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.

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.

Samsung keynote at CONNECTIONS™ explores future of LCD technology and 3D TV

Parks Associates announced Scott Birnbaum, Vice President, Samsung LCD Group, will deliver the morning keynote, “TV Technology in the New Age of Consumer Buying,” at CONNECTIONS™ on June 9, 2010.

CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference and Showcase, in its 14th year, will take place June 8-10, 2010, at the Santa Clara Convention Center. CONNECTIONS™ is the premier event for research and analysis of connected home technologies and digital living solutions, with over 600 executives attending each year.

Mr. Birnbaum will speak at 10:00 a.m., June 9, on the future of LCD technology, the accelerated movement toward a 16:9 aspect ratio, and the prognosis for 3D in the home. He will explore the implications for TV design and manufacturing as consumers demand thin, energy-efficient form factors that provide crystal-clear, movie-like experiences.

He will also discuss the need for easy-to-understand data so consumers can understand and make informed choices about thinness, backlighting, energy consumption, contrast and aspect ratios, and refresh rates.

CONNECTIONS™ features multiple sessions on next-generation video services and the growing demand for interactive entertainment, including 3D and connected TV, personalization of applications, Internet video, and mobile applications. Sessions include industry-leading consumer research and executive analysis to highlight the next opportunities and future business strategies for video technologies and platforms, multiscreen experiences, and value-added services.

Digital Living Conference & Showcase features keynotes from Sony Pictures, Samsung, Sony Electronics

Parks Associates announced the preliminary agenda for CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference and Showcase, which will address the future of digital entertainment and connected CE with keynotes from Sony and Samsung. In addition to the focus on digital content and new service offerings for consumers, the three-day event will feature research presentations and speaker panels on support services, DRM, energy management and controls, advertising, and mobile applications and services.

CONNECTIONS™, in its 14th year, will take place June 8-10 at the Santa Clara Convention Center and is the premier event for research and analysis on connected home technologies and digital living solutions. CONNECTIONS™ attracts over 600 executives in the connected home industries and is the only event that addresses developments within each industry sector while also focusing on the impact and opportunities for convergence across industries.

Keynotes include:

· Scott Birnbaum, Vice President, Samsung LCD Group

· Mitch Singer, CTO, Sony Pictures Entertainment; President, DECE

For more information, visit www.connectionsus.com.

CONNECTIONS Europe features Technicolor keynote & executives from ADB, HbbTV, IBM, NDS, Omniphone, OpenTV and more

The speakers for CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit: Monetizing Connectivity and User Experiences, announced today by Parks Associates, offer unique executive insight into business strategies for digital content, value-added services, connected CE, and advanced video devices and services. International research firm Parks Associates will host the Summit on April 27, 2010, at the Mövenpick Hotel in Amsterdam.

Benoit Joly, Vice-President, Home Network & Applications, Technicolor, will present the opening keynote. Other speakers:

-- Jonathan Beavon, Director, Segment Marketing, NDS

-- Paul Bristow, VP Strategy, Middleware & Consumer Experience, ADB (Advanced Digital Broadcast)

-- Ronald Brockmann, Managing Director, Europe, ActiveVideo Networks

-- Rob van den Dam, Global Telecom Sector leader IBV, IBM

-- Klaus Illgner-Fehns, Managing Director, HbbTV

-- Trond Neergaard, Founder and Managing Partner, Cloudberry Associates

-- Steve Oetegenn, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Verimatrix

-- Rolf Uwe Placzek, CEO, Acetrax

-- Kurt Scherf, VP, Principal Analyst, Parks Associates

-- Stuart Sikes, President, Parks Associates

-- Andrew Wajs, CTO, Irdeto

-- Olivier Wellmann, VP, Product Management, OpenTV

-- Speaker TBA, Omnifone

For information or to register, visit http://www.connectionseurope.com.

New Keynote Announced, CONNECTIONS US

Scott Birnbaum, Vice President, Samsung LCD Group will be one of the keynote speakers at the upcoming CONNECTIONS: The Digital Living Conference and Showcase.

Scott's presentation, "TV Technology in the New Age of Consumer Buying," will occur on June 9th at the Santa Clara Convention Center.

Scott Birnbaum is vice president of the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) Business at Samsung Semiconductor, Inc., responsible for sales operations throughout the Americas. In this capacity, he focuses on working closely with customers to develop new applications for LCDs, while building strategic OEM relationships in the TV, PC monitor, notebook and cellular phone sectors.

Birnbaum brings with him a thorough “hands on” understanding of all aspects of the electronics value chain, leveraging more than 20 years of leadership in sales, marketing and operational management roles within the LCD, semiconductor, electronic manufacturing services and distribution industries.

