Connected lifestyle management services: Affinegy

Why it's Fierce: Affinegy developed a suite of software applications, the DigiDo Platform, that move across the service provider's customer care center, business office and into consumer homes to enable and manage a number of connected devices and help the operators keep track of what's going on through the widely connected portions of their networks.

In short, the technology is on hand to help operators exploit accelerating IP convergence trends by delivering real-time information about customer networks that can be used by care agents to understand and solve individual and network problems.

The software received an endorsement from Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst of Parks Associates who pointed out that "assistance with home technologies, including PCs, home networks and AV equipment is the top value-added service that a broadband provider can delver."

To read the full article, please click here.

Convergence of Content, Platforms, + Entertainment among the Key Themes at CONNECTIONS U.S. 2011

Parks Associates announced the topics and the call for speaker submissions for the 15th annual CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference & Showcase. The international research firm will host the executive conference on June 28-30, 2011, at the Santa Clara Convention Center.

The CONNECTIONS™ audience includes over 550 executives, media, and thought leaders gathered to discuss the future of the digital lifestyle, network with partners in the digital living markets, and examine ideas, technologies, and business issues critical to the converging entertainment, media, and service markets for consumers.

Parks Associates is accepting speaker submissions in five core areas:

Entertainment Platforms & Value-Added Services
Customer and Technical Support
Service and Device Management
Set-top Boxes and Residential Gateways
Applications as Drivers
Broadband Value-added Services
New Roles and Functions for Devices
Virtualized Services and Applications/Software
Digital Music “Cloud Locker” Services
Internet TV Services
Video-on-demand

Mobile
Mobile Entertainment
Encoders and Content Management for Mobile Video
Mobile Internet Devices
Smartphones
Web Devices and the Cloud
Convergence in Voice Services: FMC/Femotcell/Voice beyond Commodity

New Media and Digital Content
Social Media
Content Management: DRM
Emerging Business Models for Digital Media Monetization
TV Advertising Technologies
Contextual and Behavioral Ad Targeting
Online Video
Publishing Content for Three Screens
Cloud Encoding
Content Storage

Consumer Electronics
Connected TVs
3DTV
Home Networking Requirements
Gaming
Retail Experience
User Interfaces
Shifting Content

Home Systems & Controls
Home Area Network
Service Providers - Home Management and Controls
Appliances & Smarter Energy Management
Wireless and Powerline Controls
Entertainment Networks & High-end Media Servers

CONNECTIONS™ panelists present information and analysis with content including new business models, technology trends, case studies, challenges/opportunities, standards/interoperability issues, and consumer research. CONNECTIONS™ runs multiple tracks focused on targeted topics so that the event maintains its unique perspective on current Digital Living areas while looking forward to the next wave of innovation and consumer adoption.

For more information, visit www.connectionsconference.com .

Technicolor, the first company to deliver 100 million gateways

Technicolor announced that it has achieved the major milestone of 100 million gateways delivered worldwide, out of 500 million broadband connections deployed in households and businesses globally. Technicolor has maintained #1 worldwide position for the last 10 years, and has delivered over 10 million gateways a year since 2005.

The 25 million mark was passed in December 2004, and it only took two years to double, reaching the 50 million threshold in January 2007. It has subsequently taken three years to double it again.

As a member of the Broadband Forum, Technicolor has significantly contributed to the standardisation in DSL and more specifically to reduce the total cost of deployment and ownership of broadband solutions by enhancing CPE remote management capabilities and improving the access products’ life cycle.

For the full press release, please click here.

Alcatel-Lucent, ng Connect, Ruckus Wireless, and Vidiator to discuss mobile apps and revenue opportunities at CONNECTIONS™ Europe

Executives from Alcatel-Lucent, ng Connect, Ruckus Wireless, and Vidiator will discuss new mobile broadband strategies, including ways to contend with declining voice revenues, at a special CONNECTIONS Europe session on November 15. Applications such as messaging, social networking, and multimedia are initial revenue opportunities, and once the smartphone reaches into the home network, operators can extend services to include remote access, place-shifting content, and remote home monitoring.

Parks Associates details the challenges for mobile operators, including market oversaturation and diverse user populations, in the new white paper “European Mobile Market: Beyond Price-based Strategies.” The firm illustrates the necessity of data services for mobile operators in order to compensate for the drop in voice revenues. By 2014, data will account for over 46% of mobile service revenues in Western European countries.

Parks Associates President, Stuart Sikes will moderate the session “Mobile Broadband: Devices, Strategies, and Consumer Demand,” November 15 at 2:30 p.m. This interactive session includes the following participants:

-- Andrew Bielinksi, Technical Sales Manager, Vidiator
-- Laureen Cook, Vice President, 4G/LTE Strategy - Emerging Technology and Media Group, ng Connect
-- Steven Glapa, Director, Business Development, Carrier Networks, Ruckus Wireless
-- Yves Tjoens, VP Head of Product - Motive, Alcatel-Lucent

Content disputes mar Google TV’s launch, keep things even with Apple TV

Just as the first Google TV devices became available last week, Hulu said that it would block access to its site from Google TV-enabled devices. Now, major TV networks ABC, NBC and CBS are saying they will block access, too, at least to most of their content.

Networks don’t see enough of a payoff and don’t feel that Google is guaranteeing enough content protection. Could these blocks actually level the playing field between Google TV and Apple TV, which has been roundly criticized for its lack of content partnerships?

Apple has the most to gain in this scenario because they can at least say that it has content from ABC and Fox. Some observers of the initial Apple TV revamp announcement found the platform to be limited by a lack of content partnerships, but Google may be even more limited—at least in terms of the traditional TV content it can offer—if it doesn’t resolve these disputes.

For the full article, click here.