Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Event Summary -- CONNECTIONS Summit in Berlin, Germany – August 29, 2008

Stuart Sikes, president of Parks Associates, welcomed attendees to the CONNECTIONS Europe Summit and provided data and analysis on developments of “digital lifestyle” product and service categories.

Parks Associates’ consumer and industry research has expanded into international markets, which has yielded interesting insights. For example, Global Digital Living studies shed light into the important role that digital media (such as online video) and home networking would play in certain European markets. Consumer research validates the notion that Europe will be an important market for residential gateways and connected platforms that enable multi-screen access to content and applications.

Sikes identified a number of key elements to the digital lifestyle, and highlighted some key areas that Parks Associates is researching, including:

  • Broadband and value-added services (residential gateways and value-added services);
  • Communications and social media (with a specific eye on fixed-mobile convergence services such as France Telecom’s Unik service and the blending of social networking features such as chat and recommendations with the television experience);
  • Digital entertainment (focusing on broadband video and the emergence of download-to-burn video);
  • Connected devices (IP in TVs, Game Consoles, Photo Frames, DVDs, and intelligent white goods);
  • Support services (offerings from both retailers and service providers that focus on remote management, support, and configuration services);
  • Television services (visual networking, Internet “best practices” such as personalization and targeted advertising migrating to the television, interactive services, and remote access to TV content and applications);
  • Home management (looking specifically at remote monitoring and energy management as key drivers); and
  • Digital health (examining how technology for reporting and health status can assist insurers and governments with managing an ever-growing base of consumers in need of health services).

Panel summaries have here:

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