Applications
Bharti partners with Nivio & Microsoft to launch online desktop
NEW DELHI: Bharti Airtel has partnered with IT companies like Nivio and Microsoft to launch Online Desktop in India.
Says Bharti Airtel president-Telemedia Services Atul Bindal, “With this initiative, Airtel hopes to increase computer and broadband penetration by making it easy, affordable and with low access barriers. Our Online Desktop platform – powered by Microsoft and Nivio – will be useful in making computing more accessible to SMBs, SMEs and SOHOs as well as individual home customers of Airtel broadband. This is part of our larger commitment to offer an enhanced broadband experience to our customers and to drive the adoption of broadband by innovating and collaborating.” |
| The service is accessible through any computer with internet access allowing users to rent software per month ranging between Rs 199 and Rs 699. Additionally, customers can pay Rs 99 per month to get 5 GB of online storage space. |
Airtel has also introduced a retail pack for Rs. 199 per month wherein customers get 5 GB of online storage space, free Anti Virus protection, Windows-based operating system, automatic backup accessible from anywhere in the world in addition to professional pack at Rs 399 and business Packs at Rs 699 per month which will provide a Windows-based Operating System and MS Office The service will be available to all Airtel broadband customers across 95 cities in the country. |
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
