

Cai estimates that global online revenues from games played on consoles will grow from $1.3 billion this year (mostly from Xbox Live) to more than $8 billion in 2013. "You buy clothes for your avatar or you download another song. It all adds up," he says.

From the article, "Social networking goes gaming " by Mike Snider
 

September 9, 2008 — Dempa Shimbun

Read full article here: Parks Associates cited in Dempa Shimbun
 

September 8, 2008 — Celeno Press Release
“The next wave of home connectivity applications will be heavily oriented toward support service provider deployments of entertainment-centric applications and networked consumer electronics, which emphasizes the absolute necessity for home networking solutions to support robust in-home throughput and quality-of-service measures,” said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst with Parks Associates. “With the number of in-home networked devices to top one billion by 2012, Celeno is ideally positioned to take advantage of new home networking rollouts, as its silicon is specifically designed to support high-quality and reliable streams of HD content.” 

From the press release, "Celeno Debuts WiFi Technology for Carrier Grade HD Video Home Networking: WiFi Silicon Solves Home Wiring for IPTV Service Providers"
 

September 8, 2008 —Austin American-Statesman
In the future, there might be little differences between virtual worlds, video games and social networks, said Michael Cai, an analyst with Parks Associates in Dallas. "We're obviously seeing a lot of convergence of them all already," he said. 

From the article, "The kids are taking over virtual worlds: Although digital realms haven't caught on among adults, future is paved with child-centric fare" by Bob Keefe
 

September 5, 2008 —CNET News
Internet-connected game consoles will generate $8 billion in revenue for the Big Three companies through online content and services in 2013, according to a report released Thursday by research firm Parks Associates.

Clearly, console games aren't going away in the next five years. And if $8 billion in revenue can be generated just through services, then they are unlikely to go away for a much longer period of time.

From the "Negative Approach" blog posting, "For game consoles, an $8 billion Net target" by Dave Rosenberg
 

September 4, 2008 — Game Daily

By 2013, Parks forecasts that online content and services for Internet-connected game consoles will generate over $8 billion in global revenue for Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. "Broadband connectivity, now a common feature for game consoles, is a key enabler for new business models," said Yuanzhe Michael Cai, Director of Broadband and Gaming, Parks Associates. "Among the different online revenue opportunities, digital video distribution and downloadable games and content are the most promising."

Microsoft has been dominating the online scene with its Xbox Live service, but Parks notes that "Sony and Nintendo are gaining ground as they ramp up their base of connected customers and diversify monetization methods." Sony recently launched its movie and TV downloads service on the PlayStation Network, and the company has been offering far larger games to download over PSN than file size limits will allow on Xbox Live. Meanwhile, Nintendo has been ramping up its online offerings with WiiWare, which complements the company's library of catalogue titles on Virtual Console.

"Led by Microsoft's success in Xbox Live, all three console makers are dreaming up many innovative offerings to entice console households to get connected and spend more money," concluded Cai. 

From the article, "Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo to Generate $8 Billion in Online Revenues by 2013, says Parks Associates" by James Brightman
 

September 4, 2008 — Connected Home News

The study, called "Connected Consoles: Games, Media and Beyond", forecasts revenue streams from digital video distribution, downloadable games and content, virtual worlds and avatar-based micro-transactions, multiplayer gaming services and dynamic in-game advertising. The report also reveals that out of the "big three" game console manufacturers, Microsoft currently dominates the online content and service market, but Sony and Nintendo are gaining ground as they ramp up their base of connected customers and diversify monetisation methods.

“Broadband connectivity, now a common feature for game consoles, is a key enabler for new business models,” said Yuanzhe Michael Cai, Director of Broadband and Gaming, Parks Associates. “Among the different online revenue opportunities, digital video distribution and downloadable games and content are the most promising. Led by Microsoft’s success in Xbox Live, all three console makers are dreaming up many innovative offerings to entice console households to get connected and spend more money." 

From the article, "Online content and services to generate over US$ 8bn for game console manufacturers by 2013, predicts Parks"
 

September 2, 2008 — Rocky Mountain News

"I think that the notion of cocooning (at home) also resonates well in hard times," wrote analyst Kurt Scherf.

From the article, "Economy slows home entertainment, automation growth" by Jeff Smith
 

September 1, 2008 — Cable 360 Net

From the article, "IPTV: Global, But Not Dominant" by Craig Kuhl
 

August 30, 2008 — IBL News

“Services have been available only on less-than-optimal screens – PCs and portable multimedia players. But new connected products that link to premium Internet video services are emerging at a rapid pace, moving the Internet video viewing experience into the living room. This shift will help grow revenues considerably.”

This report finds that greater ownership of connected game consoles, networked TVs and alternative video-on-demand set-top receivers is generating significant growth in user-paid revenues (Apple TV is, in our view, one of those best examples).

This consultancy says that the Internet video market is maturing as portals, aggregators, broadcasters, and other content creators and publishers are developing go-to-TV approaches and ad-supported premium video services. “Future areas to watch include ad-supported movie streams, new targeted advertising approaches, and Hollywood’s efforts to offer more electronically distributed content through download-to-burn kiosks and other manufacturing-on-demand outlets.”

From the article, "Consumers will spend billions on TV-based Internet video by 2013" by M. AMIGOT
 

August 28, 2008 — DivX Press Release

From the industry press release, "Vestel First to Announce DivX STB for European Market"
 

August 28, 2008 — WirelessHD Press Release

From the industry press release, "WirelessHD's Industry Leadership and Award-Winning Solutions Fuel Consortium Expansion and Standards Harmonization"
 

August 26, 2008 — Storage Appliance Corp. Press Release

From the industry press release, "Storage Appliance Corp. announces availability of the first truly automatic system that backs up your PC - right out of the box"
 

August 24, 2008 — New York Times

By the end of this year, 370 million homes worldwide will have broadband Internet, Parks Associates estimates. But only 5 percent, about 17 million, will have residential media gateways.

From the article, "A Home Network Where Your TV Talks to Your Fridge" by Kevin J. O'Brien
 

August 24, 2008 — International Herald Tribune

To be sure, while networked devices like Internet-ready TVs, set-top boxes, residential gateways and game consoles like Microsoft's Xbox360 or Sony's PlayStation3 are increasingly common, the truly "networked" wireless home is still a few years off, industry experts say. By the end of this year, 370 million homes worldwide will have broadband Internet, Parks Associates estimates. About 4 in 10, or 150 million, will also have WLAN routers connecting computers to the Internet. Only 5 percent, about 17 million, will have residential media gateways.

"What this means for consumers is that some people may bring products home and discover that they can't communicate with others on their networks," said Kurt Scherf, a senior analyst at Parks Associates. "We are just starting to see the first networked products roll out and a shakeout in standards is inevitable."

From the article, "Home electronics go wireless" by Kevin J. O'Brien

August 22, 2008 — BETA NEWS

"Secondly, the use of DVB-H denies operators the possibility of leveraging established network infrastructure," Barrett continued. "As a counterpoint to DVB-H, DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) technology is designed to piggyback on DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) radio networks, which are deployed extensively in Holland, the U.K., and Germany."

From the article, "European solidarity crumbling on digital mobile TV" by Tim Conneally
 

August 19, 2008 — LinuxInsider
The one-two punch of news is generating plenty of buzz within the mobile industry, and one thing's for sure: All eyes are now on Google to see if it will revolutionize the cell phone, or just fall flat.

"For the consumer, at the end of the day, what really matters is what can I do with the phone," Parks Associates Director of Research John Barrett told LinuxInsider. "If Android allows you to do things you can't do otherwise and it's better, then consumers will start to say, 'I know what this is, and I want it.' That's going to be hard to get to that point," he predicted.

Getting to that point, Barrett believes, may ultimately boil down to the providers.

"To me, the key variable is really not so much Android. ... It's your big mobile phone operators that command most of the market share and how are they going to act and react," he noted.

"I think the idea behind Android is a good one -- the idea of having an open platform -- but at the same time, phones are different from computers. Most people don't realize their phone has an OS on it, much less care about what OS it has," Barrett concluded.

