Over 80% of Spanish Broadband Households Experience Problems With Connected Devices

DALLAS, TX--(Marketwired - Nov 6, 2014) - New international research from Parks Associates finds over 80% of Spanish broadband households regularly experience problems with their connected devices such as PCs, home networks, smartphones, and tablets. Common problems include viruses, malware, and the resulting poor performance of the device. By comparison, 70% of German and U.K. broadband households and only 57% of U.S. broadband households report having problems with their connected devices.

"With so many households across Europe and the United States experiencing problems with connected home products, consumer frustration is high, but it hasn't yet translated into sustained demand for paid tech support services," said Patrice Samuels, Research Analyst, Parks Associates, and author of the firm's research report Tech Support: International Market Opportunities. "Roughly one-third of broadband households in the U.K., Spain, and Germany still prefer to fix tech issues on their own. There is a large base of consumers willing to pay for antivirus support, though, so this solution would be the best entry point for tech support companies."

Parks Associates is hosting two executives conferences, which will address the evolution of premium tech support in the U.S. and Europe, including key strategies for success in these different markets:

• CONNECTIONS™ Europe: Monetizing Strategies for the Connected Home, 18-19 November in Amsterdam, will host executives from Alcatel-Lucent, Axiros, iYogi, and Sutherland Global Services during the session "Consumer Tech Support in the Smart Home. " 
• CONNECTIONS™ Summit at CES, January 6 in Las Vegas, will feature the session "Consumer Support in the Internet of Things" with executives from CSS Corp., PlumChoice, Support.com, and Sutherland Global Services.
  
  

Parks Associates tech support data:

• The number of consumers paying for one-time support services in the U.K. has increased significantly, from only 2% of broadband households in 2012 to 10% in 2014.
• Approximately 20% of British and Spanish consumers show high interest in most technical support service features, but a significantly smaller percentage are willing to pay £9.99, or EUR9.99, for a subscription support service. Even fewer consumers are willing to pay for these services at higher prices.
• The average Spanish broadband household plans to purchase four new CE devices over the next 12 months. Broadband households in Germany plan to purchase 3.2 devices, and broadband households in the U.K. plan to purchase 3.1 devices.
  
  

"Major service providers such as BT and Virgin Media and major retailers such as Dixons Retail recognize the importance of support to reinforce customer relationships in a competitive industry and have strengthened their support services over the past few years," Samuels said. "Premium technical support services must offer value that supersedes break/ fix support and helps consumers optimize use of their products and services."

For information on Parks Associates' events visit www.connectionseurope.com or www.connectionssummit.com.

Tech Support: International Market Opportunities assesses consumer demand and interest in technical support services and examines trends in channel distribution and business models across major global markets. The report is available for purchase on www.parksassociates.com.

Contact sales@parksassociates.com or 972-490-1113 for more information. To request an analyst interview with Patrice Samuels, contact Holly Sprague at hsprague@gmail.com or 720-987-6614.

About Parks Associates
Parks Associates is an internationally recognized market research and consulting company specializing in emerging consumer technology products and services. Founded in 1986, Parks Associates creates research capital for companies ranging from Fortune 500 to small start-ups through market reports, primary studies, consumer research, custom research, workshops, executive conferences, and annual service subscriptions.

The company's expertise includes digital media and platforms, entertainment and gaming, home networks, Internet and television services, digital health, mobile applications and services, support services, consumer apps, advanced advertising, consumer electronics, energy management, and home control systems and security.

Parks Associates will examine worldwide consumer trends in CE adoption, content consumption, and the Internet of Things at the upcoming CONNECTIONS™ Europe: Monetizing Strategies for the Connected Home, 18-19 November 2014, Amsterdam. Visit http://www.connectionseurope.com for more information.

Each year, Parks Associates hosts industry webcasts, the CONNECTIONS™ Conference Series, and Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer. http://www.parksassociates.com