Sony Ericsson will tilt more toward U.S., China

According to Sony Ericsson's Chief Executive, Bert Nordberg, the company is open to joint ventures in China's gaming industry, and plans to sell its Xperia Play (their new cellphone-and-videogame device), in the country. Mr. Nordberg, declined to give a timeline for the device's launch in China, but said the handset maker will need at least three months to make preparations.

In recent years, Sony Ericsson, a 50-50 joint venture between Sony Corp. of Japan and Telefon AB L.M. Ericsson of Sweden, has struggled with losses and falling market share in the competitive smartphone race. Its focus now is on higher-end devices, like Xperia Play, running on Google Inc.'s Android OS, in a bid to improve its margins and raise its share of global market revenue. The company unveiled Xperia Play at the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona last month.

Xperia Play is a crossover of PlayStation Portable gaming console and a cellphone. This is the first attempt in years by a major manufacturer to combine cellphone and full gaming capabilities in the same product. Mr. Nordberg said he expects the device to reach U.S. stores early April, using network operator Verizon Wireless, and then Western Europe. China is on track to become the company's biggest market for mobile phones around 2013-14, as Sony Ericsson ranked fifth in smartphone sales in China in the fourth quarter, according to Beijing research firm Analysys International.

To read the full article, please click here.

TRaC reaffirms relationship with Motorola

Leading testing and compliance consultancy, TRaC Telecoms and Radio, has announced it is to continue its long-standing relationship with Motorola.

Motorola’s NBBS remote device software device management platform is used by TRaC—whose testing services include telecommunications, DSL and radio—to test Customer Premises Equipment that utilizes the Broadband Forum’s specification and ensure interoperability.

Motorola’s NBBS Auto Configuration Server was developed specifically to meet the requirements that broadband service providers often insist CPE vendors adhere to.

More than 100 industry executives lend insights at CONNECTIONS Conference

CONNECTIONS speakers will deliver insight and recommendations for new business models and opportunities in digital media/content, connected consumer electronics, broadband and value-added services, and home systems. View full agenda here.

Keynote Speakers
Joseph Ambeault, Director, Product Development and Management, Video Services, Verizon
Scott Birnbaum, Vice President, Samsung LCD Business
Wilfred Martis, General Manager, Retail CE, Digital Home Group, Intel Corporation
Mitch Singer, CTO, Sony Pictures Entertainment; President, DECE