From the article, "Google Gives Android Devs a Kit to Tinker With" by JR Raphael 
 

August 19, 2008 — Home Media Magazine
The report from Parks Associates said that increased availability of connected video game consoles, networked TVs and video-on-demand (VOD) set-top boxes will spearhead the growth in user-generated revenue.

“Consumption of premium Internet video content to date has been low,” said Kurt Scherf, VP, principal analyst of Parks Associates. “Services have been available only on less-than-optimal screens, [including] PCs and portable multimedia players.”

The analyst said advances in ad-supported movie streams, targeted advertising, download-to-burn kiosks and on-demand venues will spur the Internet video market.

“New connected products that link to premium Internet video services are emerging at a rapid pace, moving the Web video viewing experience into the living room,” Scherf said. “This shift will help grow revenue considerably.”

From the article, "Report: Web Video to Top $6B by 2013 " by Erik Gruenwedel
 

August 19, 2008 — Canada's Here's How!

"Broadband growth pushed Europe ahead of North America in terms of home network adoption," said Kurt Scherf, Vice President, Principal Analyst at Parks Associates. "With the network in place, providers will tie in high-demand entertainment services.” 

Scherf predicts that, by 2012, more than a third of homes will employ home networking, including entertainment and multimedia, and especially IPTV.   

From the article, "168 Million Homes will Adopt Networking This Year" by Christine Persaud
 

August 18, 2008 — Associated Press

Research director John Barrett at analysis firm Parks Associates points to the fees as a problem, and recommends that operators provide free content.

"A free taste would go a long way in making the consumer case for mobile TV," he wrote in a recent report. "Mobile TV services have taken off in Japan and South Korea, where service is offered free of charge. In Italy, where additional fees have been the norm, usage has been limited."

From the article, "Analog TV shutdown kills free cell-phone TV" by Peter Svensson 
 

August 18, 2008 — Mercury News
Parks Associates

Parks Associates found that just 10 percent of households regularly back up their digital files. While Apple has incorporated backup software into its Mac OS and many external hard drive makers include the software with their drives, backing up data is still too complex a task for most consumers, analysts say.

From the article, "Not enough space: The dicey digital game of storing, backing up files" by Troy Wolverton  
 

August 18, 2008 — The Daily News

From the article, "Two thirds of corporations pay no income tax at all" by John Eby
 

August 15, 2008 — U.S. News World & Report

Parks' analyst, Kurt Scherf, says studios are sold on Internet video. "Hollywood has discovered that online video distribution provides more upside to their businesses than risk," Scherf says. If he's right, and the studios open the spigots, the growth numbers may be conservative."

From the blog posting, "Hollywood Embracing Internet Video, Analyst Says" by David LaGesse of Dave's Download
 

August 15, 2008 — Telecom TV

The report goes on to say that so-called “transactional” money, comprising of direct-to-TV videos, account for 75 per cent of these revenues.

Furthermore, Parks Associates says, "increased ownership of connected game consoles, networked TVs, and alternative video-on-demand set-top receivers is generating significant growth in user-paid revenues.” Kurt Scherf, Vice President and Principal Analyst at Parks Associates says, “Consumption of premium Internet video content to date has been low. Services have been available only on less-than-optimal screens such as PCs and portable multimedia players.

ABI corroborates the finding of Parks Associates and agrees that "the PC is destined to become the main multimedia content playback device and will grow to an installed base of 25 million over the next five years."

Meanwhile Kurt Scherf says, “The Internet video market is maturing as portals, aggregators, broadcasters, and other content creators and publishers develop go-to-TV approaches and ad-supported premium video services. Future areas to watch include ad-supported movie streams, new targeted advertising approaches, and Hollywood’s efforts to offer more electronically distributed content through download-to-burn kiosks and other manufacturing-on-demand outlets."

From the article, "Billions of bucks to be spent on web video " by Andrew Beutmueller
 

August 15, 2008 — TechNewsWorld

Not surprising is the lack of specific share percentage for AMX and Crestron; these are low-volume, high-priced remote units, acquired by only the top of the socioeconomic food chain. RTI does show up on this consumer survey, and this marks the first time Parks Associates has seen RTI appear outside of installing dealer surveys, showing an incipient but growing taste among consumers for more capable and robust models.

From the article, "Universal Remotes: Do Brand Names Turn Consumers On?" by Tricia Parks
 

August 14, 2008 — TIME

From the article, "The Off-Line American" by Lev Grossman
 

August 14, 2008 — money.co.uk: The Money Comparison Experts

The rise of internet video is distinct from the massive recent popularity of free "viral video" sites such as YouTube and Dailymotion - which offer content at a far lower quality than premium providers. Another difference is that web TV is often screened directly to TV sets, which the quality on offer from the free services makes impossible.

Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst for Parks Associates, said: "Consumption of premium internet video content to date has been low. Services have been available only on less-than-optimal screens - PCs and portable multimedia players."

"But new connected products that link to premium internet video services are emerging at a rapid pace, moving the internet video viewing experience into the living room. This shift will help grow revenues considerably."

Parks Associates conducted its research for the US market. "

From the article, "Internet TV 'To Increase in Popularity'" by Jayne Davison
 

August 13, 2008 — CE Pro

"Internet Video: Direct-to-Consumer Services" says direct-to-TV videos will account for 75 percent of the revenue.

"The study is attributing the growth to more people owning connected gaming consoles, networked TVs and alternative video-on-demand settop boxes."

"Consumption of premium Internet video content to date has been low," says Parks Associates VP and principal analyst Kurt Scherf.

"Services have been available only on less-than-optimal screens - PCs and portable multimedia players. But new connected products that link to premium Internet video services are emerging at a rapid pace, moving the Internet video viewing experience into the living room. "

From the article, "Consumers to Spend $6 Billion on Internet Video Services by 2013" by Steve Crowe
 

August 12, 2008 — 2Wire Press Release

From the press release, "2Wire Turns 10, Ships 20 Millionth Intelligent Gateway"
 

August 8, 2008 — CE Pro

The study says home networking will reach 168 million households worldwide by the end of 2008. Households with networking solutions for broadband and file sharing totaled 114 million in 2006, according to Parks Associates. The study says this growth will lay the foundation for expansion of multimedia services internationally.

"Broadband growth pushed Europe ahead of North America in terms of home network adoption," says Kurt Scherf, vice president, principal analyst, Parks Associates. "With the network in place, providers will tie in high-demand entertainment services. By 2012, over one-third of networked nodes worldwide will have entertainment or multimedia functionality, with particularly strong growth in IPTV services."

Scherf says European broadband providers are the leaders in deploying home networking solutions that provide basic broadband-sharing features.

Parks Associates also says the sales of NAS devices will reach 13 million units by 2012, attributing the growth to the ever-growing desire for digital content.

From the article, "Home Networking to Reach 168 Million Households in 2008" by Steve Crowe
 

August 4, 2008 — MSNBC.com

From the article, "Home theater PCs provide front-row seats Combine it with a high-definition TV and you've got your own cinema" by Scott Taves
 

August 4, 2008 — Home Media

 "It's going to take some time for the studios and the kiosk companies to experiment with the type of content they plan to make available through the download-to-burn efforts." However, he added, that title count is Polar Frog's biggest asset, comparing it to the 500 or so rental DVDs available from Redbox, or the 7,000 to 10,000 DVDs on the shelves at Blockbuster. "Once the studios get real data back on use, on how revenues compare to the distribution costs that they're saving, etc., I think you'll see more come on board, assuming the results are favorable," he said."

From the article, "Polar Frog Ready to Burn CSS at Kiosks" by Chris Tribbey
 

August 1, 2008 — Forbes.com

But all of a sudden, the downloadable casual game gold rush appears to be over.

