50+ Executives confirmed for CONNECTIONS U.S.

The preliminary list of speakers for the upcoming CONNECTIONS™ Conference includes more than 50 executives from the top media, entertainment, controls, and energy companies around the world.

Speakers:

Seth Bailey, CEO, iTOK

Anthony Bay, CEO, MOD Systems

Gilles BianRosa, CEO, Vuze, Inc.

Kristen Bowring, Sr. Director, Emerging Business, Best Buy

Richard Bullwinkle, Chief Evangelist, Rovi Corporation

Alfredo Choperena, President, SimpleHomeNet

Albert Chu, VP, Marketing and Alliances, ACCESS Systems Americas

Chris Deutschen, Sr. Manager, Innovation and Business Development, Direct Energy

Gary Ellison, Chief Security Architect, Intertrust, representing Marlin

Greg Ennis, Technical Director, Wi-Fi Alliance

Jim Feuille, General Partner, Crosslink Capital

Jaime Fink, Technology and Strategy, 2Wire

Paul Fulton, GM, Prosumer Business Unit, Cisco

Dave Habiger, President & CEO, Roxio CinemaNow

Brian Henrichs, Chief Business Development Officer, Actiontec Electronics

Todd Hinders, Sr. VP, ExtendMedia

Richard Irving, Managing Partner, Pond Venture Partners

Fred King, Chief Operating Officer, PlumChoice

Ajay Luthra, Sr. Director, Motorola

Kevin Meagher, CEO, Intamac Systems

Andy Melder, VP, Business Development, Gigle Networks

Frank Mona III, Executive Director, Sales Execution, Consumer Home Services, AT&T

Malachy Moynihan, VP, Video Strategy, Cisco Systems

Robert O'Dell, President/CEO, SecurityCoverage

Steve Oetegenn, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Verimatrix

Nash Parker, Director, Emerging Technology & Media, Alcatel-Lucent

Len Rand, Managing Director, Granite Ventures

Yaron Raz, Dir, Video Solutions Marketing, BigBand Networks

Marty Roberts, Marketing, thePlatform, Comcast’s online video publishing subsidiary

Anthony Rodio, COO, support.com

Russ Schafer, Sr. Director, Global Product Marketing, Yahoo! Connected TV, Yahoo!

Daniel Scheinman, SVP & GM, Cisco Media Solutions Group, Cisco Systems

Rick Schwartz, Sr. Product Manager, PacketVideo

Loren Shade, VP Marketing, Allegro Software Development Corporation

Gene Sheridan, CEO, BridgeCo

Melissa Simpler, CEO, Affinegy

Peter Smyth, CEO, RedMere

Dean Takahashi, Digital Media Lead Writer, VentureBeat

Steve Tranter, VP Interactive and Broadband, NDS

Edgar Villalpando, SVP, Marketing, ActiveVideo Networks

Nate Williams, CMO, 4Home

Ken Wirt, VP, Consumer Marketing, Cisco Systems

Mark W. Young, VP, Strategy & BD, Mobile, Comcast Interactive Media

Tania Yuki, Director, Cross Media and Video Products, comScore

For the most up to date list of speakers, please click here.

Intel, Samsung, Sony Pictures, Verizon to Keynote @ CONNECTIONS

Executives from Intel, Samsung LCD Business, Sony Pictures, and Verizon will present the CONNECTIONS Conference keynotes on topics including TV technology, content protection and cloud media services, and the role of the service provider.

The keynotes include:

Joseph Ambeault, Director, Product Development and Management, Video Services, Verizon

Scott Birnbaum, VP, Samsung LCD Business

Eric B. Kim, Sr. VP, GM, Digital Home Group, Intel Corporation

Mitch Singer, CTO, Sony Pictures Entertainment; President, DECE

To view the full agenda, visit www.CONNECTIONSus.com.

Fujitsu Launches Global Cloud Strategy

Fujitsu launched its global cloud strategy -- a strategy developed through the company's real experience in working with customers on cloud computing services and delivery of solutions across the world.