Register before April 15th to receive early bird pricing.

Orange VP delivers Keynote at CONNECTIONS Europe Nov '09

Pierre François Dubois, Vice President, Very High Broadband and Digital Home Products, Technocentre, Orange presented the keynote presentation at the CONNECTIONS Europe Summit held November 4, 2009 in Amsterdam.

They not only provide the customers with broadband and other services, they have offers for the connected home. They have invested massively in LivePlug and Wi-Fi. In addition, they have invested in specific devices – Liveradio (access to more than 4,000 Web radio stations), digital photo frame, and partnership with La Cie on NAS device. Unik relies on UMA solution that enables handover from mobile and GSM. It was in 2005, a growth milestone, where the triple-play offer was the flagship offer. There is opportunity for Orange to increase its share of households budget in multimedia and IT, which is becoming more and more digital.

What are Orange customers willing to pay for in terms of additional services? Customers’ expectations have moved. The perceived value is moving from access to terminals. From demand for services to demand for fewer boxes, connection of all screens, share emotions and content with friends. Customers want to keep it simple and reliable and customer care is key.

The Digital Home is about how to give access to content and applications to individuals through available screens. Today, triple-play includes one room, one device, and one function. The Digital Home includes content and applications that can follow one at home and away and be instantiated on any available screen. The industry is moving to fulfill these expectations: connected devices opportunities from flat screen HDTV to Connected TV and application stores and user interfaces.

In conclusion, Orange believes that technology has to fade behind services, for the benefit of everyone. They are working to provide new packages for the digital home. Residential gateways operated by telcos are the cornerstone to provide customers with a seamless and full experience of the digital home.

CONNECTIONS Europe announces new keynote, France Telecom

Pierre François Dubois, Vice President, Very High Broadband and Digital Home Products, Technocentre, France Telecom Group will present the keynote presentation at the CONNECTIONS Europe Summit on November 4th in Amsterdam.

Pierre François Dubois started as an R&D engineer working on Intelligent Networks and Network Operations. He then held different management positions inside the Orange Group, mostly in sales and marketing. He was Marketing Director for Triple Play offers on ADSL for Orange France between 2006 and 2008. He is now responsible, for the France Telecom Group, of the strategy and development of products related to very high broadband and the digital home.

To view the CONNECTIONS Europe agenda, click here.

European share of worldwide connected CE market approximately 40%

CONNECTIONS Europe to address connectivity, convergence as sales of connected consumer electronics double between 2009 and 2013--

CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit released the preliminary agenda for its upcoming executive conference, November 4, 2009, which will feature consumer research and expert analysis on the role of connected consumer electronics (CE) and related services in the connected home ecosystem.

The event, titled The Roadmap for Connected Consumer Electronics and hosted by international research firm Parks Associates, will take place in Amsterdam at the Mövenpick Hotel. The Summit features insight into European and global consumer markets from expert analysts and high-level executives representing the top international players in the markets for advanced digital products and services.

The sale and installation of home network-enabled consumer electronics products will more than double between 2009 and 2013 to more than 100 million units annually. The European market will be particularly strong in such categories as connected TVs, game consoles, Blu-ray players, network-attached storage, alternative set-top boxes, and whole-home DVRs. Sales and installations of such products in Europe will grow from 20 million units in 2009 to almost 40 million by 2013.

CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit will quantify demand and address the challenges and opportunities created as these Internet-capable devices are added the network in order to share content and expand interactive services. Rob Timmer, Senior Director Net TV, BU TV, Philips Consumer Lifestyle, will deliver the event’s Keynote Address.

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

Deadline for speaker submissions is August 28, 2009.

Visit http://www.connectionseurope.com/ to submit or to register for the event.

CONNECTIONS™ Europe to discuss implications, strategies as digital TV subscribers to exceed 650 million worldwide by 2013

Parks Associates announced the topics for CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit, taking place November 4, 2009, in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Summit, hosted by international research firm Parks Associates, features executive insight and worldwide consumer and industry research for broadband and value-added services, connected CE, digital content, and IPTV.

CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit, hosted at the Mövenpick Hotel Amsterdam City Centre, also features keynote speaker Rob Timmer, Senior Director Net TV, BU TV, Philips Consumer Lifestyle.

Over 650 million households worldwide will have digital television service by 2013. The population of online video viewers is 44% higher in Western Europe than in the U.S., so European service providers and CE companies will be particularly active in deploying converged services that blend interactive features with traditional entertainment and communication applications.

