Parks Associates Announces CONNECTIONS(TM): The Premier Connected Home Conference Topics on Internet of Things, Connected Entertainment, and Smart Home Markets

DALLAS, TX--(Marketwired - Dec 11, 2014) -  Parks Associates today announced the topics for the 19th-annual CONNECTIONS™: The Premier Connected Home Conference, May 19-21, in San Francisco, which focus on innovative solutions and business strategies for the connected consumer, entertainment services, the smart home, and the Internet of Things.

"We are excited about the upcoming CONNECTIONS™ events," said Stuart Sikes, President, Parks Associates. "There are new and growing areas to examine this year, including the Internet of Things and wearables. Our events consistently bring together the top leaders in the connected entertainment and smart home industries to address these evolving markets, and CONNECTIONS™ Summit at CES and CONNECTIONS™ in May will be no exception."

CONNECTIONS™: The Premier Connected Home Conference, May 19-21, in San Francisco will feature sessions focused on innovative technology and business solutions for the connected consumer. Event topics:

Entertainment, Content Delivery, and Access Services

• Unlocking the Value of Personalization
• Profit in the New World of OTT
• The Reality of the Second Screen: Interaction, Social Networking, and the Consumer
• Original Content and Key Differentiators for Entertainment Services
• Multichannel Networks and Emerging Video Alternatives
• Evolution of Content Access: Cloud-based Services, 4K, & Other Innovations
• Content Rights and the Reshaping of the Video Industry

Connected CE Devices and Platforms

• Set-top Boxes and New Platforms: What's Next in Hybrid Video
• Generating Revenue From OTT Streaming
• Streaming as Standard: The New User Experience
• Entertainment and the New User Experience
• Role of Connected Device Platforms in the Content Ecosystem
• 4K/UHD TVs: Are They Changing the TV Landscape?

Smart Home: Security, Controls, Energy, and Smart Devices

• Integrating Smart Products into Smart Home Systems
• Internet of Things: Innovations and New Value Propositions
• Standards and Interoperability: Creating Competition through Cooperation
• Winning Channel Strategies for Smart Home Services 

Innovations Creating New Opportunities

• APIs: Extending Functionality for all Connected Devices
• Connected Cars: The Next Smart Platform 
• Commerce Opportunities on Connected Devices
• Wearables and Connected Health Opportunities in the Home
• Premium Support Services: Connected Devices and IoT
• Smart Toys: Engaging the Digital Native Generation

Parks Associates is also hosting CONNECTIONS™ Summit at CES, January 6, 2015, in Las Vegas, with speakers from companies such as AT&T, Ericsson, Time Warner, and Roku. Registration is open to CES attendees and media.

"Our research shows significant growth and opportunities in IoT and connected home market segments," Sikes said. "Already 64% of U.S. broadband households have at least one Internet-connected CE, such as a smart TV, streaming media device, or game console with an active connection to the Internet, and we see purchase intentions for smart and connected products steadily increasing. Regarding new and emerging products categories, 37% of U.S. broadband households plan to buy a smart device in the next 12 months, and 12% plan to buy a smart watch."

Parks Associates provides industry perspective and outlook on IoT and the connected home markets in several complimentary white papers available now at http://www.parksassociates.com/whitepapers:

• U.S. broadband households watch 17.4 hours of non-linear content on the TV per week (The OTT Playbook: Success Factors for Video Services).
• 13% of U.S. broadband households have at least one smart home device (Smart Home Ecosystem: IoT and Consumers).
• College-age consumers have a slightly lower penetration rate for pay-TV services compared to older consumers, 82% vs. 87% (Uprising: College Students & Changing Video Preferences).
• In the U.S. market, only about one-fourth of those who have access to TV Everywhere are aware that they receive the feature (Priorities for Managed Service Gateways in the Fiber-Connected Home).
• U.S. broadband households now own an average of seven connected devices, including both entertainment and computing devices (The Internet of Things: Implications for Support Services and Solutions).
• Less than 15% of U.S. broadband households are familiar with 4K (4K: A New Era in Video Content).
• In 2014, 31.3 million U.S. households have an active security system (Where to Next for Residential Security).
• Over one-half of U.S. broadband households pay for an online video service (The New Reality: Tomorrow's Multiscreen, Multirights World).

Parks Associates is accepting speaker submissions through February 6 for CONNECTIONS™ at http://www.parksassociates.com/cfp-2015. More information on all Parks Associates conferences can be found at www.ParksAssociates.com.

About CONNECTIONS™ Summit at CES

CONNECTIONS™ Summit at CES, hosted by international research firm Parks Associates, focuses on emerging areas critical to the growth of the connected home, including 4K, Internet of Things (IoT), tech support, and more. The interactive panel discussions, featuring consumer research and analysis, provide insights from key industry players on innovative business models, unique monetization strategies, and technology adoption rates and consumer trends for digital home solutions.

The 2015 CONNECTIONS™ Summit will take place January 6, 2015, during CES Tech West at The Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas. Follow the event on Twitter at @CONN_Summit. For information about CONNECTIONS™ Summit, contact sales@parksassociates.com or call 972-490-1113 or visit www.connectionssummit.com.

About CONNECTIONS™

The 19th-annual CONNECTIONS™: The Premier Connected Home Conference will take place May 19-21 at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport in San Francisco. CONNECTIONS™ hosts over 400 executives in the connected entertainment, IoT, and smart home industries in an intimate networking environment.

The event provides networking opportunities and insights from industry players on entertainment, mobile, and smart home market segments. Parks Associates research analysts moderate each session, which feature consumer research on adoption and trends, forecasts of new products and services, evaluation of new business strategies, and concrete recommendations about technology innovations, strategic partnerships, monetization opportunities, and value-added services. Throughout the three-day event, sponsors offer tabletop demos during networking events, spotlighting new technology innovations and services. www.connectionsus.com