Fujitsu views its cloud computing services as an evolution, not a revolution, and views cloud services in four modes. The infrastructure mode and application mode are an extension of the conventional services being offered by Fujitsu. The activity mode and content mode, however, represent a significant shift in the way the ICT industry creates value, through the emergence of new business models to create new services for buyers.

With decades-long service business experience, Fujitsu can provide the utmost support in enabling large- and medium-sized customers to transition and migrate their largest and most complex ICT environments to join any mode of the cloud consumption model, with minimal disruption and maximum security.

REM, Digital Media & Connected CE, Pre-Show focus

CONNECTIONS is hosting two pre-show workshops on June 8th, presenting research and analysis on digital lifestyle solutions and residential energy management.

The workshops, “Monetizing the Digital Lifestyle” and “Residential Energy Management: Home Area Networks & The Consumer,” will feature the Parks Associates’ analysts and information from recent consumer projects, including Digital Media Evolution II and Residential Energy Management.

“Monetizing the Digital Lifestyle” provides insight into key technology trends driven by the proliferation of connected CE and digital media, which is altering business models for retailers, service and content providers, and manufacturers. Parks Associates’ analysts will present forecasts, consumer research, and business strategies in the following sessions:

• Monetizing Access Services
• Enhancing Broadband Services: Connected Home and Customer Support
• Online Video: Key Technology and Monetization Trends
• Multiplatform Advertising
• The Connected TV: Devices, Content, and Strategies
• Mobile Internet Devices

“Residential Energy Management: Home Area Networks & The Consumer” highlights the latest developments and forecasts for REM and smart grid solutions. Parks Associates’ home systems analysts will analyze efforts to develop HAN standards as well as recent controversies with smart meter deployments. Sessions:

• Home Area Networks: Market Dynamics
• The Consumer Mindset
• Market Forecasts
• Business Models – Alternative Viewpoints

CenturyLink and Qwest, Merger Agreement Approved

CenturyLink and Qwest Communications announced that their boards of directors have approved an agreement under which CenturyLink will acquire Qwest in a tax-free, stock-for-stock transaction.

Leveraging CenturyLink's proven integration experience, the transaction is expected to generate annual operating and capital synergies of approximately $625 million when fully recognized over a three- to five-year period following the close of the transaction. As of December 31, 2009, CenturyLink and Qwest served local markets in 37 states with approximately 5 million broadband customers, 17 million access lines, 1,415,000 video subscribers and 850,000 wireless consumers.

This combination will result in a company whose enterprise business will be a significant contributor to its growth which, along with the consumer business, will allow it to offer innovative broadband products and services over its advanced networks.

Digital Living Conference, CONNECTIONS US - Early Bird Pricing Extended

CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference and Showcase has extended early bird pricing to this Friday, April 23rd. This is also the last chance to secure your complimentary pass to the Parks Associates June webcast, Trends in 3D TV (a $295 value).

CONNECTIONS 2010 is the premier executive event focused on the market developments and growth factors for advanced digital lifestyle solutions. Confirmed keynote speakers include Intel, Samsung and Sony. To view the full agenda and other participating speakers, visit www.CONNECTIONSus.com.

Join us this June 8-10 in Santa Clara, California for our 14 annual CONNECTIONS Conference.

Gigle Networks Sponsors CONNECTIONS 2010

Parks Associates welcomes Gigle Networks as a CONNECTIONS 2010 Silver Sponsor.

Gigle Networks provides System-on‐Chip (SoC) integrated circuits and complete system solutions for multimedia home networking that can extend wired and wireless Ethernet everywhere in the home –without the need for new wires. Targeted for applications such as Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), broadband TV (BBTV), video on demand (VoD), and Voice over IP (VoIP), Gigle Networks' products offer superior performance, coverage and quality of service when compared to alternative communication technologies, and are designed to be easily integrated into consumer electronics and networked products.

Gigle Networks is a strong supporter of open standards, a board member of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, and an active participant in the IEEE P1901 standards body and the ITU‐T G.hn wireline standardization initiative.

Gigle Networks has offices in Redwood City, Calif., Barcelona, Spain, and Edinburgh, UK.

For more information about Gigle Networks, visit http://www.giglenetworks.com/.

