Cloud Media tops CONNECTIONS 2011 Agenda

Parks Associates released the preliminary agenda for the 2011 CONNECTIONS Conference, featuring the core topic areas of mobility and communications, entertainment and content, connected consumer electronics, and cloud-based value-added services.

The three-day event, June 28-30 at Santa Clara, Californina, offers a unique mix of market research presentations, trending data, insight from industry leaders, and discussion of the current strategies and future challenges in providing connectivity and technology services for consumers.

Cloud media is an important topic at this year’s CONNECTIONS due to the challenges for this market in reaching its tremendous potential. Parks Associates research finds consumers are highly interested in the cloud concept, notably the prospect of having anytime, anywhere access to their media. However, less than one-third of U.S. broadband households see the value of the digital locker concept specifically for music, photo, or video content, due in large part to current fragmentation of the market.

For more information, visit www.connectionsus.com.

Intel, Rovi, Best Buy, and other industry leaders participating at executive summit at CES 2011

Parks Associates announced the sessions and preliminary list of speakers for its upcoming CONNECTIONS™ Summit at CES, January 6 at 2011 International CES in Las Vegas. This event provides consumer data and analysis of business and marketing strategies for operators, CE manufacturers, utilities, and communications companies delivering connected devices and advanced services and applications to consumers.

At CONNECTIONS™ Summit at CES, we will look beyond the headlines and announcements to see what consumers will be doing with these devices and how they will change their video, entertainment, and communication habits.”

Parks Associates will host CONNECTIONS™ Summit in the South Hall Convention Center, Rooms S206-207, during the first day of CES. Preliminary list of speakers:

Sean Besser, VP, Business Development, Rovi Corp.
Tom Bottorff, Sr. VP-Regulatory Affairs, PG&E
Kris Bowring, Senior Director, Platform Lead, Best Buy
Matt Carinio, Senior Business Analyst, LEVEL Studios
Chris Deutschen, Senior Manager, Direct Energy
Wynn Grubbs, VP, Sales and Marketing, PlumChoice
Dave Habiger, President and CEO, Sonic Solutions
Brian David Johnson, Futurist and Director, Future Casting and Experience Research, Intel Corporation
Shashidhar K, Global Practice Director, HCL Technologies
Chris King, Chief Regulatory Officer, eMeter Corporation
Woo Seung Lee, Team Manager, Media Business Planning Department, Korea Telecom
Scott Levine, VP, General Manager – Mobile, Blockbuster, Inc.
Joel Marshall, EVP, Steelhead Advertising
Steve McKay, CEO, Entone
Andy Melder, VP Business Development, Gigle Networks
Sean Miller, President, iTOK
Steve Oetegenn, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Verimatrix
Lawrence M. Oliva, Director of Tariffs, Programs, and Services, Southern California Edison
Rick Schwartz, Senior Product Manager, Consumer Software, PacketVideo (PV)
Edgar Villalpando, SVP, Marketing, ActiveVideo Networks

For information about CONNECTIONS™ Conferences, visit www.connectionsconference.com.

ActiveVideo Urges Network-Based Platform to Speed Adoption of Web Video on TV

The president and CEO of ActiveVideo Networks called on the media, entertainment and CE communities to agree on a single, unified platform for the delivery of Web video to the television. ActiveVideo’s Jeff Miller outlined how “Platform Chaos” – the fragmentation of countless video devices and technologies -- must be overcome in order to accelerate the rollout and monetization of compelling interactive and Web-to-TV services.

Encouraging all facets of the industry to “join the cloud,” Miller talked about how the scramble to develop competing, proprietary solutions has created confusion and complexity that impacts the ability of content developers and consumers to connect. Miller stressed that placing intelligence in the network cloud, instead of in the CE device or digital set-top box, would enable developers to write content once and deploy universally to any device, and would relieve consumers of the challenge of identifying, purchasing and integrating new equipment for their home theater systems.

According to Miller, adoption of a solution such as ActiveVideo’s CloudTV™ would provide a common platform that would lift restrictions on the number and types of applications available, as well as the ability to port content across multiple devices. In a cloud-based system, Web-based applications, social media, user interfaces and other content is processed in the network and streamed to any device.

For more information, visit www.activevideo.com.

