GOA: The first day of the two-day Indian Digital Operators Summit (IDOS) 2012 concluded with stakeholders from different parts of the value chain wanting introduction of the digital addressable system (DAS) without any further delay and expressing confidence that consumers will accept better customised services possible in a digital environment.

The speakers were participating in a round-table held essentially to sum-up the proceedings of day one of IDOS organized by indiantelevision.com and Media Partners Asia in Goa.

DEN Networks CEO SN Sharma said more localised content and value-added services will drive the consumer to accept the new technology.

Videocon d2h CEO Anil Khera said both DAS and DTH could co-exist as there was enough space in a country as large as India for both of them. He said ARPUs (average revenue per user) will increase with an increase in content and variety.

Hathway MD and CEO K Jayaraman said it was a now or never situation or the country would be left behind in the digital race. He and Indiacast Media Distribution Group CEO Anuj Gandhi agreed ARPUs would increase with time, as there were enough customers for all kinds of networks in the country.

While Videocon d2h Deputy CEO Rohit Jain said DAS was a question of creating a road-map withy conviction, IBM Head of Media and Entertainment in India and South Asia Raman Kalra said there was a need for a change in the mindset, delivery enhancement, customer retention and increasing monetising options if DAS had to succeed. He said customer-centricity was a must. JAINHITS MD Ankur Jain agreed.
 
Exponentia Capital Principal Neeraj Bhatia said new TV channels would spring up and therefore, shareholders were ready to take up DAS.

Castle Media Director Vynsley Fernandes said infrastructure, content and technology will win the day for DAS, and people will pay if they get all these.