"Even though the Web-based casual games industry hit an estimated $1 billion in revenues in 2007, according to Parks Associates, game developers are finding it increasingly difficult to do business as more and more games flood the market. "

From the article, "Casual Gold Bust " by Mary Jane Irwin
 

August 1, 2008 — TechNewsWorld

From the article, "Expanding Consumers' Digital Closet Space" by Jane Shields and Kurt Scherf
 

July 31, 2008 — MarketingVOX

"Parks Associates is even more optimistic, forecasting ad spend of $2.1 billion in 2012."

But Massive may be the most zealous company of all. In 2006, it suggested in-game advertising would hit $2 billion by 2010.

From the article, "Google Preps Joystick for In-Game Ad Invasion"
 

July 30, 2008 — TMCnet.com

From the article, "Network-Attached Storage Device Sales to Reach 13 Million by 2012" by Jayashree Adkoli
 

July 29, 2008 — TechNewsWorld

From the article, "Adobe Flips Switch on Lightroom 2" by Renay San Miguel

July 27, 2008 — NY TIMES

From the article, "Finding and Fixing a Home's Power Hogs " by MICHAEL FITZGERALD
 

July 25, 2008 — Forbes.com

From the article, "Blowing Up Bloons" by Mary Jane Irwin
 

July 24, 2008 — Wallstreet Journal

"Research still indicates that the idea of connecting a PC to the TV seems a daunting and cumbersome task for most consumers. According to a 2007 study of 2000 U.S. homes conducted by Parks Associates, a market researcher, just 2.5% had a PC connected to a TV in the living room."

That's one of the reasons television manufacturers are making the sets themselves Internet accessible. Companies such as Panasonic Corp. of North America, Sony Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. in recent months have added Web content to their Internet-connected TVs. Panasonic launched a series of flat-panel TVs in May that can access YouTube. Since the start of the year, Sony has added YouTube and CBS to its list of Internet offerings for TV owners.

From the article, "Feeding Your TV With Video From the Computer or Web" by CHRISTOPHER LAWTON
 

July 21, 2008 — San Jose Mercury News
Already, women comprise more than half the players of the "casual" card and puzzle-type games available online for PCs. Many of those games are free for a limited amount of time, but typically cost $20 or so if users want to keep on playing them. Among those players who end up purchasing online casual games, almost three-quarters are women. But women aren't just playing solitaire or "Diner Dash" on their computers.

"About 52 percent of the active users of Nintendo's Wii are women, according to Parks Associates."

And more women may soon be coming to gaming. According to Nintendo, just 28 percent of the owners of its DS handheld system are women. But 48 percent of women of all ages in this country either own one - or have requested one as a gift, the company says.

From the blog posting, "Gaming isn't just a boys club now" by Troy Wolverton
 

July 21, 2008 — THOMSON Press Release
Thomson (Euronext 18453; NYSE: TMS), the worldwide leader in video solutions, has announced shipments of BT Home Hub wireless gateways have passed the three million mark in fewer than two years since the devices were deployed by BT in the United Kingdom. This milestone also underscores the remarkable success of the service, with a rapid increase in subscribers opting for the higher value broadband packages in which the BT Home Hub was included.

"Illustrating the growth potential of the residential gateway market, recent projections by industry analysts Parks Associates, estimate that by year-end 2012, 40 million European homes will have residential gateway solutions."

From the press release, "BT Home Hub Passes the Three Million Shipment Mark"
 

July 17, 2008 — AT&T Press Release

"According to Parks Associates, roughly 150 million people are playing connected games -- 41 million of which play on wireless devices -- making them a key growth driver for both the gaming industry and for AT&T. "

From the press release, "AT&T and EA Bring Spore to a New Universe Of Gamers: New Agreement to Deliver Exclusive Gaming Content to AT&T Customers, Premiering First on Mobile Devices"
 

July 16, 2008 — CEPro

"Increasing options for content, the heavy buying of expensive flat TVs, and rational prices for the mid-level remote have all played to increase consumers' willingness to purchase and desire for the more capable control benefits," says Parks Associates CEO Tricia Parks.

“U.S. households are spending more on their entertainment equipment as well as on content options than in the past,” adds Parks.

“So, spending some hundreds of dollars on a URC that allows easier use and management of their home theater systems makes more sense to them than in the past.

"There is a middle market for advanced universal remotes now emerging that will continue to see growth for at least the next 5-7 years.”

From the article, "Universal Remote Control Market to Grow 10% to 2013, Study Says" by Steve Crowe
 

July 11, 2008 — RadioandMusic.com
"A Parks Associates survey has found that a majority of US and Canadian citizens use the PC and Television to listen to music."

"In a new report by Digital Media Habits II, MP3 players ranked equal to TVs, with one-third of households using these platforms for music. Digital Media Habits II is a study of media trends in the US and Canada. "

"Parks Associates Director of Research John Barrett said, "iPods are sexy, but not everybody has one. TVs are ubiquitous and increasingly capable of delivering a range of content, especially with new features like digital music delivery and place-shifting services. This is just the tip of the iceberg for TV applications."

"According to the report, Parks Associates analysts recommend that developers and service providers account for these standard platforms while designing new digital entertainment services."

From the article, "PC, TV are new platforms for music in US, says survey"
 

July 11, 2008 — CIO Today

"GTA IV didn't help much and there isn't a killer game on the horizon -- no pun intended," Cai quipped. Parks Associates' study of 2,000 U.S. Internet gamers, Electronic Gaming in the Digital Home II, reports that consumers interested in buying a console are more interested in Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PlayStation 3 than the Xbox 360. Among those who intend to purchase a console, 38 percent ranked Wii as their No. 1 choice, followed by PS3 at 31 percent, and Xbox 360 at 19 percent. 

From the article, "Microsoft Likely To Cut $50 Off U.S. Price of Xbox 360" by Jennifer LeClaire 
 

July 10, 2008 — Market News Gadget Talk

"iPods are sexy, but not everybody has one," explained John Barrett, Director of Research at Parks Associates. "TVs are ubiquitous and increasingly capable of delivering a range of content, especially with new features like digital music delivery and place-shifting services. This is just the tip of the iceberg for TV applications." "

From the blog, "People Using TVs to Listen to Music" by Christine Persaud  
 

July 10, 2008 — Business of Cinema.com

"iPods are sexy, but not everybody has one," said Parks Associates director of research John Barrett. "TVs are ubiquitous and increasingly capable of delivering a range of content, especially with new features like digital music delivery and place-shifting services. This is just the tip of the iceberg for TV applications."

In the report, Parks Associates analysts recommend that developers and service providers account for these standard platforms when designing new digital entertainment services.

Parks Associates will discuss next-generation video services at the Connections Europe Summit, taking place 29 August, in Berlin, Germany. The Summit will feature panel discussions on "The Evolution of Video Devices" and "Visual Networking and TV 2.0," among other topics. Sponsors include Cisco Systems, Enure Networks, F-Secure Corporation, MoCA, support.com, WirelessHD and Zilog.

From the article, "Consumers listening to music more and more on TVs: Survey"

July 10, 2008 — TMCnet

A study last year by Parks Associates showed that while about half of respondents wanted to mount their flat-panel TVs, just 28 managed the feat.

From the article, "Belkin's FlyWire Allows HDTV Placement Anywhere in Home" by Michael Dinan

July 10, 2008 — Belkin Press Release

From the press release, "New Belkin FlyWire™ Delivers HD Video and Audio Wirelessly to Any HDTV, Anywhere in Your Home"
 

July 7, 2008 — CableTechTalk

From the article, "Despite Good News About Broadband Adoption, Vint Cerf Calls for Nationalization (sort of, maybe, a little bit)"
 

July 6, 2008 — HiddenWires

Parks Associates has summarized its findings in the white paper "Super Buyers," available as a free download on its website. The Super Buyers divide almost evenly between men and women, and 50% earn less than $75,000 per year. Attitudinally, Super Buyers like CE products, look forward to purchasing devices as soon as they are available, and are more likely than the average broadband household to personalize their devices.