CONNECTIONS™ Europe to examine new business strategies for connected CE, value-added services, and digital entertainment

Parks Associates will host top executives from the digital content, value-added services, mobile and connected CE, and advanced video and entertainment industries at CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit: Monetizing Connectivity and User Experiences, November 15-16, 2010.

The two-day summit takes place at the Mövenpick Hotel in Amsterdam and offers insights into new business strategies and product plans to reach an increasingly connected population.

The agenda includes the following sessions:

• Service Providers and the Connected Home

• Broadband Value-Added Services: Customer Satisfaction and Technical Support

• Mobile Broadband: Devices, Strategies, and Consumer Demand

• Next-Gen Video Services: Personalization and Flexibility

• Consumers and Connected Consumer Electronics

• The Landscape for Connected Devices

• Content Delivery and Control for Connected TVs

• Extending the Video Experience to Multiple Screens

• Value-added Services & the Video Ecosystem

• Controlling the Experience

• Mobile Video: The Cloud, the App Store, & the Connected Home

Smartphones + Tablets Most Popular Consumer Electronic Products as Holiday Season Approaches

Parks Associates reports consumer electronics buying in the U.S. rebounded in the first half of 2010, with 63% of broadband households making at least one purchase, a rate 6% higher than in the first half of 2009.

Smartphones promise to be the highest selling product through the end of the year, fueled by both repeat and first-time purchases. Twenty-one percent of broadband households intend to purchase a smartphone by year’s end, according to the report Consumer Decision Process: 1H 2010 and 2010 Summer Update. Of those intending to purchase a new smartphone in the next four months, 28% report an iPhone preference, 23% want a Blackberry, and 20% want an Android-based phone.

The study found that, on average, buying households purchased 4.3 CE products and spent $1,094 in the first half of 2010. Smartphones were a top purchase across most demographic segments, particularly among younger consumers, and 3-4% of broadband households bought at least one Apple iPad tablet. The study also reveals that standard iPad buyers are typical early adopters – they are younger than 35 with a graduate degree and household income greater than $100,000.

Parks Associates is currently launching 2010 Holiday Intentions, which will provide incidence of product ownership and data on 3Q 2010 purchases and purchase intentions for the 2010 holiday season.

15th CONNECTIONS Conference Dates Announced

The fifteenth annual CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference & Showcase will take place on June 28-30, 2011, at the Santa Clara Convention Center. The 2011 event focuses on entertainment and media platforms, content distribution, mobile applications and services, broadband and operator strategies, energy management solutions, advanced advertising initiatives, and connected CE.

Early sponsors for CONNECTIONS™ 2011 are Association Sponsor CEA and Affinegy, Allegro, iTOK, Rovi, and Sonic Solutions.

Parks Associates will also host CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit in Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 15-16, 2010, featuring the latest consumer research on digital living technologies around the world and analysis on new business models and opportunities for TV operators, content developers, advertisers, and CE companies.

CONNECTIONS™ Summit at CES, January 6, 2011, focuses on trends, emerging business models and technologies, and growth opportunities for companies developing products and services for the digital home.

Entertainment in a Connected World

Mitch Singer, CTO, Sony Pictures Entertainment and President, DECE is Thursday’s opening keynote at the CONNECTIONS Conference.

In this keynote, Mitch Singer, CTO of Sony and president of DECE, will provide an overview of the state of the entertainment industry including trends that will help spur the marketplace as well as evolving distribution and industry opportunities.

CONNECTIONS focuses on New Media & Digital Content, Entertainment Platforms & Services, Home Controls & Energy Management, and CE

CONNECTIONS™ will feature two pre-show research workshops, “Monetizing the Digital Lifestyle” and “Residential Energy Management: Home Area Networks and the Consumer,” on June 8, prior to the conference. Parks Associates’ research teams will provide insight, analysis, and forecasts, including consumer and industry data, in these interactive workshops.

CONNECTIONS™ keynote sessions will feature executives from Intel, Verizon, Samsung LCD Business, and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

CONNECTIONS™ Conference Sessions:

-- Expanding Consumers’ Digital Media Choices
-- Digital Lifestyles: Outlook – A Parks Associates Analyst Roundtable
-- Opening Session - Monetizing Connected CE
-- TV and Online Video Advertising Metrics: Managing the Data
-- Design Elements for Connected CE
-- Mobile Internet and Cloud Services
-- Energy Management as a Key Application for Home Controls
-- Digital Home Technical Support Services
-- DRM, Conditional Access, and Payment Models
-- 3DTV
-- Home Area Network: Architectures and Implications
-- Service Provider Innovation
-- Residential Energy Management
-- Getting Consumers to Care about Home Controls
-- Business Models for Energy Management
-- The Future of the Set-top Box
-- TV Everywhere and Online Video
-- Innovations & Investments: Venture Capitalist Insights

For more information on CONNECTIONS™, visit www.connectionsus.com .