Speakers & Panelists
Cedric Arnaud-Battandier, VP, Strategy & Corporate Development, Technicolor
Seth Bailey, CEO, iTOK
David Barclay, Director Energy Management, OpenPeak
Anthony Bay, CEO, MOD Systems
David Bercovich, Vice President of Business Development, AlertMe
Savinay Berry, Vice President, Granite Ventures
Gilles BianRosa, CEO, Vuze, Inc.
Stephen Blum, President, Tellus Venture Associates
Jeff Bonin, Vice President of Business Development, Alticast
Kris Bowring, Senior Director, Emerging Business, Best Buy
Paul Brody, Global Lead, IBM Electronics Industry Strategy Practice, IBM Global Business Services
William C. Brown, Assoc. VP Technology and GM, Service Provider Business Unit, North America, D-Link
Mike Buckingham, Director of Marketing, SmartLabs, Inc.
Thomas Carpenter, VP Operations and Digital Chief of Staff, Epix
Susan Cashen, Vice President Marketing, Control4
David Chechelashvili, Head of Gaming and Retail, XpanD, Inc
Alfredo Choperena, President, SimpleHomeNet
Matthew Choy, Marketing Director, Rsupport Inc.
Albert Chu, Vice President, Marketing and Alliances, ACCESS Systems Americas
Jim Denney, Vice President, General Manager, Product Marketing, TiVo Inc.
Gary Ellison, Chief Security Architect, Intertrust Technologies, representing Marlin
Greg Ennis, Technical Director, Wi-Fi Alliance
Jim Feuille, General Partner, Crosslink Capital
Martin Flusberg, CEO, Powerhouse Dynamics
Paul Fulton, General Manager, Prosumer Business Unit, Cisco Systems, Inc.
Dwight Gibson, VP & GM Connected Home Solutions, Ingersoll Rand
Alexandre Giess, Head of Digital Home - Group Marketing North America, Orange/France Telecom Group
Alex Glass, Vice President, Global Operations, thePlatform
Wynn Grubbs, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, PlumChoice, Inc.
Dave Habiger, President & CEO, Sonic Solutions (Roxio)
Brian Henrichs, Chief Business Development Officer, Actiontec Electronics
Todd Hinders, Senior Vice President, ExtendMedia
Scott Hublou, Co-Founder, SVP of Products, EcoFactor
Richard Irving, Managing Partner, Pond Venture Partners Ltd.
Kanaan Jemili, Vice President of Product Management, DivX, Inc.
Michael Kostainsek, Senior Partner, Account Director, MEC (WPP’s Group M)
Douglas Light, Sr. Vice President of Global Sales and Business Development, Widevine
Steve Linke, Associate Director Consumer Electronics, Verizon Wireless - Open Development
James Lopez, General Manager, Digital Video Surveillance, Logitech
Ajay Luthra, Senior Director of Advanced Technology, Motorola
Letha McLaren, Vice President of Energy Products, iControl Networks
Kevin Meagher, CEO, Intamac Systems
Andy Melder, Vice President Business Development, Gigle Networks
Amir Mobini, President and CEO, Zenverge
Frank Mona III, Executive Director, Sales Execution, Consumer Home Services, AT&T
Kevin Morgan, CTO, Arxan Technologies, Inc.
Malachy Moynihan, VP, Video Strategy, Cisco Systems, Inc.
Macario Namie, Senior Director, Product Marketing, Jasper Wireless
Richard Nesin, Executive Director, HomePNA Alliance
Robert O'Dell, President/CEO, SecurityCoverage, Inc.
Amy Oehler, Senior Manager, Business Development Direct Energy, Direct Energy
Nathan Ota, Solutions Product Marketing Manager, Consumer Solutions, Trilliant
Sean Parham, Executive Vice President & CMO, 2Wire, Inc.
Nash Parker, Director of Emerging Technology & Media, Alcatel-Lucent
Tony Perucca, Senior Director, comScore, Inc.
Tom Pollard, Director of Product Management, Verimatrix Inc.
Drake Pruitt, SVP Business Development, Ascent Media Group
Yaron Raz, Director of Video Solutions Marketing, BigBand Networks
Terri Richardson, Business Integration Manager, Navic at Microsoft
Anthony Rodio, COO, Support.com
Russ Schafer, Senior Director, Global Product Marketing, Yahoo! Connected TV, Yahoo!
Daniel Scheinman, SVP & GM, Cisco Media Solutions Group, Cisco Systems, Inc.
Rick Schwartz, Senior Product Manager, PacketVideo (PV)
Loren Shade, VP Marketing, Allegro Software Development Corporation
Gene Sheridan, CEO, BridgeCo, Inc.
Charley Shoemaker, Director, Product Management, Nielsen Online, The Nielsen Company
Howard Simons, Director of Sales Research, West Division, Comcast Spotlight
Melissa Simpler, CEO, Affinegy
Peter Smyth, CEO, RedMere
Kurt Stammberger, Vice President Marketing, Mocana
Mark Studness, Director E-Commerce, Verizon
Dean Takahashi, Digital Media Lead Writer, VentureBeat
Jim Theberge, Product Management Director, Rovi Corporation
Steve Tranter, VP Interactive and Broadband, NDS
Daren Tsui, CEO, mSpot, Inc
Edgar Villalpando, SVP, Marketing, ActiveVideo Networks
Dr. Kenneth Wacks, Member, GridWise Architecture Council, U.S. Department of Energy
Ian Walsh, VP Business Development, ProVision Communications
Nate Williams, CMO, 4Home
Ken Wirt, Vice President Consumer Marketing, Cisco Systems, Inc.
Tom Woods, VP, User Experience, Rovi Corporation
Mark W. Young, Vice President, Strategy & BD, Mobile, Comcast Interactive Media
Dan Ziegler, Regional Director, Latens Systems