CONNECTIONS™ Europe Session Topics:
• Opportunities in digital home tech services
• The influence and ARPU of value-added services
• Evolving role of residential gateways
• Impact of online video on video devices and entertainment platforms
• Next-generation applications for television, digital media services, and advanced video

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

CONNECTIONS™ Europe is accepting speaker proposals until August 15, 2009. Visit http://www.connectionseurope.com for sponsorship information, to submit a speaking proposal, and to download the free white paper IPTV and the Digital Home.

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™ features Connected CE track and Keynote from DECE and Sony Pictures

Expanding Connectivity to devices creating new markets for home systems & CE --

Parks Associates has announced the speakers, including the Keynote from Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) and Sony Pictures Entertainment, as part of the connected CE focus at CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference & Showcase. The event will be held June 2-4 at the Santa Clara Convention Center and features a track of sessions that examines the impact and business opportunities from adding Internet connectivity to devices such as TVs, mobile phones, and portable devices.

Mitch Singer, CTO and Executive Vice President of New Media and Technology for Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc., and President of DECE, will present the closing keynote Entertainment 2.0: The Future of Entertainment on Wednesday, June 3. Mr. Singer’s presentation focuses on DECE’s efforts to reshape digital distribution, from enhancing the consumer experience to lowering barriers of entry for service providers. Mr. Singer also focuses on the requirements of the “Millennial” generation (consumers ages 13-32) and how they are driving the need to develop more portable and mobile content access solutions.

CONNECTIONS™ sessions in the Connected CE track on June 3 will focus on the impact of new technology and user interfaces for connected consumer electronics.

Extending the Reach of Wired Networks and Interfaces examines the technologies connecting products to services in and outside of the home. Speakers include:

Chenyi Chiu, Strategic Program Manager, HD-PLC Alliance
Brian Donnelly, VP, Sales and Marketing, Icron
Micha Risling, VP, Marketing, Valens Semiconductor
Steve Yum, Sr. Director, Marketing, Synerchip

Bringing “Cloud Media” to Consumer Electronics Devices focuses on the core technology components and new business models in expanding connections between CE and the Internet. Speakers include:

Meir Friedlander, CEO, Eyecon Technologies
Michael Lantz, CEO, Accedo Broadband
Alex Limberis, COO, Syabas Technology
Loren Shade, VP Marketing, Allegro Software Development Corporation

For more information on CONNECTIONS™, visit http://www.connectionsconference.com/ .

New Austin Energy Keynote Announced

Parks Associates & the CONNECTIONS Conference welcomes a new keynote speaker, Andres E. Carvallo, the Chief Information Officer of Austin Energy. Andres will deliver the opening keynote address "Building the Smart Grid" at 10 AM on Thursday, June 4th.

Andres is responsible for the technology vision, planning, development and operations across the enterprise. Since February of 2003, Andres has been driving a wireless and SOA transformation to deliver a fully-integrated and self-healing enterprise. The current direction for the company is to deliver the first smart grid in the US by 2009.

Andres is a requested speaker on CleanTech, Smart Grid, SOA, Wireless, and Running IT as a Business. He is co-author of Information Technology Leadership and CTO Best Practices Collection. And he is an honoree to many awards, including IT Executive of the Year by the Association of Information Technology Professionals in 2005, Premier 100 IT Leader by Computerworld in 2006, Best in Class of Premier 100 by Computerworld in 2006, CIO 100 Award by CIO Magazine in 2006, InformationWeek 500 by InformationWeek Magazine in 2007 and 2008, Computerworld’s Top 12 Green IT Companies in 2008 and 2009, and Computerworld Honors Laureate in 2009.

Andres has over 23 years of experience and great knowledge of the Energy, Software, Computer, and Wireless industries.

Opening sessions feature TiVo, YouTube, Cisco, IBM, Yahoo!, VIZIO, AnySource

CONNECTIONS™ to address business strategies for Premium Web Video Content and Connected TV --

Parks Associates announced the speakers for two key sessions, The Marriage of Online Video to CE and Connected TV Strategies, at CONNECTIONS™, June 2-4, at the Santa Clara Convention Center. These sessions address the impact of bringing Web video content to connected TVs and the new business models emerging from manufacturers and content providers as more CE gain enhanced Internet capabilities.

The Marriage of Online Video to CE takes place Tuesday, June 2, 5:15 p.m., following the opening keynote Embedding Wireless in Consumer Electronics, by Glenn Lurie, President of Emerging Devices and Resale, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets.

