SAN FRANCISCO — Automated, “programmatic” trading of digital ads in linear television may have a long and bright future ahead – but it will need some adoption victories in the here and now before that dream becomes a reality, says an ad tech exec.

“It’s about what can be done today,” says David Miller, VP Product Management at INVISION, which makes software for TV ad sellers to manage their business. “Even if it’s just preventing a sales assistant from having to re-key an order – that’s a win.”

Relative to the new wave of automated, digitized selling processes, TV ad trading is archaic, often relying on faxed orders between buyer and seller. Miller says many of those sellers all have different ideas about exactly what “programmatic” means.

We interviewed Miller at the Beet.TV leadership summit on programmatic TV advertising presented with Adap.TV. You can find more clips from the event here.