CONNECTIONS™ Europe: IoT and the Connected Consumer to address privacy and security challenges

International IoT research firm Parks Associates noted that nearly one-half of consumers in Western European broadband households are concerned that someone could get unauthorized access to the data from their smart products. Similarly, nearly one-half of consumers in U.S. broadband households rank data security and privacy issues as their greatest concern about connecting devices to the Internet. The firm will discuss the effect of privacy and security concerns across Europe, their impact on smart home adoption, and business strategies at the 12th-annual CONNECTIONS™ Europe: IoT and the Connected Consumer, 1-2 November 2017 at the Amsterdam Marriott Hotel.

Executives from Bitdefender, F-Secure Corporation, and Kudelski Security will participate on the session, “Privacy and Security: Challenges and Opportunities,” at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, 1 November. The session will examine the fast-moving security environment and requirements for manufacturers to provide security for connected products and home networks. Speakers include:

• Dan Radu Berte, Director, IoT, Bitdefender
• Kristian Järnefelt, EVP, F-Secure Corporation
• Christopher Schouten, Head, IoT Security Marketing, Kudelski Security

“Smart home devices bring immense value, but they also create new vulnerabilities and added stress for consumers,” said Brad Russell, Senior Analyst, Parks Associates. “The smart home provider that can demonstrate and deliver IoT benefits safely and securely, especially in these early stages of the European market, will open significant business opportunities.”

Executives from Qorvo, Zigbee Alliance, Philips Lighting, and Sigman Designs will join Tom Kerber, Director of IoT Strategy at Parks Associates, on the session “Smart Home & Interoperability: Simplifying a Complex Environment” at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, 1 November. The session will examine strategies to ensure interoperability across ecosystems and current efforts, including standards, apps, and product ecosystems, to create a unified experience where use cases are available to consumers. Joining Kerber on the panel are the following speakers:

• Cees Links, GM Wireless Connectivity, Qorvo
• Musa Unmehopa, Vice Chairman, Board of Directors, Zigbee Alliance; Senior Director, Intellectual Property and Standards, Philips Lighting
• Joep van Eijden, Z-Wave Sales and Business Development, Sigma Designs

CONNECTIONS™ Europe also features the following keynotes:

• David Low, Principal Evangelist, Alexa Skills Kit EU, Amazon
• Sudeep Maitra, Global VP, Strategy and Development, Centrica
• Matthias Mieves, Head, New Business, Sales & Marketing Connected Home, Deutsche Telekom AG
• George Yianni, Head of Technology – Home Systems, Philips Lighting

Conference sponsors include Homematic IP, Qorvo, Amazon Alexa, ASSA ABLOY, Ayla Networks, Deutsche Telekom, Essence, Greenwave Systems, iQor, mnubo, ROC-Connect, Trusource Labs, ULE Alliance, Z-Wave, the Zigbee Alliance, and MivaTek.

CONNECTIONS™ Europe features high-level speakers from the top European and international companies in the digital living ecosystem. The event will focus on new technology innovations and emerging business models in the IoT and smart home. Specifically, conference topics focus on disruptions from innovative technologies and new business models and their impact on the converging smart home ecosystems.

For more information on CONNECTIONS™ Europe, visit www.connectionseurope.com or contact sales@parksassociates.com, 972-490-1113. To schedule a meeting with an analyst or to request specific research data, contact Julia Homier at julia.homier@parksassociates.com, 972-996-0214.

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