CONNECTIONS™ Focuses on Demand for Connected Products in SMB Market, with Speakers from Comcast Business, Cox, Bitdefender and More, in First Session of 2021

DALLAS, March 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Parks Associates announced today that Comcast Business, Bitdefender, Alarm.com, Cox Communications, Johnson Controls, and Synamedia will participate in Smart Products - Serving the SMB Market, the opening session for the 25^th annual CONNECTIONS™: Premier Connected Home Conference on Wednesday, March 24, 12:30 p.m. CT. Event sponsors include Bitdefender, Alarm.com, Calix, Cox Communications, Tuya, Plume, and Airties.

The international research firm will present its latest data on consumer demand in the SMB market, including opportunities for service providers, device and system makers, and IoT solution providers. The research firm reports 52% of SMBs are concerned about cybersecurity regarding employees' home networks, while 21% report an increase in need for products and services to protect or monitor the physical safety of the business.

"One-third of SMBs have already increased spending on solutions such as voice and video conferencing services, internet access, IT devices, and support, and 37% are likely to purchase cybersecurity services over the next six months," said Jennifer Kent, VP, Research, Parks Associates. "Managing and securing networks, and supporting the ever-growing portfolio of end-user devices are top priorities, and they are increasingly turning to ISPs for Wi-Fi management, network security, and other value-added services."

Smart Products - Serving the SMB Market keynote speaker Christian Nascimento, VP of Product, Comcast Business, will explore the increased importance of connectivity services to SMBs, followed by an Executive Q&A session with Razvan Todor, Director of Connected Home Security, Bitdefender, and an interactive panel:

• Andrew Goldberg, VP of Strategic Planning & Analysis, Cox Communications
• James Reno, Sr. Director - Commercial Business, Alarm.com
• Peter Suica, Director of National and Strategic Accounts, Johnson Controls
• JT Taylor, Product Marketing Lead, Synamedia

"The 'not much to steal' myth, common among SMBs owners is not confirmed in the real life. They have less secure networks, easier to breach. Hackers will always go for the 'low-hanging fruit' rather than investing time for a big target that in the end might not be breached," said Razvan Todor, Director of Connected Home Security, Bitdefender. "To keep pace with these threats, SMBs need to find a solution that will allow them to employ enterprise-grade inspection and filtering technologies tailored for their network environment without the overhead of a dedicated security department."

"Start-ups and small and mid-size businesses are increasingly seeking complex, customized technology solutions that rival large enterprises and equip them to operate more efficiently, provide higher levels of service to their customers, and thrive in a competitive market," said Andrew Goldberg, VP of Strategic Planning & Analysis, Cox Communications. "To meet evolving customer requirements, Cox has moved beyond connectivity to managed software, infrastructure and devices, cloud solutions, remote healthcare, and more that define and support the smart working environments that businesses demand today."

"There's a growing need for business owners to remotely administer employees," said James Reno, senior director of commercial business at Alarm.com. "Combining intrusion, access control, video surveillance, and more on a single platform and managing it all through one interface means business owners can multitask more efficiently and virtually be in more places at once without stepping foot out their door."

To request data or an interview, contact Rosey Ulpino, [email protected], 972-490-1113.

About CONNECTIONS™

Parks Associates' 25th annual CONNECTIONS™: The Premier Connected Home Conference features multiple virtual sessions hosted throughout 2021. For information, visit www.connectionsconference.com.

Media Contact:
Rosey Ulpino
Parks Associates
972-490-1113
[email protected]

SOURCE Parks Associates