Parks Associates Moderators
Farhan Abid, Research Analyst, Parks Associates
Bill Ablondi, Director, Home Systems Research, Parks Associates
Pietro Macchiarella, Research Analyst, Parks Associates
Tricia Parks, Founder and CEO, Parks Associates
Kurt Scherf, Vice President & Principal Analyst, Parks Associates
Stuart Sikes, President, Parks Associates
Harry Wang, Director, Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates
Heather Way, Research Analyst, Parks Associates

CONNECTIONS addresses potential of new 3D and connected TV enhancements

The percentage of U.S. broadband households purchasing CE continues to decline year over year, falling from 87% in 2007 to 76% in 2009.

Already over one-half of households are spending less on CE in 2010 than they did the year before. The recession has deeply affected consumer spending, but several product categories have defied the downward trend. Industries can develop new revenue streams by building off of these devices, such as Web-based apps or 3D programming for connected LCD TVs or support services bundled with a new computer purchase.

CONNECTIONS™ will feature multiple sessions in the Consumer Electronics track discussing the state of the market and business strategies to leverage these devices:

· Design Elements for Connected CE
· Monetizing Connected CE
· The Future of the Set-top Box
· 3DTV

The panels will feature speakers from 2Wire, Actiontec Electronics, ActiveVideo Networks, Allegro Software Development Corporation, BigBand Networks, BridgeCo, Cisco Systems, Gigle Networks, Motorola, Orange/France Telecom Group, PacketVideo, ProVision, RedMere, Roxio CinemaNow, Technicolor, Xpand, Yahoo!, and Zenverge.

CONNECTIONS™ will also feature the keynote presentation “TV Technology in the New Age of Consumer Buying,” from Scott Birnbaum, Vice President, Samsung LCD Business, on June 9 at 10:00 a.m.

Motorola Strengthens IP Video Portfolio with Strategic Acquisition

Motorola Inc. today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of SecureM, LLC and its wholly owned subsidiaries, together operating as SecureMedia®, a developer of software-based digital rights management (DRM) and security systems for IP video distribution and management. The acquisition, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close in Q1 2010. SecureMedia will now become part of Motorola's Home & Networks Mobility business.

SecureMedia develops and markets software systems for securing the distribution of digital entertainment over multiple platforms to multiple devices, including set-top boxes, wireless handsets, PCs and portable entertainment devices. SecureMedia's Encryptonite ONE™ system supplies proven end-to-end security for content in managed IP, mobile, over-the-top (OTT) and hybrid environments, enabling new business from the consumption of high-value content any time and any place. With this acquisition, Motorola will be offering both stand-alone and integrated software security solutions to IP video customers.

Motorola's Home & Networks Mobility business delivers fully integrated and customizable media solutions to their subscribers. As a global video leader in digital entertainment devices, digital and IP video headends and digital video processing, Motorola brings its video expertise to bear as operators seek to evolve their networks for the future.

For the full article, please click here.

Smart Grid, Home Monitoring, and Wireless Home Controls

Key Focus of CONNECTIONS™ Conference --

Parks Associates announced the speakers for the Home Controls and Energy Management track at CONNECTIONS™, which includes an opening keynote from Austin Energy’s CIO. Multiple sessions at CONNECTIONS™ will feature executives from energy-focused companies discussing new innovations in home monitoring and controls, Smart Grid initiatives, and wireless home controls.

Andres E. Carvallo, CIO, Austin Energy, will present the Keynote “Building the Smart Grid” on Thursday, June 4. Mr. Carvallo will discuss Austin Energy’s efforts to build its Smart Grid, which will be live by August 2009. This initiative encompasses 440 square miles, 500,000 devices, 100 terabytes of data, one million consumers, and 43,000 businesses.

