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.

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

International research firm announces agenda for Amsterdam executive summit

Parks Associates announced the agenda for CONNECTIONS™ Europe: Monetizing Connectivity and User Experiences, which the international research firm will host on April 27, 2010, in Amsterdam.

CONNECTIONS™ Europe is the leading executive summit featuring European and international consumer research, top executives, and innovative companies in the digital living markets. The summit will examine business models and challenges related to digital media, including the potential of 3D video in the home, the role of value-added services in building ARPU, monetization of over-the-top content, and the challenge of pushing content to multiple connected CE, including smartphones and other mobile devices.

The preliminary agenda for CONNECTIONS™ Europe features the following sessions:
-- Bringing the Content
-- Extending the Video Experience to Multiple Screens
-- Controlling the Experience
-- Value-added Services & the Video Ecosystem
-- Mobile Video: The Cloud, the App Store & the Connected Home

CONNECTIONS™ Europe will feature Parks Associates’ expert consumer and industry research, with the company’s analysts presenting data from consumer research projects including All Eyes on Video, Consumer Decision Process, Residential Energy Management, and Digital Media Evolution.

Early sponsors for CONNECTIONS™ Europe, also members of Parks Associates’ Premier Program, include ActiveVideo Networks and PacketVideo. Visit www.parkspremier.com for more information on the Premier Program.

Visit www.connectionseurope.com for more information about CONNECTIONS™ Europe. The deadline for speaker submissions is March 1, 2010.