Case Study: Internet Home Alliance

The Mealtime Pilot:
Bernett recruits in-home testers for the kitchen of the future

BOSTON: Bernett Research Services Inc. played a key role in an innovative research project developed by Internet Home Alliance, the leading cross-industry network of companies advancing the home technology market. The first of its kind, the Mealtime Pilot is a real-world test of a connected kitchen solution, the results of which will help define and direct the emerging market for "smart" kitchens.

Bernett was retained by the project's primary research organization, Zanthus, a leading market research-based consulting firm based in Portland, Oregon.

The Mealtime Pilot involves the installation and testing of prototype appliances in the kitchens of 20 Boston-area families over six months. Because of its extensive database of Boston-area residents and its reputation for being able to complete the most difficult assignments on time, Bernett Research was chosen for the challenging task of finding 20 families who were willing to have their kitchen appliances removed and replaced with a set of Internet-ready appliances. In the end, it would take more than 12,000 phone calls to find the 20 families who fit the exact profile required for the study.

"The screening process was a very difficult phase of this project," says Zanthus senior research consultant Sarah Marin who recruited Bernett Research for the project after coming across its website on an Internet search. "Bernett not only had the right combination of research skills, but also a great attitude," she adds. "The positive energy and creative ideas that the Bernett staff brought to the project was invaluable. Everything they did was well organized and professional, and the volume of calls their call center was able to make was truly impressive. When it comes to fielding my projects, this cements the relationship between Zanthus and Bernett. I would recommend Bernett to anyone."

"It wasn't an easy assignment," admits Bernett Co-CEO Andrew Hayes. "Besides having to find busy families who were willing to volunteer their kitchens for this study, we had to make sure their houses could physically accommodate the installation of routers and other technology required to network the appliances. It was a challenge," he says. "But we like challenges. We particularly like participating in cutting-edge research projects like The Mealtime Pilot that challenge us to think outside of the box in ways that produce significant, useable information for our clients. Bernett is also a family run business," Hayes adds, "and our busy families look forward to any help this kind of exciting new technology can bring to meal preparation."

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About Zanthus
Zanthus brings a unique scientific rigor to business consulting. The kind of research-informed consulting emerging and established leaders need to make critical business decisions-confidently. Based in Portland, Oregon, the firm provides a rare combination of research and industry expertise exclusively to high-tech companies. The firm is particularly well-known for its commitment to reliable research methods and analytical techniques. For more information, please visit www.zanthus.com.

About Internet Home Alliance
Internet Home Alliance is the leading cross-industry network of companies advancing the home technology market. A non-profit organization, the Alliance provides companies with the collaboration, research and real-world testing opportunities they need to gain a competitive advantage in the home technology market. Members of the Alliance, which was founded in October 2000, come from a variety of industries and include such leading companies as Best Buy Co. Inc, Cisco Systems, Inc., General Motors, Hewlett-Packard Company, IBM, Invensys, Microsoft, Panasonic (Matsushita Electric Corporation of America), SBC Communications, Sears, Roebuck and Co., Sun Microsystems and Whirlpool Corporation. For more information, visit www.internethomealliance.com.

About Bernett Research
Bernett Research is a privately-held market research and data collection firm based in Boston. Founded in 1972, Bernett Research collected strategic information for many high-profile clients long before there was an Internet. Its strategically located call centers and professional interviewers now add a depth of capability to its email and Web-survey tools that is unique among market research firms active today. Its focus facility at its Boston headquarters has been recognized by the annual Impulse Research survey as "one of the best in the world." Marquee clients include: Abt Associates, Directions Research, Chadwick, Martin, and Bailey, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, IPSOS, Research Collaborative, Synovate, MIT Sloan School of Management, VARBusiness Magazine, Zanthus

For more information please contact Co-CEO, Andrew Hayes, directly at 617-746-2705 or by email at Andrew@bernett.com.