The panel “New Applications and Services in Home Monitoring & Controls,” June 3 at 1:30 p.m., analyzes consumer demand and revenue opportunities for home systems. Speakers include:

Steve Cashman, Chief Strategy Officer, Exceptional Innovation
Jim Hunter, CTO & Chief Architect, 4Home
Jim Johnson, President & CEO, uControl

Mr. Ablondi will present findings from Parks Associates’ new research project Residential Energy Management: Opportunities for Digital Systems and Services on June 4, 8:30 a.m., followed by “Bringing the Smart Grid to the Smart Home,” which features panelists leading Smart Grid initiatives in the public and private sectors:

Sanket Amberkar, Marketing Manager, Network Systems Solutions, Cisco
Christopher Deutschen, Senior Manager, Product & Business Development, Direct Energy
Dr. Kenneth Wacks, Member, GridWise Architecture Council, U.S. Department of Energy

“Wireless Home Controls: New Roles and Functionality,” June 4 at 11:15 a.m., examines the trends, market opportunities, and design challenges in embedding wireless capabilities into traditional products. Speakers include:

Michelle Leyden Li, GM, Home Control Business Unit, Zilog
Ken Lowe, VP, Strategic Marketing, Sigma Designs
Mostafa Reza, Product Line Manager, IP Video Solutions Group, Motorola
Parag Sheth, VP, Corporate Marketing, Hillcrest Labs
Eric Smith, CTO, Control4

For the full press release, click here.

CONNECTIONS Advisory Board Members are Confirmed

All advisory board members have been confirmed for CONNECTIONS 2008. Parks Associates and CEA welcome the following participants:

• Chris Ballard, Head of the Device Sector, TMForum
• Kevin Custis, Consumer Electronics Leader, IBM Global Business Services
• John Fisher, Chief Operating Office & Chief Software Architect, PEAK 8 Solutions
• Rob Gelphman, Chair, Marketing Work Group, MoCA
• Paolo Pastorino, Chief Technology Officer, Home Gateway Initiative (HGI)
• Parag Sheth, Vice President of Marketing, Hillcrest Labs
• Bernadette Vernon, Senior Director Marketing Communications, Motorola

Parks Associates representatives also serving on the Advisory Board include: Tricia Parks, CEO; Stuart Sikes, President; Steve Harvey, Director - Global Events; Kurt Scherf, Vice President & Principal Analyst; Elizabeth Parks, Vice President - Marketing; Mindi Sue Sternblitz-Rubenstein, Marketing Manager.

CONNECTIONS™ Announces Motorola as Diamond Sponsor

Parks Associates and Consumer Electronics Association are pleased to announce Motorola as a Diamond sponsor for CONNECTIONS™ 2008.

Motorola is known around the world for innovation in communications. The company develops technologies, products and services that make mobile experiences possible. Our portfolio includes communications infrastructure, enterprise mobility solutions, digital set-tops, cable modems, mobile devices and Bluetooth accessories. Motorola is committed to delivering next generation communication solutions to people, businesses and governments. A Fortune 100 company with global presence and impact, Motorola had sales of US $36.6 billion in 2007.

CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference and Showcase will be held June 24-26 at the Santa Clara Convention Center. CONNECTIONS™ session topics include IPTV and "TV 2.0," bundled services, consumer storage, mobile applications and content, social and digital media, and home and lifestyle management.

CONNECTIONS™ Europe Sessions - Day 1

Tuesday 4 December
1610-1710
What’s Next with Television?

Europe has now taken the lead in IPTV deployments, and the market for television on the European continent is highly dynamic. With cable, satellite, and digital terrestrial joining IPTV as options for digital TV, how do video services differentiate in order to grow and retain their customer bases? This panel examines the trends, technologies, and the “next big thing” that will characterize television in Europe.

Moderator:
Kurt Scherf, Vice President and Principal Analyst, Parks Associates

SPEAKERS
Jonathan Beavon, Director, Segment Marketing, NDS Limited
David Keeley, Chief Technology Officer, Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Motorola, Inc.
Nora Maene, Multimedia Solution Marketing Manager, Alcatel-Lucent
Dr. Fee Steinhoff, Project Field Manager MASF, Deutsche Telekom AG, Laboratories
More speakers TBA

CONNECTIONS™ Europe Agenda

LG and Samsung Phones Lead in Advanced Mobile Entertainment Features

LG and Samsung are the top mobile-phone brands in the U.S. for advanced entertainment features, leading competitors Motorola and Nokia in adoption of phones with support for mobile TV, music, and games, according to Parks Associates recent research.