BlackArrow Raises $20 Million in Financing, NDS lead investor

BlackArrow, a leading worldwide provider of advanced advertising solutions for New Television platforms, announced it has closed $20 million in Series C financing. The round was led by strategic investor NDS Group - the leading provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV, and included existing investors Cisco Systems, Comcast Interactive Capital, Intel Capital, Mayfield Fund and Polaris Venture Partners.

This financing provides new capital to expand product development and accelerate the deployment of the BlackArrow Advanced Advertising System to programming networks and on-demand television content providers across North American and international markets.

BlackArrow and NDS also announced the formation of a strategic alliance to offer an integrated suite of advanced advertising solutions and services. As part of its strategic investment, NDS will have a seat on the BlackArrow board of directors.

NDS creates proven technologies that enable leading pay-TV operators and content providers to generate revenues from digital content on more than 70 of the world’s leading pay-TV platforms. NDS’ security, enabling technologies and interactive applications are deployed on over 100 million devices worldwide - across set-top boxes, PCs and other media devices. BlackArrow’s multiplatform campaign management and ad decisioning services align with NDS’ advanced advertising platform, NDS Dynamic™, which provides solutions to identify, measure and engage audiences - thus creating the framework for the alliance.

Value Added Services and Applications by Michael Lantz, Accedo Broadband

Over recent years, we have seen a vast amount of change in the video ecosystem and the way in which content is delivered to the end-user, whether that be video content, or add-on applications. TV has been transformed into a rich, interactive experience, giving viewers the same, if not more, flexibility they experience from a PC. It’s no longer just about watching linear television, consumers will gradually change their behaviour into using more applications, both stand-alone and integrated with the video content..

With the proliferation of IPTV and Connected TV solutions, the opportunities are widespread, and it is my personal belief that usage will be very fragmented, in the same way as usage on the PC Internet is fragmented. There will not be any “killer application” and people use different applications depending on interest and context. Some viewers will interact with additional content from their favourite programs, others will pass the time playing games, and others will catch up with what their friends are doing on a social media application.

I see the most attractive area being the broadcasters’ programme extension services, giving viewers the ability to, at the click of a button, catch up with the latest gossip surrounding their favourite programme or share their views about the actors or the episodes. This can extend the viewing of a programme to considerable time before and after the actual programme, and will create consumer loyalty, as well as new revenues from advertising and upsell services. The majority of broadcasters worldwide have already launched one or several websites dedicated to extending and enhancing the broadcast experience online.

For the first time, broadcasters are able to cost-efficiently establish a direct relationship with their viewers. IPTV and Connected TV will be the natural extension of those online applications and services that viewers enjoy. The broadcasters successfully embracing the power of the new application technologies will be the winners of the future TV world.

CONNECTIONS™ addresses service provider innovation and opportunities to build ARPU

TV Everywhere has generated headlines for service providers, but tech support and online storage services are also critical parts of any successful bundling strategy, according to international research firm Parks Associates.

Parks Associates reports almost 40% of U.S. broadband households are interested in receiving managed Internet security from their service provider, while premium tech support services and online backup each attract approximately one-third of households.

CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference and Showcase will feature multiple panels on Entertainment Platforms & Value-Added Services:

Digital Home Technical Support Services

Digital Lifestyles

Service Provider Innovation

The Service Provider and the Connected Home

Innovations & Investments: Venture Capitalist Insights

CONNECTIONS™ will feature several executive sessions examining strategies for providers to expand their value-added service offerings, including a look at unique service trials conducted by the most innovative second-tier service providers in the U.S. market.

Other CONNECTIONS™ Session Topics include: New Media and Digital Content, Consumer Electronics, and Home Systems & Controls.

Accedo Broadband sponsors CONNECTIONS Europe 2010

Parks Associates welcome Accedo Broadband as a 2010 Advisory Sponsor for CONNECTIONS Europe.

Accedo Broadband is the leading provider of applications for IPTV and Connected TV. Accedo Broadband provides the largest available application portfolio and an app store engine for IPTV and Connected TV containing, for example, IPTV games, VoD, Catch-up TV, music, video art, comics, karaoke, lifestyle, niche sports, weather, social media and communication services. Accedo’s Funspot gaming service is the most widely deployed IPTV gaming service in the world.