Speakers for this session:
>> Jim Denney, VP, Product Marketing, TiVo Inc.
>> Brent Hurley, Strategic Partner Development Manager, YouTube
>> Ken Wirt, VP, Consumer Marketing, Cisco Systems

Connected TV Strategies takes place Wednesday, June 3, 9 a.m. It addresses business plans, new revenues models, and marketing strategies for CE manufacturers selling advanced televisions. Following this session, Joseph Ambeault, Director, Product Development and Management, Video Services, Verizon, will present the morning keynote.

Speakers for this session:
>> Bruce Anderson, GM, IBM
>> Mike Harris, CEO, AnySource
>> Matthew McRae, VP, GM, Advanced Platforms, VIZIO
>> Russ Schafer, Sr. Director, Product Marketing, Connected TV, Yahoo!

Parks Associates forecasts that by 2013, worldwide annual sales of connected CE will exceed 100 million units, while cable and IPTV VoD service revenues will reach $11 billion.

To view the full press release, click here.

CONNECTIONS™ announces AT&T keynote focused on future role of wireless technologies in consumer electronics

AT&T’s Glenn Lurie to discuss strategies and benefits of embedding wireless capabilities into new categories of mobile devices --

Parks Associates announced that Glenn Lurie, President, Emerging Devices and Resale, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, will deliver the opening keynote for CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference and Showcase.

Mr. Lurie will present the opening keynote “Embedding Wireless in Consumer Electronics” on June 2 at 4:30 p.m. He will discuss the role of wireless capabilities in emerging devices and how consumers will use wirelessly enabled devices to stay connected with each other and with the content and services they desire.

Lurie leads AT&T’s strategic initiative to drive innovation in bringing wireless connectivity to a host of new consumer electronics devices and applications — including personal computers, Internet devices, in-car entertainment and navigation systems, cameras, and machine-to-machine communications solutions.

To read the full press release, click here.

AT&T and Verizon to Keynote at CONNECTIONS™ Conference

CONNECTIONS™ features Parks Associates research and analysis on Networked Devices, Digital Content, and New Services --

Parks Associates announced CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference & Showcase will feature keynotes from AT&T and Verizon executives on topics including wireless connectivity and entertainment services in the home. CONNECTIONS™ tracks developments, trends, and opportunities in the four key areas Communications & Entertainment Services, New Media and Digital Content, Home Systems, and Consumer Electronics.

The event will take place June 2-4, 2009, at the Santa Clara Convention Center. Glenn Lurie, President of Emerging Devices and Resale, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, will present the opening Keynote on June 2. Joseph Ambeault, Director, Product Development and Management, Video Services, Verizon, will present the morning Keynote on June 3.

CONNECTIONS™ includes interactive panels with over 80 speakers, moderated by Parks Associates’ expert analysts and featuring the latest research on converging content, services, and hardware. The white paper The Future of Networked Devices and Digital Content highlights the key areas covered by the event tracks, including trends impacting all industry players:

• Commoditization of voice and bandwidth
• Growth of bundled services
• Growth of over-the-top service providers
• Convergence of platforms and networks

CONNECTIONS™ Sponsors include PUCC, PlumChoice, Allegro, Control4, the DiiVA Consortium, SingleClick Systems, support.com, Syabas Technology, and Valens Semiconductor. CONNECTIONS™ Global Sponsors include ActiveVideo Networks, Affinegy, DSC, HD-PLC Alliance, Icron, Irdeto, Macrovision, MoCA, ProVision Communications, Radialpoint, Telcordia, and Zilog.

Pre-show Summit at CONNECTIONS™ addresses market challenges for service providers

Pivot Media to host Pre-show Telecom Executive Summit--

Parks Associates today announced telecom consulting firm Pivot Media will host a pre-show event Telecom Executive Summit@CONNECTIONS: Digital DNA for Service Providers on the first day of CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference and Showcase.

CONNECTIONS™, hosted by Parks Associates, will take place June 2-4, 2009, at the Santa Clara Convention Center. This executive conference and showcase attracts senior executives from all industries associated with the digital home, new media and content distribution, and mobile applications and services.

The summit will be hosted on June 2, prior to the CONNECTIONS™ opening keynote from Glenn Lurie, President, Emerging Devices and Resale, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. Now that Supercomm is delayed until October 2009, this year’s CONNECTIONS™ event provides an excellent opportunity for telecom executives to gather in early Summer and chart a future course for the rest of the year and beyond.

Pivot Media’s Telecom Executive Summit will feature executives from leading telecom carriers. Session topics include experiences in the digital transition, the challenges in becoming a content provider, the applications key to success, and opportunities in the digital home for improving customer relations and growing ARPU.

Pivot Media’s areas of focus include the independent telecom sector, broadband, IP convergence, IPTV, digital media, and broadband wireless. Pivot Media leverages its telecom industry research, analysis, and knowledge base to help clients recognize and maximize business opportunities.