From the article, "Parks Associates Identifies "Super Buying" Segment of U.S. Consumers Responsible for 80% of CE Purchases"
 

July 2, 2008 — Mobile Excellence Awards Press Release

From the press release, "Mobile Monday Launches Annual Mobile Excellence Awards To Honor Outstanding Achievements & Leadership in Mobile Entertainment"
 

July 1, 2008 — Hollywood Industry

Kurt Scherf, Vice President and Principal Analyst, highlighted key developments in advanced television services and discussed future areas of focus, including bandwidth issues and the "interactive experience" enabled by VoD, widgets, and advertising. Currently the lack of easy, high-quality connections between VoD services and the TV is a key inhibitor to the growth of the broadband VoD market. Parks Associates expects to see an increase in products and services aimed at connecting content to platforms in 2008 and beyond.

From the article, "Interactivity, Competitive Business Models, and Value-Added Services Driving Expansion of the Digital Lifestyle"

July 1, 2008 — Tech News World

From the article, "Virtual Worlds: And the Children Shall Lead" by Michael Cai
 

June 27, 2008 — Advertising Age

From the article, "At Last, PlayStation 3 Outdoes XBox in Unit Sales" by Beth Snyder Bulik
 

June 26, 2008 — Press Democrat

From the article, "The connected home" by STEVE HART
 

June 25, 2008 — TMCnet

“Device makers, application developers, and operators are looking beyond the basic GPS routing function to innovative, location-based content and services. The next few years will see a steady flow of value-added content and services coming to market, and business model development will be the key challenge for vendors to figure out,” explained Wang.

From the article, "Research and Markets: GPS Taking Over the Mobile Device Market" by Michelle Robart
 

June 24, 2008 — Home Gateway Initiative (HGI) Press Rlease

From the press release, "HOME GATEWAY DEPLOYMENT TO HIT 30 MILLION BY 2009"

June 23, 2008 — San Francisco Chronicle

"It doesn't seem like a friendly approach the industry is taking right now," Scherf said. "The risk of inducing long-term discontent over what I view as a short-term situation is not worth it."

From the article, "Online bandwidth hogs to be cut off at trough?" by Ryan Kim 
 

June 22, 2008 — San Diego Union Tribune

"Scherf's survey suggests that a different group of electronics will hold up well in the slow economy. While the CEA expects HDTVs, video game consoles and GPS devices to do well, Scherf sees those products as vulnerable to consumer cutbacks. He sees MP3 players, home theaters and digital cameras as recession-resistant."

From the article, "Consumers keep shopping for gadgets despite tough economic times, but will it last?" by Jonathan Sidener 
 

June 17, 2008 — Fox Business

From the article, "Radialpoint Renews Key Contracts With Top Internet Service Providers"
 

June 11, 2008 — TWICE

From the article, "iPhone 3G Adds Potential To Compete With PNDs" by Amy Gilroy
 

June 6, 2008 — BusinessWeek

From the article, "Economic Woe May Rain on Dad's Big Day" by Albert Sun
 

June 5, 2008 — Market News

“GPS will come to your mobile handsets as a standard feature, but mobile carriers are still a couple of years away from turning GPS into a money-making, mass-market feature,” explained Harry Wang, Senior Analyst at Parks Associates."

From the article, "GPS on a Continual Rise" by Christine Persaud
 

June 5, 2008 — ADWEEK
"In-game advertising is in a fledgling stage, generating $54 million in sales in 2006, per Parks Associates, Dallas, but could grow to $800 million by 2012. "

From the article, "In-Game Ads Head to PlayStation 3" by Matthew Fields, Brandweek
 

June 5, 2008 — Marketing Daily

"A small minority makes up the bulk of the purchases," says John Barrett, research director at Parks Associates. "Many of them are not uber-rich, even if they spend like they are."

"These buyers are part of a community who share information about gadgets," Barrett says. "It's a form of viral marketing, but different than posts on MySpace because they are focused on finding information consumer electronics."  "

From the article, "'Super Buyers' Play Critical Role In Adoption Of New 'Toys' " by Laurie Sullivan
 

June 4, 2008 — Forbes.com
"In-game advertising is still in its early stages, generating a modest $54 million in sales in 2006, however, technology research firm Parks Associates estimates it could grow to an $800 million market by 2012."

"Right now, businesses looking to place ads across different game platforms are stuck talking to multiple ad agencies, says Parks Associates analyst Michael Cai. If you want to place an ad in an Xbox 360 game, you have to deal exclusively with Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people )-owned Massive. To get into a PlayStation 3 game, you deal with Sony. A handful of independent agencies, including IGA and Double Fusion, have sprung up to handle ads in PC games and for specific game publishers. Sony opening up its platform "is going to make [IGA and Double Fusion's] portfolios more attractive to advertisers" because it decreases market fragmentation, Cai predicts."

From the article, "Sony Set To Open Up To In-Game Advertisers" by Mary Jane Irwin

June 4, 2008 — Virtual Worlds News
"Michael Cai of Parks Associates published some results of a recent survey of Internet gamers ages 13 and older about online habits, including virtual worlds.  "

From the article, "Parks Associates: Only 7% of Teen-and-Up Internet Gamers Visit Virtual Worlds Weekly"
 

June 3, 2008 — The Wall Street Journal
"Kurt Scherf, an analyst with Parks Associates, a market-research firm, says that one of its surveys of U.S. households with Internet connections found that 35% of the 1,090 households where members originally planned to buy a high-definition TV set this year would be delaying the purchase, with the economy getting the blame. That's one reason Sony Corp. recently said it would introduce more "entry-level" TV sets this year that cost between $500 and $1,200 -- that's about $200 less than Sony's premium line of TV sets. And Samsung just cut the prices on part of a new line of flat panels by $200."

"Retailers are also pushing the price down on Blu-ray DVD players, which sell for $550 on average, according to Parks Associates."

"Mr. Scherf of Parks says Father's Day will be another test of consumers' threshold for electronics prices, but he adds that analysts and industry executives will be watching what happens later in the fall as the holidays approach. "If gas prices remain the way they are and the economy continues to sputter along, I would be very worried come October or November," he says. "

From the article, "Gadgets Priced For Frugal Times" by Christopher Lawton
 

May 27, 2008 — Los Angeles Times
""In the last stages of Adelphia's existence, they were bleeding money," said analyst Kurt Scherf at Parks Associates, a consulting and research firm. "They were putting very little into infrastructure upgrades.""

From the article, "Area HDTV owners with cable service have limited choices" by Alana Semuels
 

May 23, 2008 — CE Pro
"Roughly 25 percent of households spent $2,000 or more on CE products in the past year, accounting for 80 percent of all CE purchases, new Parks Associates research says."

""The Super Buyers enjoy using these devices and see them as an extension of their identity," says Parks Associates director of research John Barrett."

From the article, "Parks Associates Identifies “Super Buying” Group" by Steve Crowe
 

May 22, 2008 — Biz Report
"Email and Internet access are both important in the daily lives of many of us, but a new report from Parks Associates reveals that many U.S. citizens don’t even have Internet access."

"The Parks Associates data revealed that age and education play a big part in whether the Internet is a part of an individual’s daily life. Half of those that have never used email are over the age of 65 and 56% had no education beyond high school."

“Internet connections have slowly increased in U.S. households, but getting the disconnected minority online will continue to be difficult,” said John Barrett, director research at Park Associates. “Age and economics are important factors, but the heart of the challenge is deeper. Many people just don’t see a reason to use computers and do not associate technology with the needs and demands of their daily lives.”

From the article, "Almost one-fifth of U.S. population disconnected" by Helen Leggatt
 

May 19, 2008 — BUSINESSWEEK
"One fifth of Americans have never used e-mail, according to a recent survey by consultancy Parks Associates. Of 1,088 people surveyed, 21% have never done a search on the Internet or looked up a Web site. This is startling — and troubling. "

From the article, "One Fifth of Americans Have Never Used E-Mail" by Olga Kharif
 

May 18, 2008 — Mashable Social Networking News
"In a similar vein, Steven Musil of CNET points out a study conducted by Parks Associates that found that 30% of people have never written or sent an email. Mind you, Parks discloses that over half of these people polled were over the age of 65, and of those, 56% had no formal education, which speaks more to the digital age divide than anything else. "

From the article, "Pew Internet Finds Web Has Little Effect On Purchasing" by Sean P. Aune
 

May 15, 2008 — CNN.com
"Think about the how much more responsive the content offerings can be if an obscure movie, for example, becomes really popular -- like the 'Napoleon Dynamite' phenomenon from a few years ago, notes Kurt Scherf, principal analyst at Parks Associates."

