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 Europe Summit Series is Now Accepting Speaker Submissions

The CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit Series is now accepting speaker submissions for the May 19th summit accompanying the TM Forum's Management World 2008 in Nice, France.

For all those interested in speaking at the CONNECTIONS Europe Summit France event, please complete the Call for Papers submission form: http://www.parksassociates.com/events/europe/2008/may20/call-for-papers.htm

The agenda sessions topics include the following: Digital Lifestyles: Building the European and Global Business Cases, IPTV and Television 2.0, Differentiating Video Services in a Hyper-competitive Market, Broadband, Value-added Services, and the Bundle, Adding Value to Access Services: Connectivity, Content, and the Customer, Which Connections Matter?, Connected Home and Device Management, Surrounding the Digital Home with Support, The Role of Customer Support in the Digital Home, and Consumers and Digital Media.

The second CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit will take place August 29, 2008, in Berlin, Germany.

CONNECTIONS™ Europe: Strategies for Digital Living Markets summits are produced by Parks Associates in partnership with the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA®). These one-day summits provide attendees with high-level analysis and consumer research from Parks Associates, networking opportunities, and information on emerging residential and mobile technologies and services. These focused events provide a forum where executives can present and learn about vital international trends, successful strategies, and key players in the development of digital living technologies. http://www.connectionseurope.com/

Delighting the Consumer: Exceeding Expectations for Digital Lifestyles Enhancement

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

Delighting the Consumer: Exceeding Expectations for Digital Lifestyles Enhancement

This panel brings together companies that are leveraging consumer research, marketing prowess, and technical expertise to create new applications, services, and devices for end users to enjoy. They will discuss key steps in developing digital lifestyles solutions, from concept to the store shelf.

Ted Feldman, President/Founder, Neosonik
Hestia Lei, Executive Director, U-verse Member Marketing & Programmer Management, AT&T, Inc.
Joe Menard, Corporate Vice President, Consumer Business, AMD, Inc.
Moderator: John Barrett, Director, Research, Parks Associates

Hestia Lei spoke about AT&T’s rollout of its U-verse television services. The service is now available in 18 markets, with a total of 20,000 subscribers, and key features include a picture-in-picture feature that works with any television because it is a tunerless solution. She also noted that the U-verse solution allows for up to four streams to be recorded on the DVR, a significant difference between the AT&T service and other television services. Lei said that the marketing for U-verse has also been unique in that they are leveraging in-home demonstrations with good success. Whereas a satellite marketing effort (in-store, for example) requires on average 2.5 visits to get a customer to subscribe, AT&T is getting subscribers “on the spot.” AT&T is also looking to strengthen its U-verse community of subscribers via a magazine and a special Website.

Joe Menard began his presentation by noting that today’s bandwidth is currently a “non-delightful experience” for consumers. He called for further improvement in in-home connectivity by developing simple solutions that are truly plug-and-play. This improvement, he said, will require open standards. His call to the industry for delighting the consumer includes five key mantras:

• Things should work as promised;
• Premium content should be made easily available;
• Bandwidth needs to be improved;
• The network should have a focus of quality-of-service; and
• The solutions should be easy to understand and buy.

Ted Feldman from Neosnik said that one key consumer desire is ease-of-installation and use with such solutions as home theater and multiroom audio. Retailers and dealers are constantly turning away customers who simply want wireless speakers for their video and audio entertainment purposes at home. Up till now, he said, these solutions simply haven’t been available. However, his company has developed a wireless speaker system that has solved the critical engineering issues in order to assure an excellent sound experience. Ensuring the transmission of audio at just the right amount of time (with the minimum of delay) is absolutely essential to guaranteeing that the solution meets customers’ expectations.