Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

Smart Home of the Future Is Here; Why Aren't People Buying In?

What will convince consumers that a connected home is worth the cost and effort? Device makers hope to sell the idea that a connected home is not just safer, but also saves money and is ultra-convenient.

Smart home devices must automate daily mundane tasks so the homeowner doesn't have to worry about them, said Stuart Sikes, president of the research firm Parks Associates.

"We're moving to a place where we have proactive home managers, devices that turn off the water and notify you after the fact that you've had a leak, the water's been shut off, can I do anything else for you?" said Stuart Sikes, president of the research firm Parks Associates. "That is a true smart home."

Take Google's Nest Learning Thermostat, for example, which costs $249. Manufacturers claim the gadget saves an average of $131 to $145 a year in heating and cooling bills. But a smart system could add to those savings by telling the blinds on the home's western windows to automatically close at 5 p.m. to block the sun.

From the article "Smart Home of the Future Is Here; Why Aren't People Buying In?" by Benny Evangelista.

Previously In The News

The probability of success for ESPN+

Parks Associates analyst Brett Sappington agreed that it will be compelling for some customers, particularly due to content that won’t be available elsewhere like MLS games and some of the college spo...

Synamedia sees pay TV driving growth for 3-4 years before IPO

Media research firm Magrid has found that 26% of millennials share passwords for video streaming services, while Parks Associates predicts that in 2021, $9.9 billion of pay-TV revenues and $1.2 billio...

DirecTV Now to hike prices as content fees rise across industry

Brett Sappington, director of research at Parks Associates, said price increases are a leading reason why viewers cancel subscriptions. “Customers don’t like surprises that hurt their pocketbook,”...

How to tell who’s winning — and who’s losing — the streaming wars

Most companies don’t disclose quarterly churn rates, though third-party organizations such as The NPD Group and Parks Associates track cancellations through research and surveys. Data from analytics f...