From the article, "Can the USB go from computer dork to Hollywood player?" by Steve Mollman
 

May 14, 2008 — DallasNews.com Technology Blog (Dallas Morning News)

"Parks does note that the percentage of households without Internet access has dropped from 29 percent at the end of 2006, so the Internet curmudgeons are slowly venturing online, while the federal report says the percentage of cell-only users is climbing."

From the blog, "Some households using cell phones only, others have never connected to the Internet" by Victor Godinez
 

May 7, 2008 — Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. Press Release
"According to a recent Parks Associates study, the custom installation market is expected to grow to 226,000 installations by 2012 - an increase of 60% within five years - with more than $23,000 spent on average per installation."

From the press release, "Pioneer Broadens 2008 Elite KURO Line of Displays with New Signature Series of Monitors"
 

May 6, 2008 — HealthImaging.com
"Yet, vendors can overcome payor resistance by providing verifiable trial results and further education regarding the benefits of home health monitoring technologies, according to a new study by Parks Associates."

“With U.S. market potential of $2.5 billion in device and service revenues by 2012, the home health monitoring industry has every incentive to convince private insurers, along with other potential payers, of the technology’s value and feasibility,” said Harry Wang, senior analyst at Parks Associates, a market research firm. The study outlines ten recommendations for vendors to strengthen home health monitoring technologies’ visibility and value proposition, including providing independently verifiable trial results, gaining recognition from the medical community, and presenting a practical plan that will prevent over-utilization of the technology.

“While meeting private payors’ requirements—like providing a drilled-down explanation about the operational details on how the technology is used by consumers and caregivers—is important, the technology industry must also rally support from consumers, caregivers and employers—many self-insured—to influence private insurers’ perception and the technology review process,” said Wang, who believes efforts from industry organizations like Continua Health Alliance, American Telemedicine Association, the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative and Technology CEO Council, are significant starts."

From the article, "Home health monitoring adoption to rise, despite payor resistance"
 

May 5, 2008 — BusinessWeek

From the article, "The [Virtual] Global Office" by Rachael King 
 

May 5, 2008 — Telegraph-Journal, Canada

"The closest thing to it is what British Telecom has been doing for a year-and-a-half now with a service the call Home IT Advisor," he says. "Part of it is the remote IT support, either by phone or by web chat, they also do have a service that they will send a technician to the home, but my understanding is the scope is limited to more of the broadband or home computing aspects."

"Scherf estimated the U.S. market for digital home support service, which can include everything from remote technical support to in-home computer set-up as well as troubleshooting and assistance in setting up consumer electronics such as televisions and digital cameras, could grow to a US$2 billion industry over the next five years. "

From the article, "Consumers Saving Rebate Checks" by DAVID SHIPLEY
 

May 1, 2008 — TV Week
"With the impending digital transition, the consumer shift to on-demand viewing, high definition, Internet video and other disruptions, now is the time for a true [TV] alternative to emerge,” Parks Associates vice president and principal analyst Kurt Scherf said in a release. “From what I’ve seen, Sezmi’s differentiated approach, leadership and industry relationships makes it a strong contender to fill this void."

From the article, "Sezmi Tests Next-Gen Set-Top Box " by Sergio Ibarra
 

May 1, 2008 — NY TIMES
"In a survey of more than 1,000 U.S. households by Parks Associates, a Dallas, Tex.-based consulting firm, only 40 percent said they're planning to spend the rebate checks on consumer electronics. Forty-two percent said they expected to hang on to their checks, citing economic uncertainties. "

From the article, "Consumers Saving Rebate Checks" by Laura Palotie, Inc.com

May 1, 2008 — MercuryNews.com
"It's a tough nut to crack, for sure," said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst at Parks Associates, a Dallas market research and consulting firm."

From the article, "Start-up Sezmi provides new way to deliver TV content" by Troy Wolverton
 

May 1, 2008 — LA TIMES
Some analysts caution against reading too much into the NPD figures, pointing out that the first quarter usually is not a crucial selling period for consumer electronics.

"It's too early to tell," said Kurt Scherf, an analyst with technology research firm Parks Associates. "I expect that it will be third and fourth quarter during the holiday season when [there is] aggressive promotion and bundling of players with HDTVs that those numbers will come up."

From the article, "Blu-ray gets no victory parade " by Alex Pham and Dawn C. Chmielewski
 

May 1, 2008 — TVpredictions.com
According to its research, Parks says 40 percent of consumers will use the tax rebate to buy consumer electronics products with high-def sets high on the wish list.

But Parks cautions that if the economy slumps further, many consumers may opt to buy less expensive items or simply save the rebate check.

Forty-two percent of respondents in the Parks survey said economic concerns will be a factor in their decision not to purchase CE products this year.

"Purchase intentions for HDTVs and PCs are high -- both overall and specifically with the tax rebate -- but these purchases will be sacrificed first if the economy sours further," Parks said. "Less likely to be cut are purchases of mobile and personal electronics, such as game consoles, GPS, and portable media players."

From the article, "Study: U.S. Tax Rebate Could Boost HDTV Sales " by Swanni

April 29, 2008 — PR Web Press Release
"According to a Parks Associates report, 34% of U.S. Internet households play online games on a weekly basis, compared with 29% who watch short online videos and 19% who visit social networking sites with the same frequency. "

From the press release, "Need Gas, Play a Game at WinGasCard.com"
 

April 29, 2008 — MarketWire Press Release

From the press release, "March of Dimes Georgia Launches Online Game for Charity Tournament"
 

April 25, 2008 — Exchange Morning Post

"New Internet-friendly cell phones such as the iPhone and G-Phone [phones built on Google's upcoming Android operating system] will lower the entry barrier for mobile Internet services, improve mobile Internet experiences, and introduce new business models," says Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst for Parks Associates. "

"The mobile phone is likely to trump the Internet as the most versatile media platform," Scherf adds. "The potential of mobile advertising to become an explosively new ad platform is real and colossal."

From the article, "The 10 Most Disruptive Technology Combinations," by Dan Tynan
 

April 23, 2008 — Consumer Electronics Net Press Release

From the press release, "Send Any Image to Multiple Websites & Upload to Social Networks, Photo Communities, Personal Blogs, Emails & More."
 

April 21, 2008 — IPTV Watch

From the article, "Sony to launch online video service for PlayStation 3," by Dawn C. Chmielewski and Alex Pham
 

April 21, 2008 — LA TIMES
"They've got to get a win in the digital, and I'd say on the electronic delivery side of the business," said Kurt Scherf, an analyst with Parks Associates who studies technology in the home. "That's where the future is. They've got to establish a toehold in that space." 

"Nonetheless, market researcher Parks Associates projects that Internet video will grow more lucrative, reaping about $6.4 billion in revenue by 2010 from advertising, as well as paid downloads or rentals."

From the article, "Sony to launch online video service for PlayStation 3," by Dawn C. Chmielewski and Alex Pham
 

April 17, 2008 — Reuters
"If Blockbuster spends the bulk of its time trying to execute on this big, high-profile plan that really isn't mapped to where the market is going, that only helps players like Netflix who are looking forward," said John Barrett, director of research for Parks Associates. Barrett and others note both companies face the threat of more competition as the movie rental market heads towards digital distribution in the next few years and players like Apple Inc and Amazon.com Inc enter the sector. "

From the article, "Blockbuster's Circuit City bid deemed Netflix boon," by Sue Zeidler 
 

April 12, 2008 — Washington Post
"Kurt Scherf, an analyst with Parks Associates, a market-research firm in Dallas, said he expects some people will instead opt to buy a new digital TV because prices have dropped in recent years. "

From the article, "Rabbit Ears Fears? Converters Clear Picture.," by Kim Hart
 

April 12, 2008 — New Brunswick Business Journal
"According to Parks Associates, a Dallas-based market research firm, the number of households subscribing to IPTV services jumped from 4.7 million in 2006 to 14 million in the United States in 2007."