Accedo is a privately held company founded by telecom and media entrepreneurs Michael Lantz and Fredrik Andersson primarily backed by Swedish VC Industrifonden. Accedo Broadband is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden with branch offices in London, San Francisco, Hong Kong and Sydney.

For more information, visit www.accedobroadband.com .

iTOK sponsors CONNECTIONS U.S.

Parks Associates welcomes iTOK as a 2010 Bronze Sponsor for the CONNECTIONS Conference this June in Santa Clara.

iTOK is the leading provider of US-based remote technical support for home and home-based business computers.

Since 2004, iTOK has been building a team of trained, fluent English-speaking support representatives based in Utah that eliminates the frustration of working with the cheaper foreign-based computer service companies.

With the click of a mouse, a user can immediately connect with a service representative, get help on a technical problem and schedule routine maintenance, all while working with someone who knows their computer, their issue history and their language.

iTOK provides service to thousands of customers directly and through major broadband service providers.

For more information, click here.

55% of TVs to Be Internet-Connected by 2013

In a recent study, the internet surpassed TV as the “most essential” medium.

By 2013, 55% of all TV models shipped by manufacturers will have a built-in web connection, says Steve Koenig, director of the Consumer Electronics Association.

The internet-connected TVs will not require separate boxes, software or setup. Only 18% of TVs shipped from manufacturers have built-in web connections today.

Partnerships have been developed...Google is in a partnership with Sony and Intel to make televisions act more like PCs, allowing users to access any site they want. In addition, Intel is working with some of the big names in the industry to get its processors into internet-connected TVs. Samsung is working on its own applications platform. Yahoo has built a user interface for internet TV that displays widgets for weather, news, shopping and social networking which run across the bottom of the screen.

Read the full article here.

Number of smartphones worldwide exceeded 180 million units in 2009

New research from Parks Associates, host of the upcoming executive summit CONNECTIONS™ Europe, indicates that the number of smartphones shipped in 2009 topped 180 million units worldwide, with Nokia, Research in Motion, and Apple sharing 60% of the market. Annual sales will reach almost 400 million by 2014, and as the number of users approaches one billion, consumer demand will grow for mobile broadband services that can share content, particularly high-quality video, across connected devices and the home network.

CONNECTIONS™ Europe, April 27 at the Mövenpick Hotel in Amsterdam, will feature consumer research and analysis on these new service opportunities in the mobile sector in the session “Mobile Video: The Cloud, The App Store & the Connected Home.”

Session speakers:

-- Klaus Milczewsky, Senior Mgr, Deutsche Telekom AG
-- Peter Percosan, CTO, Cable Europe Labs
-- Andy Tiller, Marketing Vice Chair, Femto Forum

In a recent Parks Associates survey on mobile convergence, over one-third of U.S. smartphone users expressed an interest in streaming multimedia content stored on home CE to their mobile device. Service providers will have to adapt their mobile and video strategies to meet the demands of multiple platforms, and the panelists will discuss these challenges, plus the impact of new devices such as the iPad and the HP Slate.

For information or to register for CONNECTIONS™ Europe, visit www.connectionseurope.com.

Less than six million U.S. households would consider canceling pay-TV service in favor of online video

Despite the growing amount of video available online, less than 8% of U.S. broadband households are considering canceling their pay-TV services in favor of online video, according to Parks Associates’ All Eyes on Video.

All Eyes on Video found approximately 5.5 million homes would be open to canceling pay TV due in part to the availability of online video. At the same time, one-half of these households are also considering a switch to a new pay-TV provider, indicating the primary threats to companies such as Verizon, Comcast, DirecTV, and Cablevision are still their traditional competitors.

The households likely to switch or cancel their services watch a whopping 10 hours of online video each week, much higher than typical video consumers. They express strong interest in having online access to pay-TV channels (e.g., TV Everywhere), which highlights an opportunity for traditional pay-TV providers to solidify their base through the deployment of such features. Offline video consumption is also higher. Their median number of DVD rentals from the last six months is 18, compared to two rentals among other households.

