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

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.

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.

TiVo, YouTube, Cisco address Online Content and Consumer Electronics

Following AT&T’s opening Keynote by Glenn Lurie, the opening session at CONNECTIONS™ - The Marriage of Online Video to CE features the following speakers:

• Tara Maitra, VP, General Manager, Content Services & Ad Sales, TiVo
• Brent Hurley, Strategic Partner Development Manager, YouTube
• Ken Wirt, VP Consumer Marketing, Cisco Systems

This panel discusses how consumer electronics companies and content providers are working together to deliver new video experiences to end users, with analysis of early deployments, current business models, and future services.