"Kurt Scherf, vice-president of Parks Associates, says a number of firms are working on ways to blend Internet content with traditional television services using IPTV."

From the article, "Saint John IT firm unveiling groundbreaking software," by David Shipley
 

April 6, 2008 — Virtual Goods Insider

From the article, "Second Life is the Industry Anomaly, Not the Standard," by Ravi Mehta
 

April 4, 2008 — NeoEdge Press Release

From the press release, "Ty Levine Takes Marketing Helm at NeoEdge"
 

April 4, 2008 — Media Post Publications
"In fact, new research from Parks Associates found that on average, almost 40% of virtual world participants said that their primary reason for going in-world was to play games."

"'We don't believe that the initial levels of curiosity are sustainable, and users aren't content to just be in a world and chat with other people,' said Yuanzhe (Michael) Cai, director of gaming and broadband at Parks Associates. 'Developers and advertisers need to organize those kinds of activities that can engage and sustain interest. That's why we're glad to see more companies with content joining the industry--like the deal that Paramount announced to port movie clips into There.com.' Cai spoke of Paramount Pictures' new partnership with Makena Technologies' There.com that will allow residents to use clips from famous movies like Clueless during conversation or to express emotions in-world."

From the article, "Virtual World Users To Marketers: It's The Activities, Stupid ," by Tameka Kee
 

April 4, 2008 — Mixed Realities Blog
"That feeling attracts people. Michael Cai, director Broadband and Gaming at Parks Associates, estimates that the coming 12 months 6 million to 8 million users will try out a Virtual World and that 2 million to 3 million of those people will become weekly active users."

From the blog, "Virtual Worlds: so young and tender," by Roland Legrand
 

April 3, 2008 — CE Pro
"Parks Associates study reveals what consumers value and what they think are commodities."

"'The Changing Consumer Electronics Purchase Process' (PDF link) by Parks Associates offers three very insightful pieces of data that might help you determine where to concentrate your sales energy. "

From the article, "Remote Features, TV Prices Top Buying Decisions," by Jason Knott 
 

April 3, 2008 — Star-Telegram.com
"Americans watch lots of video on their computers. More than 12 million people paid for this kind of content last year, according to a study by Parks Associates, a research and analyst firm that studies how people use the Internet."

"The result, says Kurt Scherf, a principal analyst with Parks Associates, is that Hulu has the kind of setup that allows users to stumble upon shows that they might not have discovered otherwise."

From the article, "Welcome to Hulu vision: A new Web site enables TV fans to watch their favorite shows past and present on one 'network'," by Erin White 
 

April 3, 2008 — Newsweek
"Casual-gaming developers and Web sites, however, have yet to fully capitalize on their increasingly dedicated fan base. The industry is struggling to 'find better ways to monetize its audience,' writes James Kuai, a research analyst at Parks Associates."

From the article, "Game On: The number of casual videogamers is rising. If only the developers could find a way to make more money out of them," by Jennifer Ordoñez 
 

April 3, 2008 — TV Week
"About 84% of recent buyers of flat-screen TVs, almost all of which are HD-capable, said price was a major factor in their purchase choice, while 53% said features were important and 36% focused on the brand name, Dallas-based consultant Parks Associates said, citing a survey of households with broadband Internet service."

“I expected brand name to pop out like it does for laptops, but it doesn’t. Price does,” said Parks CEO Tricia Parks. She added that the No. 2 flat-panel brand chosen in the survey was Vizio, which is sold at big-box stores like Costco and Sam’s Club. “Here’s a space where there are so many good brands, so when you look at the TV, you may not see a difference.”

"While the projected softening in the U.S. economy may have little effect on TV buyers who’ve already made price such an important part of their decision, the impact on the still-nascent HD DVD player industry may be more pronounced. Consumers are more likely to forgo paying $400 for an HD disc player than withholding the $1,000 or more needed for a new television, Ms. Parks said. With standard DVD player prices starting around $50, “DVD is considered popcorn,” said Ms. Parks, who estimated HD disc player unit sales in the U.S. at about 1.25 million last year. “HD DVD is nowhere near that.”

From the article, "Price Matters Most to Flat-Screen Buyers," by Danny King
 

April 1, 2008 — Tech World News
"Parks Associates estimates that between 22 million and 25 million people were the appropriate target population of this application in 2007. As demographic trends favor this application and consumer awareness is on the rise, we expect the total addressable market to continue expanding over the next five years, reaching between 44 million and 48 million people in 2012."

From the article, "Better Monitoring With Smart Medical Devices," by Harry Wang
 

April 1, 2008 — Tech World News
"Whether movies will fly on mobile TV, however, remains an open question, said John Barrett, a Parks Associates analyst for mobile TV."

From the article, "Sony Pushes Old Movies to Cell Phone Screens," by Jim Offner
 

March 31, 2008 — The Seattle Times

From the article, "Get ready for home automation," by Brier Dudley
 

March 28, 2008 — Tech News World

From the article, "Dell Gets Down to Basics With Low-Cost Blu-ray Laptop," by Jim Offner
 

March 25, 2008 — TMCnet

From the article, "Verizon Targets Online Schemes, Sluggish Computers," by Tim Gray
 

March 24, 2008 — Mytopia Press Release

From the press release, "Mytopia Launch Lets Social Network, Internet Users Get Their Casual Game On"
 

March 20, 2008 — CentreDaily.com

From the article, "Retrevo Secures $8 Million to Give Consumers Control of Finding, Buying and Using Electronics"
 

March 19, 2008 — Where Do You Stand? From Standing Partnership

From the blog, "The Monetary Value of Facebook," by Susan Iskiwitch
 

March 19, 2008 — SF Gate/San Francisco Chronicle

From the article, "Wells to offer virtual safe boxes," by Ryan Kim
 

March 18, 2008 — Tech News World
"'The EU made it clear for a long time that DVB-H was going to be the technology of choice in Europe,' John Barrett, director of research for Parks Associates , told TechNewsWorld."

From the article, "EU Endorses DVB-H as Mobile TV Standard of Choice," by Jim Offner
 

March 18, 2008 — InsuranceNetworking.com
"With U.S. market potential of $2.5 billion in device and service revenues by 2012, the home health monitoring industry has every incentive to convince private insurers, along with other potential payers, of the technology’s value and feasibility,” said Harry Wang, senior analyst, Parks Associates."

“'While meeting private payers’ requirements, such as providing a drilled-down explanation about the operational details on how the technology is used by consumers and caregivers is important, the technology industry must also rally support from consumers, caregivers and employers—many self-insured—to influence private insurers’ perception and the technology review process,” Wang said."

From the article, "Study: Insurers Want Better Home Health Monitoring"
 

March 18, 2008 — NY Times
"Sitting and watching Dora DVDs is quite different from playing Dora in a game,” said Michael Cai, the director for broadband and gaming at Parks Associates, whose 3-year-old daughter is a fan of the preschool brand. “It’s definitely more engaging — and the brand affiliation is stronger — in an interactive setting.”

From the article, "Online Games by the Hundreds, With Tie-Ins," by Brian Stelter
 

March 18, 2008 — RCR Wireless News
"A Parks Associates study from October confirms the delicate balance such sites must strike, indicating 72% of social networking users would object to a monthly fee of just $2, and 40% would stop using a site if it contained “too many” advertisements."

From the article, "Social networking: Valuations vs. reality," by Colin Gibbs
 

March 17, 2008 — Z-Wave Alliance Press Release
"During the Summit, international wireless home control experts, such as internationally recognized market research and consulting firm Parks Associates, Z-Wave developer and chip manufacturer Zensys and Z-Wave Alliance members, Danfoss, Horstmann, Linksys and Merten, will discuss trends, market developments, the current and future fields of application and trends/technologies for the future of home control.”