For more information on CONNECTIONS™ and the Pivot Media Telecom Executive Summit, visit www.connectionsconference.com and www.pivot-media.com.

Over 100 million households worldwide to have telco IPTV services by 2013

Microsoft keynote to address Customer Service and IPTV at CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit--

Parks Associates today welcomed Roger Pitton, Program Director, TV, Video & Music Business, Microsoft Corporation, as the Keynote speaker for CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit, taking place March 31, in Nice, France.

The worldwide market for telco IPTV services will exceed 100 million households by 2013, a CAGR of approximately 38%, according to international research firm Parks Associates. Mr. Pitton’s keynote “IPTV and the keys to keeping customers” will address the best business strategies to gain and retain customers in the highly competitive European market for these services.

CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit, hosted by Parks Associates, will take place at the Hotel Palais de La Mediterranee. It has a full agenda featuring consumer data and expert analysis on advanced video solutions, digital media solutions, and connected consumer electronics.

Mr. Pitton has several years of firsthand experience in marketing and selling IPTV services. In his keynote, he will specify the keys to differentiation, including unique content, an unmatched user experience, and the convergence of technology and content, required for sustaining success.

“Europe will have over 38 million households with telco IPTV services by 2013, but the market will be characterized not by its homogeneity but by differences in programming, interactive applications, and value-added features,” said Kurt Scherf, vice president, principal analyst, Parks Associates. “Microsoft’s global reach and its expertise in software make it a key player in delivering next-generation television services, and we are pleased to have Roger at CONNECTIONS™ Europe.”

CONNECTIONS™ Europe Summit Sessions:

European Consumer Trends
Broadband and Value-added Services
Video Services
Digital Media Content & Delivery
Connected CE
Digital Home Tech Support

Event sponsors include Affinegy, Enure Networks, and HomeGrid Forum. Global Sponsors include ActiveVideo Networks, Affinegy, Cloakware, DSC, HD-PLC Alliance, Icron, Macrovision, MoCA, ProVision Communications, Radialpoint, Telcordia, and Zilog.

CONNECTIONS™ 2008 to Feature Keynote Address by HP PSG Chief Technology Officer Phil McKinney

HP Executive to Address Technology Innovation and Future of Content Consumption

Parks Associates and CEA® announced that Phil McKinney, vice president and chief technology officer of the Personal Systems Group at HP, will present the opening visionary keynote at CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference & Showcase.

McKinney will address conference attendees at 4:30 p.m. on the first day of the event, which will take place June 24-26 at the Santa Clara Convention Center. The keynote address is titled “20 Years into the Future” and will discuss the technological innovations that will define the media and entertainment landscape over the next two decades, as well as what issues businesses and consumers can expect as the physical and virtual worlds collide.

“The world of media and entertainment continues to undergo radical change, and will continue to do so over the next 20 years,” said Phil McKinney. “As people adjust to a world of always-on connectivity, and ubiquitous and personal content and devices, it is important to understand the challenges that will arise and what businesses are doing to help consumers respond to them.”

The CONNECTIONS™ executive conference and showcase provides high-level research, knowledge, and analysis to 800+ executives on the converging consumer technology and service industries. It provides the ideal venue to learn, network, share ideas, and gain a greater understanding of new business models, industry trends, and market forecasts.

Cisco CIO, Rebecca Jacoby to Share Vision of Next-Generation Customer Experience at CONNECTIONS™

Parks Associates and CEA® today welcomed Rebecca Jacoby, Sr. VP & CIO, Cisco Systems, Inc., who will deliver the opening keynote at CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference and Showcase on June 25, 2008.

Ms. Jacoby will present “The Next Generation Customer Experience: a CIO’s Perspective” at 10:00 a.m. on June 25. Today’s business environment requires a transformation in the way we bring together the business and technology architectures. She will discuss the new opportunities inherent in new technologies that will aid in the acceleration of this transformation. The keys to success include the ability to deliver productivity, an improved experience, and expansive growth.

“Total U.S. consumer spending for home technical support services will reach nearly $1 billion by the end of 2011,” said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst, Parks Associates. “This is a critical growth area for the digital living markets, and with the benefit of Rebecca Jacoby's leadership vision, CONNECTIONS™ will explore in depth the issues relevant to this sector.”

Additional CONNECTIONS™ sessions on this topic include:
• Metcalfe’s Law or Murphy’s Law? Customer Support for the Digital Home
• Customer Experience Management Success Stories for Digital Lifestyle End User Support, hosted by Peak8 Solutions