Samsung’s VP of LCD Business addresses consumer buying decisions for TV’s

Scott Birnbaum, Vice President, Samsung LCD Business will present the keynote, “TV Technology in the New Age of Consumer Buying” on Wednesday, June 9 at 10:00 at CONNECTIONS.

Mr. Birnbaum will address how the buying decision for today’s TVs has become more complex and more important in the list of home priorities. Consumers are no longer simply satisfied with a good picture and a decent warranty. Consumers are looking at TVs as exceptionally thin wall hangings; energy-efficient Energy-Star rated appliances; and providers of crystal clear, movie-like viewing experiences. The presentation will compare thinness of panels, edge-lighting and energy efficiency, as well as contrast ratios, aspect ratios and the importance of faster refresh rates. As stereoscopic 3D also enters the TV picture in 2010, Mr. Birnbaum will cover how 3D can best be married with 2D to usher in a new dimension in post-HD customer satisfaction.

New White Paper, Google TV - Searching for Success

Google is entering the market for smart TV at a time where there is much indecision about the ideal technology solution. The market is searching for a solution that will benefit the TV manufacturer, content owners, and advertisers.

This new white paper from Parks Associates looks at Google's strategy and the current market conditions for connected CE.

Click here to download.

Intel Keynote to discuss Smart TV at CONNECTIONS Conference

Parks Associates announced Wilfred Martis, General Manager, Retail CE, Digital Home Group, Intel Corporation, will deliver the keynote “Smart TVs: Ready for Primetime” at CONNECTIONS™ on Thursday, June 10, at 9:00 a.m.

In his keynote, Mr. Martis will discuss Smart TV, a new category of CE devices that will offer consumers an entirely new interactive TV experience. He will discuss newly announced Google TV*, based on Android*, Chrome* and the Intel® Atom™ processor CE4100, which is a premier example of a Smart TV experience that seamlessly integrates television, the Internet and personal content with search capabilities and access to virtually unlimited applications.

Mr. Martis will examine the technological, content, and business factors that have aligned to jumpstart today’s Smart TV Era. He will offer a roadmap and highlight the business strategies necessary to succeed in this rapidly moving market, which will start to show winners and losers in less than 18 months.

CONNECTIONS™ features multiple sessions on the design, business, and marketing challenges for connected CE and the growing demand for interactive entertainment. Sessions include industry-leading consumer research and executive analysis to highlight the next opportunities and future business strategies for video technologies and platforms.

For more information, visit www.connectionsus.com.

Service providers must adjust strategies as consumers turn to alternate sources for video & online media

Key industry executives will address recent shifts in consumer video and online viewing habits at CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference & Showcase. These changes in consumer behavior are forcing service providers to expand and enhance their business strategies for connected CE, online video, and other value-added services.

Nearly 20% of U.S. broadband households have a PC-to-TV connection, and the vast majority is using this DIY solution to stream online video.

Over one-half of U.S. households don’t know their broadband speed. Broadband has become a commodity, and service providers are in a position where they have to talk about additional services, including TV Everywhere and tech support. It can be a difficult transition, but they are in an excellent position to leverage their existing customer relationships and take the lead in the digital living ecosystem.

CONNECTIONS™ is the premier event for research and analysis of connected home technologies and digital living solutions, including multiple speakers and attendees representing service providers and their partners.

The conference features sessions on evolving carrier strategies and service and partnership opportunities in response to new consumer behaviors and connected CE:

Expanding Consumers’ Digital Media Choices

Monetizing Connected CE

TV and Online Video Advertising Metrics

Trends in User Interfaces

3DTV

Service Provider Innovation

The Future of the Set-top Box

TV Everywhere and Online Video

For more information about the CONNECTIONS Conference, visit www.connectionsus.com.

ActiveVideo Networks Acquires TAG Networks

ActiveVideo Networks, the global leader in cloud-based interactive television solutions, announced that it has completed an acquisition of TAG Networks, adding the world's most scalable network game platform to its CloudTV interactive streaming platform.

