CONNECTIONS™ focuses on Interoperability, data privacy, broadband connectivity solutions

International research firm Parks Associates is hosting the 26th annual CONNECTIONS™ Conference on May 17-19 at the Omni Frisco Hotel in Texas featuring keynote speakers from Alarm.com, Comcast, Cox Communities, Nice North America, and Sunnova. CONNECTIONS™ addresses the role of the home network, privacy and security, and business model innovation for connected home solutions. Parks Associates research shows that in the US, internet households now own an average of 16 connected devices, an increase from 13 connected devices in 2021.

 “The home network and broadband are at the foundation of the connected home,” said Elizabeth Parks, President, Parks Associates. “Consumers still have big concerns over data privacy and security. We are excited about these sessions addressing the network upgrades and new security measures as well as new business models for the smart home.”  

Vickie Rodgers, VP and GM, Cox Communities, Cox Communications, will deliver a keynote on May 17, following by the session Home Network: Foundation of the Smart Home, with industry leaders from Calix and Netgear.

“In today’s hybrid work environments, secure, reliable, and private connectivity is essential for all of us,” said David Henry, President and GM, Connected Home Products, Netgear.  “I’m excited to participate in Parks Associates’ Smart Home discussion to share NETGEAR’s learnings on customer needs and how we are delivering on them.”

“At Calix, we’ve believed for years that the battleground upon which today’s modern BroadbandService Provider is competing isn’t the broadband network – it’s the in-home subscriber experience the network supports. We released the Revenue EDGE in 2019 to give BSPs the tools they need to compete and provide an exceptional subscriber experience,” said Stephen Eyre, VP, Partner Community, Calix. “Since we introduced Revenue EDGE, we have continually improved it through the addition of value-added services, tightly integrated into the overall platform, that are designed to meet specific and relevant subscriber needs. Today, the foremost needs are those centered on the overall security of subscribers and their families.”

Protecting Consumers at Home: Security and Privacy Matters, May 18 at 2:00 pm, features Paul Palmer, VP Service Provider Business, F-Secure, and Razvan Todor, Sr. Director Product Management, Bitdefender. 

“Cybercriminals tirelessly work to acquire personal information about individuals such as login credentials, medical records, and even online behaviors to sell on the dark web, extort, and launch malware attacks,” said Razvan Todor, Sr. Director Product Management, Bitdefender. “Solutions for protecting data privacy and user identity are just as essential as traditional antivirus to bolster overall cybersecurity in the home.”

Business Model Innovations in the Smart Home, May 18 at 3:15 pm, features Kent Dickson, GM, IoT Platforms & Services, Yonomi/Allegion; Jennifer Doctor, Senior Director, Product Management, JCI; and Scott Ford, CEO, Pepper IoT.

“Innovation for innovation is a waste of time and resources,” said Jennifer Doctor, Senior Director, Product Management, JCI. “Understanding how to use innovative development, ideas, and products to solve the challenges of the market drives success. That is our path.”

“The business model in consumer IoT is broken, evidenced by the recent demise of multiple companies that have stranded millions of users and devices,” said Scott Ford, CEO, Pepper IoT. “The urgency to move connected hardware through retail in order to meet insatiable user demand has been prioritized over considering the ongoing cost of service.  New business models will help to stabilize the consumer IoT market and allow it to thrive going forward.”

For 26 years, CONNECTIONS™ has brought together thousands of industry players sharing insights, research, and new innovation in the connected home. Event sponsors include Alarm.com, Cox Communities, F-Secure, Homebase, Plume, Airties, Bitdefender, Johnson Controls, Nice, Notion, Rapid Response Monitoring, Realpage, Resideo, Schneider Electric, AmTrust Specialty Risk, Gadgeon, Ivani, Cooktop Safety, Iris® Powered by Generali, and Assurant.

About CONNECTIONS™

Parks Associates' 29th annual CONNECTIONS™: The Premier Connected Home Conference is hosted May 13-15 at Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy in Plano, Texas, and brings industry leaders together to provide insights and business forecasting about the adoption of technology including broadband, smart home, security, connected health, energy, and home automation.

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

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