News

Parks Associates CONNECTIONS conference addresses connected CE, digital home support, controls and advanced media and services (16/4/2009)

This year's CONNECTIONS(tm): The Digital Living Conference & Showcase, hosted by international research firm Parks Associates, will focus on entertainment services, digital home support services, energy management, and advanced networking concepts.

The 13th annual CONNECTIONS(tm), taking place June 2-4, 2009, at the Santa Clara Convention Center, will feature interactive panels with over 80 speakers and consumer and industry research presented by Parks Associates' expert analysts. This event attracts senior executives from industries associated with the digital home, new media and content distribution, and mobile applications and services.

"This year's event is especially important given the current economy," said Kurt Scherf , Vice President, Principal Analyst, Parks Associates. "Over 60% of U.S. Internet households indicated they would cut out-of-home expenses first , including travel and dining, and we are already seeing these changes, with 35% now watching fewer movies in the theater compared to two years ago. This recessionary shift in consumer habits could benefit service providers and CE companies, provided they are focused on bringing new entertainment experiences to the home. CONNECTIONS(tm) will focus on these opportunities as consumer spending shifts to in-home entertainment and services."

CONNECTIONS(tm) will open with the keynote presentation Embedding Wireless in Consumer Electronics , featuring Glenn Lurie, President of Emerging Devices and Resale for AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. Conference sessions focus on four primary tracks while maintaining the broad industry overview necessary to capture all opportunities that exist in these complex, interconnected markets.

Main Sessions

New Connectivity, Services, Opportunities
Marriage of Online Video to CE?Entertainment 2.0
Connected TV Strategies?Truth in Networking, hosted by MoCA
Bringing the Smart Grid to the Smart Home?Building the Holistic Support Environment
What's coming next?, a special venture capitalist session

Tracks and sessions include:

Content & Services?TV 2.0 - The Future of the Set-Top Box
WebTV: Extreme TV Makeover
Interactive Services: Engaging the Consumer
Making the Ad Models Work
Multimedia on Mobile Devices
Connected CE
Extending the Reach of Wired Networks/Interfaces
Bringing "Cloud Media" to CE Devices
Support & Management
Driving the Next Dollar: The Role of VAS
Service Provider Home Networking Strategies: RGs and Services
Remote Technical Support
Home Controls
New Applications and Services in Home Management & Controls
Wireless Home Controls: New Roles and Functionality

CONNECTIONS(tm) also features three pre-show events on June 2, including a strategic workshop featuring Parks Associates' expert analysts; the Telecom Executive Summit: Digital DNA for Service Providers, hosted by Pivot Media; and an open house hosted by Jetro.

www.connectionsconference.com