"Parks Associates forecasts that the number of worldwide households with residential gateways facilitating broadband sharing, remote management and service provisioning, and/or value-added services will grow to 72 million by year-end 2012." 

From the press release, "Z-Wave Alliance Hosts First Annual European Wireless Home Control Summit"
 

March 17, 2008 — International Herald Tribune

From the article, "Online 'casual' games for kids offer media firms new programming options," by Brian Stelter
 

March 14, 2008 — SiliconValley.com

From the article "AOL's Bebo buy gives social networks a boost," by Scott Duke Harris
 

March 13, 2008 — Exent Press Release

From the press release "Exent Technologies Expands Games-on-Demand Library with Casual Games from iWin."
 

March 13, 2008 — engadgetHD

From the article, "VUDU teams up with home automotion / control partners," by Darren Murph
 

March 11, 2008 — Mac News World

In general, many more people have the ability to watch video on mobile devices than actually use it, Barrett noted, and "part of reason is the content that's available." It's a "tough sell" convincing people to buy an iTunes version of a movie rather than get the DVD and be able to watch it on their TV at home. "People are afraid of being tied to the platform," he said. In that sense, "it's a good idea to try things like this, because consumers kind of get best of both worlds, and don't feel like they're losing out if they buy a movie for their iPod."

There are still some other challenges facing mobile video, Barrett added. For instance: "You've got to have a lot of patience to watch a 2-hour movie on a 2-inch screen." Nevertheless, there are situations where consumers will find the ability useful, such as while traveling, he noted.

"I think what you'll find is that this won't push many people over the top in deciding whether to buy a particular DVD or not, but it will certainly be an appealing option for someone who likes the movie anyway and has an iPod," Barrett concluded. "People may be hesitant to pay money for content given that small screen, but if they're getting it bundled with something else, they might give it a try and decide they like it."

From the article, "Lionsgate Bundles iTunes Versions With DVDs," by Katherine Noyes
 

March 11, 2008 — Tekrati Industry Analyst Reporter

"Tricia Parks, CEO of Parks Associates, will present in the session “Trends and Opportunities in the Connected Home Market” on March 14, 9h40-10h00. In addition, she will moderate the panel “Generating revenue: From the perspective of the telecom operator,” 12h30-13h10 on the same day."

"Recent research from Parks Associates indicates the number of households worldwide with a residential gateway that can facilitate broadband sharing, remote management and service provisioning, or value-added services will grow from 17 million in 2007 to approximately 72 million by year-end 2012."

 “The service options for homes around the world are expanding, and this growth in the connected home market creates opportunities across many different industries,” Ms. Parks said. “Parks Associates has been studying this market for many years, and we are optimistic about its current potential, provided the companies in this space are attentive to changes in the consumers’ needs and wants.”

From the article, "Parks Associates to address U.K. Connected Home Conference"
 

March 11, 2008 — Gamasutra

Our focus groups and surveys show that most women tend to play just to unwind," said Cai, whose company, Parks Associates, conducts this type of research often. "They often say they want to feel less stress, not more. On the other hand, Guitar Hero and Rock Band are bringing so many new players into console gaming. And, yes, females seem to be less interested in competing against others."

From the article, "SXSW: Panel Talks The Female Takedown of Casual Gaming," by Jessica Maguire
 

March 10, 2008 — Tech News World

"It sounds like a fun application to me. I suspect that if it gets significant traction, other providers will try to provide a similar service. You'll see other studios offer their clips. It helps refresh the content a little bit," he added. Despite the fun factor, Barrett does not see VooZoo driving DVD sales or users to sites offering full-length versions of the movie online. "

From the article, "Paramount Rolls Clips on Facebook," by Walaika Haskins
 

March 10, 2008 — engadgetHD

From the article, "33 million US homes could stream HD media in 2012," by Darren Murph
 

March 9, 2008 — joystiq

From the article, "SXSW08: The Female Takedown of Casual Gaming," by JC Fletcher
 

March 7, 2008 — TVPredictions.com

"Parks does estimate that the number of households capable of receiving HD streaming will rise to 33 million by 2012. The research firm said consumers will demand faster lines for a variety of services.

From the article, "Study: Only 5.7M Homes Ready for HD Broadband Video," by Phillip Swann
 

March 7, 2008 — Digital Media Press Release

From the press release "Digital Media Wire Announces Agenda & Speakers for Future of Television in Los Angeles, March 24-25."
 

March 6, 2008 — WKTV Channel 2, New York
"By 2012, close to 33 million U.S. households will have broadband services with speeds of 10 Mbps or higher, capable of streaming high-definition video, according to Parks Associates' North American Broadband Market Update. At year-end 2007, 5.7 million, or 9 percent of U.S. broadband households, had such speeds."

"Until recently, telecom operators' aggressive deployment of deep fiber services and the competitive reaction from cable MSOs fueled the growth of high-bandwidth broadband services," said Yuanzhe Michael Cai,  Director of Broadband and Gaming, Parks Associates. "As consumer excitement over pure bandwidth subsides, however, service providers will have to deliver appealing, bandwidth-intensive, value-added services such as HD video streaming and content placeshifting in order to retain customers and increase ARPU."

"If high-bandwidth broadband services fail to reach mass-market consumers, the United States may lose its competitive edge in the next round of technology innovation," Cai said. "Such a scenario would be unpleasant."

From the news/technology posting, "Broadband Speeds Up"
 

March 6, 2008 — IT Business Edge
"Though the premise of Parks Associates‘ report on broadband penetration is a little far afield, it does provide food for thought. The report’s main conclusion is that by 2012, 33 million homes in the United States will have broadband with speeds of 10 Mbps or higher. Just a bit more than half of that number — 5.7 million, or 9 percent of U.S. broadband homes — had such speeds at the end of last year."

"The interesting quote is from Yuanzhe (Michael) Cai , the firm’s director of broadband and gaming and, presumably, the writer of the report. He suggests that high bandwidth deployments to date have been driven by competition between the cable and telephone industries."

From the article, "Cable Moves Toward the Big 3-0," by Carl Weinschenk  
 

March 6, 2008 — eMarketer
"Nearly 33 million US households will have broadband services with speeds of 10 Mbps or higher by 2012, up from 5.7 million at the end of 2007, according to a March 2008 report by Parks Associates."

"Parks Associates said that although the new higher-speed broadband services appeal to many existing users, there are some potential issues."

From the blog, "US Broadband Users Want More Zip" 
 

March 6, 2008 — U.S. News & World Report
"A study from Parks Associates says that a 10-megabit connection is needed to stream HD content and that only about 9 million U.S. homes would qualify this year. "

"But that number should leap to 33 million homes by 2012, says the report by Michael Cai at Parks."

From the article, "33 Million U.S. Homes Could Stream HD by 2012," by David LaGesse
 

March 5, 2008 — TMCnet
"In fact, according to Parks Associates’ North American Broadband Market Update, by 2012, close to 33 million U.S. households will have broadband services with speeds of 10 Mbps or higher, capable of streaming high-definition video. "

"Until recently, telecom operators' aggressive deployment of deep fiber services and the competitive reaction from cable MSOs fueled the growth of high-bandwidth broadband services," said Yuanzhe (Michael) Cai, Director of Broadband and Gaming, Parks Associates, in a recent statement." "As consumer excitement over pure bandwidth subsides, however, service providers will have to deliver appealing, bandwidth-intensive, value-added services such as HD video streaming and content placeshifting in order to retain customers and increase ARPU."

"If high-bandwidth broadband services fail to reach mass-market consumers, the United States may lose its competitive edge in the next round of technology innovation," Cai said. "Such a scenario would be unpleasant."

Parks Associates’ market update highlights current broadband market conditions, analyzes significant events impacting future development, addresses the outlook for fiber and other alternative access methods, examines the market potential of value-added services, profiles the consumer perspective regarding broadband and value-added services, and forecasts future growth.

