CONNECTIONS? Tracks, Special Luncheon, Workshop Focus On Home Networking at CES

December 30, 2003 Dallas, TX /Wi-Fi Technology News/- Parks Associates has announced special tracks, a luncheon, and a pre-show workshop to be hosted at 2004 CES, focused on consumer demand and the latest industry developments for broadband services and home networking. These events will feature industry executives and analysts sharing their expertise and insight on the future course for networked products and services in the home.

?The home networking market has reached a critical growth stage,? said Kurt Scherf, vice president of research for Parks Associates. ?Given the strong growth of broadband services and the early penetration of data networking solutions, the industry is coalescing around next-stage development. We anticipate that it will include nearly 500 million connected multimedia platforms by year-end 2008.?

CONNECTIONS? will host ?The Digital Home (and Beyond) Value Chain: Broadband Services and Home Networks? from 1:00 P.M. ? 5:00 P.M on January 7. Parks Associates? industry analysts will provide attendees with the latest trends and developments in broadband-enabled services, the last mile and hot spots, and on-demand content as the industry builds toward full connectivity in the home.

Prior to this workshop, a special luncheon, ?Whole-Home Entertainment and Multimedia Networking,? will discuss the applications, requirements and method for sharing DVR, broadcast video, gaming, data and any entertainment content between consumer devices within the home. The panel will feature the following speakers discussing their company?s vision and product plans:

? Dave Kummer, Sr. Vice President of Engineering and Systems, EchoStar Technologies Corporation
? Dave Rossetti, Vice President of Strategic Software Technology, Cisco Systems
? Ladd Wardani, Vice President Business Development, Entropic Communications
? Pete Griffin, Counsel, Radio Shack Corporation
? Takashi Kamitake, General Manager - Core Technology Center, Toshiba Corporation
? Vincent Izzo, Director of Business Development, Motorola, Broadband Communications Sector
? Yoshiaki Hirao, Vice President, Matsushita Electric (Panasonic)

Additional sessions hosted by CONNECTIONS? at CES will highlight primary consumer insight into next-generation networking applications and the role of the industry in moving broadband, networking, and digital entertainment applications forward. Sessions include:

Thursday, Jan 8: Focus on the Consumer: Home Multimedia Applications
? John Barrett, Analyst, Parks Associates
? Kurt Scherf, Vice President, Research, Parks Associates

Thursday Jan 8: Focus on the Digital Consumer: Broadband at Home and On the Road
? Yuanzhe (Michael) Cai, Analyst, Parks Associates
? Michael Greeson, Vice President and Principal Analyst, Parks Associates

Friday, Jan 9: The Home Multimedia Experience: The Value Chain
? Moderator: Kurt Scherf, Vice President, Research, Parks Associates
? Michael Stelts , Manager, Standards Coordination , Thomson Multimedia Inc.
? Paul Reinhardt, Executive Director, Global Inventures, Inc.
? Tony Barra, Chief Strategy Officer, Internet Home Alliance (IHA)
? William Rose, Consultant, WJR Consulting Inc.


Friday, Jan 9: The Role of the Service Provider in Advancing Demand for Home Networks
? Moderated by: Michael Greeson, Vice President and Principal Analyst, Parks Associates
? Dan Israel, Group Leader, Home Networking, Bell South Corporation
? Jeff Ahlquist, Vice President, Product Management, Covad Communications
? Stuart Cassell, Director, Product Development, Cox Communications
? Tom Andrus, Vice President, Products and Services, Earthlink

Saturday, Jan 10: Wireless Entertainment Networking: Requirements and Reality
? Moderated by: Kurt Scherf, Vice President, Research, Parks Associates
? Brian Grimm, Marketing Director for the Wi-Fi Alliance
? Jim Meyer, Vice President of Business Development, Alereon Inc.
? John Payne, President and CEO, Magis Networks Inc.
? Ray Robidoux, President, NETGEAR
? Shawn Saleem, Vice President of Business Development, ViXs Systems Inc.
? TBD, Atheros Communications Inc.

For more information about these events, please visit: www.cesweb.org, www.parksassociates.com, or www.connectionsconference.com. If you are interested in attending the special luncheon or would like more information about these CES sessions, please contact Elizabeth Parks at eparks@parksassociates.com.

About Parks Associates: Parks Associates is a market research and consulting firm focused on all product and service segments that are ?digital? or provide connectivity within the home. The company?s expertise includes home networks, digital entertainment, consumer electronics, broadband and Internet services, and home systems.
Founded in 1986, Parks Associates creates research capital for companies ranging from Fortune 500 to small start-ups through market reports, multiclient studies, consumer research, workshops, and custom-tailored client solutions. Parks Associates also hosts two executive seminars, both part of the Fall Focus series, and co-hosts CONNECTIONS? (in partnership with the Consumer Electronics Association) each year. http://www.parksassociates.com.