Insight's Bearish Outlook
Dinni Jain broke out the usual Powerpoint slides at yesterday’s Bear Stearns capper, but Insight’s COO enhanced his presentation with philosophy. Jain put the lie to popular misconceptions, arguing that "products alone are not what’s going to propel the cable industry forward." The big challenge is to get customers to equate digital with interactivity, not just extra channels. The bottom line: "This industry is not about technology any more. We definitely have a superior technological backbone … but we have a negative legacy to overcome. The game is really about mindshare now." As for ’04, it’s upward and onward, although there is one service Insight isn’t rushing toward. It’s still "reviewing whether there’s enough capital to offer VoIP," he says.