Norm Bogen, Vice President Global Research, is responsible for managing the analysts and research activities for MRG. Norm was Vice President of Digital Entertainment Research at In-Stat for 15 years, where he started as an analyst covering multimedia, networking, and semiconductor markets. Norm has another 15 years of experience in product management and strategic planning while working for technology-based companies. His education includes a BS degree in Systems Engineering from the University of Arizona and an MBA degree from UCLA.
Gary Schultz, Senior Analyst, is frequently quoted by the national press, including Investor’s Business Daily, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, TV Technology, Information Week, and EE Times. He is a regular speaker at international events and webinars sponsored by the National Association of Broadcasters, IBC, ABC/Telecon, IPTV World Forum, and Stanford University. Gary’s career spans successful senior marketing and management positions in computer and video systems manufacturing, online services, technology management and publishing. He founded MRG, Inc. in 1990. Gary has a BA and MA in English and a PhD Candidacy in Communications from the University of Wisconsin (Madison). He also holds professional certificates in Technology Administration, Film/TV Production, and Financial Management from Columbia University, NYU, and Stanford University and has completed graduate level coursework in Marketing and Finance at Golden Gate University.
Michelle Abraham, Senior Analyst, specializes in infrastructure equipment for the video and media ecosystems. Prior to joining MRG, Michelle worked at In-Stat as a market research analyst for 16 years. While at In-Stat, she wrote reports on MPEG encoders, multiformat transcoders, MPEG ICs, set top boxes, IPTV, satellite TVs, mobile TVs, DTV sets, Blu-rays, 3D TVs, and DVDs. She has spoken at industry events including CES, Telco TV, and Supercomm. Michelle has a BA from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Arizona State University.
Jose Alvear, Senior Analyst, specializes in covering the digital media landscape including IPTV, OTT, and social TV. Since the early days of the Internet, Jose has been at the forefront of the high-tech industry working as an editor, freelance writer, news reporter, researcher, and book author. In 1998, he wrote the first technical book on streaming media, “Guide to Streaming Multimedia,” and co-authored many others. While at MRG, Jose has written research reports and performed strategy consulting for client companies. He is a frequent blogger and speaks at many worldwide conferences about the future of TV, interactive media, and the changing pay-TV landscape.
Mike Paxton, Senior Analyst , specializes in the pay-TV industry, with an emphasis on the global cable TV industry. Mike also covers consumer electronic products that access or distribute video throughout the home, including set top boxes, DVRs, and streaming media players. His research coverage extends from the chipset to the end-use product or service. Mike is widely recognized as a market expert in the field of multimedia technologies and has been quoted in numerous business and trade publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, Money Magazine, EE Times, and BusinessWeek. Prior to joining MRG, Mike worked as an analyst at In-Stat for 14 years. Before joining In-Stat, he served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Army. Mike has a BA from Miami University and an MBA in International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Keith Nissen, Senior Analyst, specializes in a broad range of markets, including consumer multi-screen entertainment products and services, as well as fixed and mobile networks. As a Research Director and Principal Analyst with In-Stat/NPD, Keith managed the Digital Video Outlook research service that presents a comprehensive view of how devices, services and content are integrating in the emerging multi-screen entertainment market. The research service tracks consumer adoption of Internet-connected devices/services, and quantifies consumer preferences and attitudes through primary research surveys. Keith also managed the NPD Entertainment Trends in America research service that tracks key performance metrics in the video, music and video game industries. Keith has also worked as a telecom network planning consultant, and held management positions at Illinois Bell, AT&T, GTE, Qwest and other telecom equipment manufacturers.
Fred Dawson, Analyst and Chairman of BIR, oversees editorial operations of MRG. Fred serves as editor of ScreenPlays Magazine and the ScreenPlays Information Marketplace—one of MRG’s strategic partners. Fred has been active in the broadband industry for the past 20 years as a publisher of newsletters, including the Cable-Telco Report, the DBS Report, and Broadband Commerce & Technology, and as a contributor to industry publications, including XChange Magazine, Interactive Week, Multichannel News, and CED. During that time he held various positions in editorial management, including Vice President of editorial at Virgo Publishing and Editor-in-Chief at Cablevision Magazine. Dawson is also the author of a book on cable broadband technology, “Optimizing the Future with Next-Generation DOCSIS,” which is published by the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers.
Ken Pyle, Analyst, is co-founder of Viodi, LLC and is Managing Editor of the Viodi View and Producer for ViodiTV—an online newsletter with a focus on independent telcos and their efforts to offer video services. Ken has published reports on multiscreen video services, network PVRs, and the business case for independent telco video services. Additionally, he created digital rights management reports that were approved by studios for several clients and created processes for clients to use for their PPV and VOD operations. Ken was Director of Broadband Relations for ZillionTV, an online VOD provider, where he developed the distribution strategy and implemented the tactics for launching ZillionTV with communications service providers. Ken was also Director of Technical Sales for Demand Video, a video-on-demand application service provider, which targeted cable television overbuilders. His independent telco experience dates back to 1991 with product, project, and sales management roles at Raynet and E/O Networks. Ken’s experience in the cable industry includes manufacturing, engineering, and field service roles at companies such as Catel and C-Cor. He is also a past board advisor to Moowee.TV and iLook.TV.
Greg Potter, Analyst, specializes in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB markets, covering everything from chipsets to end-user applications. Greg is recognized as a thought leader in the areas he covers, having been quoted and interviewed numerous times in media outlets including CNET, Entrepreneur Magazine, Fierce Wireless, eWeek, Boy Genius Report, EE Times, and the Phoenix Business Journal. Prior to joining MRG, Greg worked at In-Stat for two years covering wireless connectivity and business IT spending. He also worked as a paralegal for four years, specializing in civil litigation and class-action cases. Greg graduated from Arizona State University with a BA in Political Science.
Julia Q. Zhu, Affiliate Analyst, specializes in e-commerce and technology trends in China and the Asia
Pacific region. Julia formerly held management roles focused on new product development and consumer insights for
Alibaba Group, China’s largest e-commerce company at its headquarters in Hangzhou, China. Prior to Alibaba, Julia worked for iResearch in Beijing, a Chinese Internet research and advisory firm. She holds a Master’s degree from Beijing University and attended Georgetown University in Washington DC.
Steve Hawley, Affiliate Analyst, specializes in Pay-TV and OTT technology trends for MRG. He has consulted to more than 60 telecommunications, media industry, research, and professional services clients across the IPTV and broadband video industry. Prior to MRG, he served in management and team member roles for companies that include Myrio Corporation (now a unit of Nokia Siemens Networks), Northern Telecom (later Nortel Networks), and Aldus Corp. (acquired by Adobe Systems). Mr. Hawley has delivered more than twenty technology products to market, including IPTV middleware (service delivery) platforms, Web-based commerce platforms; digital media content design, management & production tools; personal videoconferencing, integrated messaging and other multimedia communications solutions.He has also contributed to a wide variety of industry events and is also a member of the New York chapter of the National Academy of the Television Arts and Sciences (“N.Y. Emmys“).
Darryl Sterling, Affiliate Analyst, has over 16 years of international experience in market and product forecasting, market and competitive intelligence, and strategic analysis for the digital multimedia, telecommunications and high-tech industries. Darryl’s areas of expertise include digital media software, broadband and broadcast service provider technologies, home networking technologies, connected and smart home consumer electronic devices and Ultra high definition TV. Darryl is a certified competitive intelligence analyst (SCIP CIP-I Core and SCIP CIP-II Advanced), who holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Yale University.