The acquisition extends ActiveVideo’s CloudTV development platform to include games development, a growing and profitable segment of the entertainment market. The combined entity leverages TAG Networks’ successful technology and content portfolio with ActiveVideo’s proven CloudTV to create a powerful and versatile platform that supports both casual and twitch or fast-motion games.

Using TAG’s extensive portfolio of licensed titles, ActiveVideo can enable the development of new revenue streams for cable system operators and the CE industry through the delivery of advertising supported casual games to any digital set-top box or CE device. ActiveVideo, which currently is in approximately 5 million homes, anticipates that the combined benefits of TAG and CloudTV, the addition of compelling new titles and the ultimate introduction of faster-paced games will significantly drive distribution of both services for the foreseeable future.

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

CONNECTIONS™ addresses business strategies and new technologies that leverage consumer interest in TV Everywhere services

Parks Associates reports TV Everywhere services are gaining popularity, with over 40% of U.S. broadband households very positive on these services, which will be a prominent topic at the upcoming CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference and Showcase.

CONNECTIONS™ includes multiple sessions on New Media and Digital Content:

• TV Everywhere and Online Video
• Mobile Internet and Cloud Services
• Trends in User Interfaces
• TV and Online Video Advertising Metrics
• DRM, Conditional Access, and Payment Models

Other Event Sessions:

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

Consumer Electronics

• Design Elements for Connected CE
• Monetizing Connected CE
• The Future of the Set-top Box
• 3DTV
• TV Technology in the New Age of Consumer Buying

Home Systems & Controls

• Residential Energy Management
• Getting Consumers to Care about Home Controls
• Business Models for Energy Management
• Architectures and Implications for the Home Area Network
• Energy Management as a Key Application for Home Controls

For more information, visit www.connectionsus.com or contact sales@parksassociates.com, 972-490-1113.

CONNECTIONS US 2010 Agenda Live

CONNECTIONS: The Digital Living Conference and Showcase, hosted by leading research firm Parks Associates, is the premier executive event focused on the market developments and growth factors for advanced digital lifestyle solutions.

This unique research-driven executive conference and showcase delivers insight and recommendations for new business models and opportunities in digital media/content, connected consumer electronics, broadband and value-added services, and home systems.

To view the CONNECTIONS US 2010 agenda, click here.

"Connected Europe: By the Numbers," follow up from CONN EU Amsterdam

Kurt Scherf, VP of Research and Principal Analyst of Parks Associates presented "Connected Europe: By the Numbers" at the CONNECTIONS Europe Summit held November 4th in Amsterdam.

Kurt discussed the scope of Parks Associates research in the digital home and particularly in Europe. The past 18 – 24 months have brought strong development of connected CE devices such as TVs and Blu-ray players – large percentage of these devices are now connected. The role of the service provider is critical with providing the links to content and serving as gateway to premium content (BBC iPlayer, Verizon’s OTT offerings).

Residential Gateways are becoming increasingly important, with the other 50% of installations featuring an RG. For consumers, advantages are monitoring and basic applications. The presence of an RG rates highly with customer satisfaction with service provider services. Important RG services include the following: support, security, warranty services, and online backup. There are large opportunities for service provides who offer total home network support.

Things to watch in the Connected CE space include: the role of service providers in driving home network architecture; cloud media and home content brought together; design of user interfaces; integration of web services; role of CE companies at offering services; and evolution of content protection.

France Telecom Keynote at CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit to focus on service opportunities in connected devices

Executive Summit features the Roadmap for Connected CE

Parks Associates announced that Pierre François Dubois, Vice President, Very High Broadband and Digital Home Products, Technocentre, France Telecom Group, will present the keynote at CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit on November 4.

Mr. Dubois will discuss the key role of telcos in shaping the future of the Digital Home. He will focus on the new opportunities for Internet service providers developing as a result of the increasing number of connected devices at home.

CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit, titled The Roadmap for Connected Consumer Electronics and hosted by international research firm Parks Associates, will take place in Amsterdam at the Mövenpick Hotel.

Europe is a strong market for connected CE, and service providers continue to be active in enabling advanced services and deploying devices such as hybrid set-tops. The worldwide telco /IPTV subscriber base exceeded 20 million in 2008, and France had over 27% growth in IPTV subscribers. France Telecom has been aggressive in connecting and managing consumer services, and Mr. Dubois’s insight will be invaluable to CONNECTIONS™ Europe attendees.

