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26th annual CONNECTIONS™ Conference addresses mass-market opportunities for connected home, featuring Connectivity Standards Alliance, ASSA ABLOY Group, Anker, and more

36% of US internet households are actively shopping for a smart home device, as of Q4 2021

New research from Parks Associates finds that as of 4Q 2021, 36% of US internet households are actively shopping for a smart home device. The research firm today announced the keynote and speakers for “State of the Smart Home,” the opening session for the 26th annual CONNECTIONS™: Premier Connected Home Conference, which is now scheduled for Wednesday, February 16, 11:00 a.m. CT. Event sponsors include Alarm.com, Cox Communities, Airties, Notion, Rapid Response Monitoring, AmTrust Specialty Risk, and Gadgeon.

“State of the Smart Home” includes insights on consumer perceptions of smart home solutions and analysis on current interoperability efforts, as well as the role of standalone devices and whole-home systems in the continued move toward mass-market adoption. According to the firm’s quarterly consumer data of 10,000 Internet households:


The February 16 session features an executive fireside chat with Michelle Mindala-Freeman, Head of Marketing & Member Services, Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA).

“Parks Associates’ CONNECTIONS™ continues to be the event where industry executives meet to share and learn,” said Michelle Mindala-Freeman, Head of Marketing & Member Services, Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA). “I’m honored to be a part of this one and look forward to both talking about the future of smart home and learning from Parks Associates’ researchers and this amazing group of IoT leaders.”

The event also includes the following speakers:

  • Jacob Alamat, VP, GM, IoT Home & Life Business Unit, Silicon Labs
  • Kenneth Camp, Product Innovation Director, Sengled
  • Samantha Fein, VP, Business Development and Marketing, Samsung SmartThings
  • Scott Harkins, VP, Sales and Marketing, Resideo
  • Kevin Kraus, VP Global Programs and Technology Alliances, Smart Residential Solutions, ASSA ABLOY Group
  • John Osborne, Chair Emeritus, CSA; Vice Chairman, Z-Wave Alliance; COO, Lexi
  • Eric Villines, Head, Global Communications, Anker Innovations
  • Yana Welinder, CEO, Kraftful
  • Stefan Witkamp, Co-founder, Commercial Director, Homey


“In recent years, we have seen an evolution in what is possible for the smart home, with more and more products and platforms becoming available to consumers. As smart home providers, we should evaluate what’s important to consumers and what we can do to meet their needs,” said Kevin Kraus, VP Global Programs and Technology Alliances, Smart Residential Solutions, ASSA ABLOY Group. “I’m thrilled to take part in CONNECTIONS™ to discuss the importance of these topics with some of the many brilliant minds from across the industry.”

CONNECTIONS™ supporters include CEE, Dementia Society of America (DSA), Electronic Security Association, Home Grid Forum, Innovation & Tech Today Magazine, Living Labs and the Peggy Smedley Show, The Monitoring Association (TMA), Residential Tech Today, and Z-Wave Alliance.

For 26 years, CONNECTIONS™ has brought together thousands of industry players from the consumer technology ecosystems for networking opportunities, consumer and industry research from the Parks Associates analyst team, insights from visionary speakers, and thoughtful, curated sessions focused on technology innovations, consumer behavior, and product and service adoption and trends.

To request data or an interview, contact Rosey Sera, rosey@parksassociates.com, 972-490-1113.

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