Telcordia Helps Mexico Accelerate Mobile Data Adoption

Telcordia, a global leader in the development of fixed, mobile and broadband communications software and services, announced a contract with the Number Portability Technical Committee and Comision Federal de Telecomunicaciones (COFETEL), Mexico's telecommunications regulator, to provide the distribution and query service of number portability in the country for SMS and content providers and other emerging players in the mobile content ecosystem, effectively helping to accelerate the use and adoption of advanced services in Mexico.

Content providers and operators are looking to extend their reach to subscribers with the introduction of MMS, location-based content and other personalized data services. With new opportunities come additional challenges when providers try to interconnect networks and services. As the provider of data exchange services, Telcordia enables operators and Web-based providers to deliver next-generation applications and services across partner networks by providing accurate and authoritative subscriber routing information.

As the center point connecting users, operators and content providers in a market of this size, Telcordia will serve as an authoritative and trusted source for number portability data exchange services and is at the forefront of delivering this service and establishing relationships with the key service and content providers in Mexico.

Samsung keynote at CONNECTIONS™ explores future of LCD technology and 3D TV

Parks Associates announced Scott Birnbaum, Vice President, Samsung LCD Group, will deliver the morning keynote, “TV Technology in the New Age of Consumer Buying,” at CONNECTIONS™ on June 9, 2010.

CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference and Showcase, in its 14th year, will take place June 8-10, 2010, at the Santa Clara Convention Center. CONNECTIONS™ is the premier event for research and analysis of connected home technologies and digital living solutions, with over 600 executives attending each year.

Mr. Birnbaum will speak at 10:00 a.m., June 9, on the future of LCD technology, the accelerated movement toward a 16:9 aspect ratio, and the prognosis for 3D in the home. He will explore the implications for TV design and manufacturing as consumers demand thin, energy-efficient form factors that provide crystal-clear, movie-like experiences.

He will also discuss the need for easy-to-understand data so consumers can understand and make informed choices about thinness, backlighting, energy consumption, contrast and aspect ratios, and refresh rates.

CONNECTIONS™ features multiple sessions on next-generation video services and the growing demand for interactive entertainment, including 3D and connected TV, personalization of applications, Internet video, and mobile applications. Sessions include industry-leading consumer research and executive analysis to highlight the next opportunities and future business strategies for video technologies and platforms, multiscreen experiences, and value-added services.

CONNECTIONS Europe addresses new solutions to control content delivery to connected CE

“Bringing the Content,” the first interactive panel session at the executive summit CONNECTIONS™ Europe, will tackle the new content challenges that come with the proliferation of connected devices, which will exceed 100 million units worldwide in 2010.

The session takes place April 27 at 10:15 a.m. and will address the question of who will control the display and distribution of content as the adoption of connected game consoles, set-top boxes, Blu-ray players, and media servers opens new opportunities for service providers, CE manufacturers, online video providers, and broadcasters.

“Bringing the Content” session speakers:

-- Ronald Brockmann, Managing Director, Europe, ActiveVideo Networks
-- Tim Hadley, Director, Corporate Communications, Omnifone
-- Klaus Illgner-Fehns, Managing Director, HbbTV
-- Rolf Uwe Placzek, CEO, Acetrax

CONNECTIONS™ Europe Advisory Sponsors are ActiveVideo Networks, Advanced Digital Broadcast (ADB), Latens, and PacketVideo.

Latens sponsors CONNECTIONS Europe

Parks Associates welcome Latens as the newest Advisory Sponsor for the upcoming CONNECTIONS Europe Summit in Amsterdam on April 27th.

Latens is leading the way in IPTV and fully DVB® compliant software Conditional Access and Middleware, enabling operators of broadcast and broadband Pay-TV networks around the world to securely deliver next generation entertainment services to set-top boxes, PCs, mobile devices and home networks. With offices in the US, UK and India Latens’ customer base stretches globally. Latens continued success has been recognised with the recent inclusion in the top 500 Fast Deloitte companies for the EMEA region.

For more information about Latens please visit www.latens.com.