Summit Speakers
ActiveVideo Europe
Affinegy
Civolution
Eyecon Technologies
Intamac Technologies
Irdeto
Loquendo
Makewave
NDS
NXP Semiconductors
Omnifone
OpenTV
OSGi Alliance
Parks Associates
RedMere
Rovi Corporation
Telcordia
Thinking Screen Media
Thomson
TVBLOB
Verimatrix

Register for CONNECTIONS™ Europe at www.connectionseurope.com.

Key Themes from Broadband World Forum and IBC Conferences

Kurt Scherf recently attended two big shows in Europe - Broadband World Forum and IBC. In the latest issue of Parks Associates’ Europe Research Update Newsletter, he reviews of some of the biggest themes from that trip, many of which will be discussed in depth at CONNECTIONS™ Europe on Nov. 4 in Amsterdam, the Roadmap for Connected CE. Visit www.connectionseurope.com for more information and to register.

An overarching theme from Broadband World Forum was service and device management. Home networks and residential gateways have moved the demarcation point for broadband services further into the home, and service providers need to be able to look deeper into the home with greater granularity to see performance metrics and other data.

At IBC, Kurt focused on the blending of Web and TV services, user interfaces and EPGs, content protection and rights management, and the important elements of 3DTV.

To subscribe - http://www.parksassociates.com/europe/

Connected CE key focus at CONNECTIONS™ Europe

Executive Summit features Parks Associates analysts and industry leaders, November 4 in Amsterdam

Parks Associates announced the speakers for its upcoming CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit, which will detail the Roadmap for Connected CE.

The Summit, hosted by Parks Associates on November 4, 2009, at the Mövenpick Hotel in Amsterdam, will quantify consumer demand and analyze business strategies as Internet-capable devices are added to the network and create new opportunities in sharing content and expanding interactive services.

Connected CE changes the equation for the digital home, creating demand for more Web-based and on-demand content and applications on a variety of platforms. Revenues from online video and on-demand video content will exceed $16 billion in Western Europe by 2013, driven by connected devices and multiscreen content strategies. CONNECTIONS™ Europe explores the business opportunities created by connected products and services, including their impact on consumer expectations and the ripple effect to other devices and systems in the home.

Rob Timmer, Senior Director Net TV, BU TV, Philips Consumer Lifestyle, will deliver the Keynote Address for CONNECTIONS™ Europe.

Confirmed Speakers:
Richard Bullwinkle, Chief Evangelist, Rovi Corporation
Ronald Brockmann, Managing Director, ActiveVideo Europe
Bill Correll, VP, Marketing & Business Development, Eyecon Technologies
Brian Donnelly, VP, Sales & Marketing, Icron Technologies
Matthew Huntington, VP, Product Marketing, OpenTV
Art Lancaster, CTO, Affinegy
Christer Larsson, CEO and Co-founder, Makewave (formerly Gatespace Telematics AB); VP EMEA, OSGi Alliance
Wouter Leibbrandt, Manager, Advanced Systems Lab, NXP Semiconductors
Andy Nobbs, Chief Commercial Officer, Civolution
Kurt Scherf, Vice President, Principal Analyst, Parks Associates
Neerav Shah, VP Business Development, Verimatrix
Stuart Sikes, President, Parks Associates
Peter Smyth, CEO, RedMere
Bill Stanley, Executive Director, Operations Solutions, Telcordia
Frederic Van Durme, Head of Product Management, Thomson
Andrew Wajs, CTO, Irdeto Group, Irdeto/Cloakware

Summit Sessions
Connected Europe: Trends and Numbers
Defining the New Video Experience
Evolution of the “Digital Furnace”: Residential Gateways and Set-top Boxes
Business Models for On-Demand Lifestyles
Enabling Technologies: Connecting It All
Wrapping It Up – Predictions for the Next Five Years

CONNECTIONS™ Global Sponsors are HD-PLC Alliance, DSC, NXP, Radialpoint, Rovi, ActiveVideo Networks, Affinegy, Icron, Irdeto, ProVision Communications, Telcordia, and Zilog. CONNECTIONS™ Europe Advisory Sponsors are Eyecon Technologies and CONNECTIONS™ Premier Sponsor RedMere.

Register at www.connectionseurope.com.