Among owners of LG and Samsung phones, 12% and 11% reported having mobile TV features, respectively, compared with 8% of Motorola owners and 0% for Nokia owners. Among the four leading brands, Motorola ranks third overall, and Nokia lags significantly in advanced entertainment features. Only 6% of Nokia phones support purchase of music tracks, compared with 22% and 20% of LG and Samsung phones, respectively.

Carriers as "Experience Providers"

Summary information from Day 2: CONNECTIONS™ May 2007, hosted in Santa Clara, CA.

Carriers as "Experience Providers"

This panel addresses the new focus on consumer experiences with an examination of changing business models, enabling solutions for service providers, and fixed-mobile convergence trends.

Jay Deen, Vice President of Technology, Casero, Inc.
Kai Hackbarth, Requirements Chair, OSGi Alliance
Keith Higgins, VP, Marketing, Stoke, Inc.
Ellis Lindsay, Home Networking and Digital Lifestyle SME, Alcatel-Lucent
Kirk Munroe, Director, Product Management, Radialpoint
John Ulm, Fellow of the Technical Staff, Connected Home Solutions, Motorola, Inc.
Moderator: Yuanzhe (Michael) Cai, Director, Broadband & Gaming, Parks Associates

In 2006, U.S. broadband penetration reached 50% while bandwidth costs year over year have been plummeting. The next step is for service providers to move beyond selling raw bandwidth and start focusing on smart bandwidth and smart-home applications. They need to leverage the multiple screens they own and deliver cross-platform experiences based on convergence networks. The panel discussed this transition, including what’s happening and what’s to come. The panel also addressed the opportunities for hardware and software solution providers. For instance, a residential gateway is likely to be a key enabling platform for service providers. France Telecom has shipped more than 4 million LiveBoxes to date, and their success with the “unik” fixed-mobile convergence phone service is partially because of the large installed base of LiveBoxes.

Bundling is another megatrend in the carrier market. Cable MSOs are killing telcos in certain markets due to their triple-play success. Fifty percent of Comcast’s new broadband subscribers in Q1 2007 churned from telecom carriers. Consumers are likely to focus first on discounts and on-bill convenience but will eventually demand convergence features. Carriers need to make sure they educate consumers along the way.

Right now, the most successful VAS offerings on the broadband platform are still PC and home network security, although other services are gaining traction. According to Radialpoint, 15% of customers for their carrier clients buy security services from broadband carriers, and it has become a sizable revenue stream. The next step is to provide network-based backup, sharing, and community services. Exclusive content may also be a differentiator, and major carriers have begun investing heavily in content.

Another topic discussed was that consumers don’t always need to foot the bill for the services they receive. Carriers can become arbitrators between consumers and businesses to provide “validated bandwidth” in a similar way to restaurants validating parking for their patrons. However this requires carriers to know more about their subscribers and leverage that knowledge in order to deliver targeted advertisements relevant to consumers. Carriers have not monetized user information very well and have a long way to go before they can catch up with Google and other over-the-top providers. Over-the-top is definitely a threat, but quality will always be important – and carriers can provide that quality with their managed network. Carriers have also begun to use more white-label solutions instead of partnering with companies like Yahoo! and MSN for their Internet services.

IMS will be an important platform if the industry is to realize this vision of experience-based services. Carriers need to improve both the front and back ends of their platforms. Right now the technology is still at an early stage, but investment in the next few years will be significant. IMS will enable carriers to provision new services on the fly. Right now developers have demonstrated only limited applications, but IMS is like IP — it has unlimited potential. However, it will take many years for carriers to transition to the IMS platform. Having the ability to provide both wireless and wireless services will also be extremely important for large carriers. The cell phone will be the key for consumers to access other personalized services, and with more and more broadband-enabled cell phones on the market, broadband solution providers need to begin addressing this platform. Universal parental control and security will also be important. In the end, if carriers can make consumers’ lives easier and more comfortable, they’ll make money.