An internationally recognized market research and consulting company, Parks Associates specializes in emerging consumer technology products and services. The company creates research capital for companies ranging for Fortune 500 to small start-ups through market reports, primary studies, consumer research, customer research, workshops, executive conferences, and annual service subscriptions.

Parks Associates’ expertise includes new media, digital entertainment and gaming, home networks, Internet and television services, digital health, mobile applications and services, consumer electronics, and home control systems and security.

From the article, "Report Shows Strong Growth in Higher Broadband Speeds in US by 2012 ," by Susan J. Campbell  
 

March 4, 2008 — Promo Magazine

From the article, "Game Ads to Double by 2012: eMarketer," by Brian Quinton
 

March 4, 2008 — Light Reading

From the Cable Digital News article, "Florida Crows Over Docsis 3.0," by Jeff Baumgartner
 

March 4, 2008 — Ugens Erhverv, Denmark

"One of the leaders in home control market research, Parks Associates, will introduce the latest market trends at the event. Parks sketches out and differentiates between the development of the American and the European home control markets and discusses the unique requirements of the consumers for home control products or solutions, based on their studies."

From the article, "'Summit' om home-control teknologi"
 

March 4, 2008 — Los Angeles Times

From the article, "Ads Are Back," by Jon Healey
 

March 3, 2008 — Media Post Publications

"Rather than just sell digital content, offer free movie previews and clips as advertainment to encourage people to buy a theater ticket or talk about the movie," said John Barrett, director of research at Parks Associates. "The movie industry has evolved slowly in the past 100 years ... and you can't turn the industry on a dime, but you can adapt business relationships and technologies to market movies in short form."

From the article, "Study: Short-form Videos Could Spur Movie Ticket Sales," by Laurie Sullivan
 

March 3, 2008 — Shoot Online

From the press release, "Former Bolt.com Owner Launches Gamers Media, Vertical Ad Network for Casual Gaming"
 

March 1, 2008 — RCRWireless News

"Parks Associates found that less than 10% of Internet users would be willing to purchase a digital movie download — a figure that surely dwarfs the percentage of users willing to pay to watch something on a tiny screen."

"Hollywood should strive to use portable platforms to generate revenues directly (through the sale of their content) and also indirectly by promoting consumption via more traditional channels,” the Parks Report stated."

From the press release, "Content kings urged to share the wealth," by Colin Gibbs  
 

February 27, 2008 — PC World
"Sooner or later the U.S. will become more like the international market, where phones can be swapped between different providers and the applications are more open," predicts John Barrett, director of research for Parks Associates. "We are inching toward the day when handsets will be more like PCs and less like traditional phones."

From the article, "Coming From Asia: The Next Cool Cell Phones," by Dan Tynan
 

February 27, 2008 — Macworld
"Two research firms - Park Associates and Entertainment Technology Center at USC - have released a white paper, How Hollywood Can out-Apple Apple explaining what film moguls need to do if they want to ride the crest of the digital convergence wave."

"Hollywood shouldn't let Apple make all the money, especially since they are the ones making the movies," said John Barrett, director of research at Parks Associates. "Judicious use of free mobile content can help drive ticket and DVD sales."

Park Associates says less than 10 per cent of internet users are willing to purchase films online at current prices, and suggest studios could drive consumer interest simply by dropping prices on downloads.

From the article, "Hollywood urged to learn from Apple," by Jonny Evans
 

February 24, 2008 — engadgetHD
"According to research firm Parks Associates, revenues from home theater and distributed audio systems will almost double over the next five years and reach $11-billion. If the current housing slump has you thinking that you'll be in your current abode forever and miss out on your share of that whole-home pie, take heart -- the firm expects to see growth in the retrofit market as well."

From the blog, "'Custom' installs becoming less so," by Steven Kim
 

February 20, 2008 — The Wall Street Journal
In 2007, out of about 50 million U.S. households with a game console, about 11 million had one console connected to the Internet, according to Parks Associates, a technology research firm.

From the article, "Videogaming for Dollars? You Bet," by Christopher Lawton.
 

February 13, 2008 — The Wall Street Journal
Just 1.5% of homes in the U.S. now use wireless monitoring systems, but that percentage is expected to reach 5% to 6% by 2012, according to market researcher Parks Associates.

From the article, "Keeping Watch for Burglars (And Tabs on the Kids)," by Christopher Lawton.
 

February 6, 2008 — Washington Post
 Understanding customers' needs will ultimately help Dell deliver better services to consumers too, said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst at Parks Associates. However, while Dell has been criticized for a weak consumer support function, the new support model is targeted only at enterprise customers for now. It is possible that this support model will be delivered to customers in the future, Dell said.

From the article "Dell Amends Enterprise Support Plan."
 

February 5, 2008 — MSNBC
John Barrett, analyst at Parks Associates in Dallas, said pioneering efforts in Europe and Asia involving TV broadcasts to cell phone have produced mixed results.

"The model that seems to be dominating in Asia involves the consumers buying a cell phone and then watching the broadcasts for free, with the carrier hoping to generate revenue by selling ads — it's just TV on your cell phone, in other words," Barrett told LiveScience. "In Europe, the arrangement is more like pay TV.

"The Asian approach has proven more popular, and there are high levels of adoption, but it is doubtful that anyone has made any money from it," he said. "With the European approach, people may have made money, but it is unlikely that many people have adopted it." ...

Barrett said his firm's surveys have identified two groups that might be interested in watching TV on mobile devices.

The first would be males ages 18-35 whom Barrett called "have-it-alls," who would actually watch entertainment programs. The second would be slightly older male "road warriors" interested in getting news and weather blurbs while waiting in airports or cafes.

From the article "TV migrates to cell phones," by Lamont Wood.
 

January 30, 2008 — GameSpot
A report last year from market-research firm Parks Associates predicted that in-game advertising would leap from $55 million in 2006 to $800 million by 2012.

From the article "Execs question in-game advertising," by Emma Boyes.
 

January 13, 2008 — The Sunday Times
Microchips are now so cheap and smart they can be put in anything, said Stuart Sikes, president of the research firm Parks Associates. “This was the year of the ‘connected appliance’.” ...

Between them, these trends mean it no longer works to go it alone. “The speed of technological development is continuing at such a pace that people have to cooperate to get their ideas on to the market,” said Sikes. Splendid isolation is out. ...

While the competition looks tougher, it would be a fool who wrote off Apple’s chances of leading from the front in the second digital decade.

Sikes said he had initially not been a big fan of the iPhone.

There are other phones on the market that are faster and smarter. “Then I bought one for my wife for Christmas. It’s fantastic,” said Sikes. When Jobs takes to the stage on Tuesday, you can bet there will be plenty of people still happy to play with Apple.

From the article "Gadgets swamp our digital future," by Dominic Rushe.
 

January 13, 2008 — TMCnet
The digital photo frame market is poised for significant growth and we expect sales volume to top 44 million units globally by 2011, said Harry Wang, senior analyst at Parks Associates, a Dallas-based digital home technology consultancy. In order for the digital photo frame to become a mainstream product, vendors must further polish its features and usability to best fit consumer demand. Ubicom's reference design addresses the future of the industry by providing a simple user-interface to allow everyone to view images easily over a home network on a digital photo frame.

From the article "Ubicom Introduces Wireless Digital Photo Frame Reference Design."
 

January 8, 2008 — The Salt Lake Tribune
Comcast and other cable companies are relying on new innovations to address increasing threats from telephone and satellite companies, said Michael Cai, an analyst at tech research firm Parks Associates in Dallas.

From the article "Comcast: Broadband is going to be 16 times faster," by Bob Keefe.
 

January 7, 2008 — 4HomeMedia Press Release
"An estimate 16 million seniors in the US could benefit from home health monitoring technology by 2012 and this addressable market will expand even faster beyond that point due to an aging baby boomer population," said Harry Wang, Senior Analyst of digital health research at Dallas-based digital home technology consultancy Parks Associates, "the market calls for innovative applications and service models to raise user awareness and drive adoption."

From the press release "4HomeMedia (4HM) Launches Broadband Home Health Service."

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