“Winning the Couch Potato: Differentiating your IPTV Service” was held Tuesday, April 15, from 9 to 9:30 a.m. Presenters included Jason Dolvane, president, Espial; Jonathan Hurd, director, Altman Vilandrie; Michale Kazmier, CTO, Avail Media; and Chris Winn, director of content partnerships, RealPage.

The panel addressed what should be the number one priority of IPTV providers: delighting their customers. Delivering a differentiated offer — one that is customized to the subscriber base with innovative services capabilities — is a daunting undertaking. But unique and innovative services appeal to viewers, maximize revenue and increase customer loyalty. Often though, middleware implementations restrain IPTV providers’ ability to customize their IPTV services, so the right middleware can make all the difference.