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June 6, 2008 — BusinessWeek

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

“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
 

"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 World 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 — 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 
 

"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
 

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"
 

From the press release, "March of Dimes Georgia Launches Online Game for Charity Tournament"
 

"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
 

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."
 

January 7, 2008 — View Sonic Press Release
According to Parks Associates research, more than two-thirds of the digital photos taken are never printed or displayed, keeping memories bottled up on memory cards and computer hard drives.

From the press release "ViewSonic Expands Display Heritage With New Line of High Resolution Digital Picture..."
 

January 7, 2008 — Pure Networks Press Release

(1) More than 60 percent of consumers expect their broadband service providers to help them when they experience home networking problems, according to Consumers Monetizing Triple-play and Value-added Services: The Role of the Customer Experience, a white paper by Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst, Parks Associates.

From the press release "Pure Networks™ Unveils Solutions to Help Broadband Service Providers and OEMs Better Address Consumers' Home Networking Needs."
 

January 7, 2008 — BizReport
Portability is key for those interested in downloadable video. According to a recent Parks Associates report portable media players will grow at a rate of 30% through 2012, with more than 130 million players delivered in 2011 alone.

From the article "Motorola to launch on-demand mobile television," by Kristina Knight.
 

January 7, 2008 — DivX & D-Link Press Release
"The explosion of digital technologies in the home is playing a crucial role in consumers' day-to-day activities," said Kurt Scherf, Vice President, Principal Analyst, at Parks Associates. "Companies that enable easier deployment of high-quality media in any location throughout the home, regardless of where the content is physically stored, are playing a critical role in these new experiences for consumers."

From the press release "DivX and D-Link Partner to Bring DivX Connected™ to U.S. Retail."
 

January 5, 2008 — Logitech Press Release
And in the U.S. alone, consumer spending on digital-living products is on track to hit $300 billion in 2010 (Parks Associates, Digital Living Forecasts, Dec. 2006).

From the press release "The One to Watch: Logitech Harmony One Introduces Significant Evolution in Home-Entertainment Control."
 

January 4, 2008 - Bloomberg
Chief Executive Officer Brian Roberts may make the case for Comcast to investors, analysts and customers at the Consumer Electronics Show that starts Jan. 6 in Las Vegas.

Roberts, in his first keynote at the world's largest consumer technology conference, may show off a new generation of set-top boxes and programming including Web content from Google Inc.'s YouTube, said Kurt Scherf, an analyst at Dallas-based researcher Parks Associates. ...

"It is a chance for Brian Roberts to really give a state of the union," said Scherf. Making Internet content accessible on a TV screen "really serves to differentiate a service provider from its competitors."

From the article "What Does Eveillard Know About Comcast Stock's Value?," by Ari Levy and Gillian Wee.
 

January 4, 2008 — InternetNews.com
In an interview with InternetNews.com, industry analyst Chris Roden said the product decisions reflect how flash technology is taking root within mobile and handheld device development.

Yet the hard disk drive, he added, isn't going extinct anytime soon. Flash has yet to beat hard disk technology when it comes to cost per gigabyte and the hard drive is still required for storing multimedia files and video, he said.

"It's a commodity business, and as the price of flash comes down, the demand for the technology will continue to increase," said Roden, a research analyst with Parks Associates. "Manufacturers can't be just flash or [hard drive]-focused, as there will always be applications for each.

He added that shifting manufacturing resources to support both flash and magnetic media would give manufacturers the best of both worlds.

From the article "Victory For Flash as Hitachi Cans Tiny Hard Disks," by Judy Mottl.
 

January 4, 2008 —

From the article "New gadgets debut at Consumer Electronics Show," by Bob Keefe.
 

January 3, 2008 — Forbes
For now, smart homes are a small enough market that consumers with green motives might be able to give it a meaningful nudge. Parks Associates analyst Bill Ablondi estimates the market for home controls at roughly $3.5 billion in the U.S. in 2007, headed to $6 billion by 2012.

However, Ablondi believes many U.S. consumers find entertainment a bigger selling point, as home automation systems let people shuttle music and movies from the Internet all over the house.

From the article "CES to Highlight Tech for Greening Homes," by Brian Bergstein.
 

December 27, 2007 — Information Week
Despite efforts to boost mobile gaming, consumers still see phones as casual gaming devices, according to a recent report.

Parks Associates released a report, The New Frontier: Portable and Mobile Gaming, earlier this month. It found that consumers don't keep pace with technology developments in the mobile gaming industry.

"New 3-D and multiplayer mobile games look great in demos, but casual games are where the money is and will be for the next few years," Yuanzhe Cai, director of Broadband and Gaming for Parks Associates, said in a statement. "Portable game players will maintain strong growth momentum as they provide an experience yet to be matched by mobile phones. Next-generation players will likely include mobile broadband, which will enhance their value proposition."

Gamers don't see mobile phones as platforms for advanced gaming, the report found. More than 30% of those interested in mobile gaming want sports, action, and adventure games on portable players, according to Parks Associates. Twenty-nine percent want to play driving or flying games and 27% want to play shooting games on portable devices, the report found.

Less than 10% of mobile Internet gamers are interested in using their mobile phones to play core or console-centric games, while 55% want to use their mobile phones for puzzles and card games, Parks Associates said. More than 30% want to use them for word games and arcade-style games, the report found.

The report, which profiles game publishers, developers, technology providers, and carriers, sees growth potential in the casual gaming market.

From the article "Mobile Phones Present Growth Opportunity For Casual Gaming, but hard-core gamers will probably stick to handheld devices for more sophisticated games, says Parks Associates," by K.C. Jones.
 

December 24, 2007 — Mercury News
"Right now, I would say, 'wait,' " said Chris Roden, a research analyst at Parks Associates, a consulting firm in Dallas. "If you can be patient and see what happens in the next 12 months, you'll be rewarded because you'll be less likely to buy a product that's obsolete."

Many consumers seem to have taken that advice to heart. "Awareness and understanding of high-definition players is pretty low," Roden said. "There's a lot of confusion out there."

From the article "HD-DVD or Blu-ray?", by Troy Wolverton.
 

December 20, 2007 — The Wall Street Journal
Despite such complications, high-definition technology is becoming more prevalent. The percentage of U.S. households with a high-definition TV is expected to increase to 41% this year from 30% in 2006, according to market-research firm Parks Associates. It expects the percentage to rise to 69% by 2011.

From the article "Camcorder, Meet TV: The High-Def Hookup,"  by Christopher Lawton.
 

December 19, 2007 — BetaNews
In light of a recent Parks Associates analysis of mobile and portable gaming trends, a series of casual games have hit the market for cellular handsets and portable media devices.

Mobile handsets have typically been a repository for casual games, previously because of hardware limitations, but now because of the changing habits of the handset user. The Parks Associates study released yesterday, entitled The New Frontier: Portable and Mobile Gaming, shows that even though multi-player and 3D games like those utilizing QualCOMM's BREW look impressive on new handsets, the real money is still in simple, low-investment time-wasters.

December 13, 2007 — Marketplace / NPR
Kurt Scherf is an online video analyst at Parks Associates. He doesn't expect this business model to change the face of Hollywood -- but in this case, he says it will work.

"Look at who the target demographic is. The younger males in particular, who in many cases indicate to us that