Applications
Verimatrix expands IPTV content deals
MUMBAI: Verimatrix, which offers content security technologies
As per the company, these 40 new members, secured by the Verimatrix Video Content Authority System (VCAS) for IPTV, represents 500,000 homes passed and 76 per cent of Avail Media’s total customer base launched in the market. Avail Media is delivering a combined MPEG-4 linear IPTV and VOD solution, providing network operators with all of the content, technology, hardware, and integration needed for a fully-encrypted, market-ready IPTV service. |
Long-time partner Avail Media initially integrated the Verimatrix VCAS for IPTV in its network when the IPTV wholesale market was in its infancy. Verimatrix has enhanced its support for a broad spectrum of IPTV wholesale business models in VCAS for IPTV 2.3, which offers unique features to securely distribute required decryption keys to each telecommunications operator, enabling local key management. Avail Media COO Jon Romm says, “Verimatrix has been a valuable partner as this IPTV market has been defined for US independent telcos. The model is being proven as a cost-effective, flexible, and profitable solution for telcos to compete against traditional pay-TV services in their markets. Verimatrix’s content security to our transmission ensures Avail Media is delivering appropriately for our content providers while streamlining the process for commercially launching our affiliates in market.” |
Verimatrix chief sales and marketing officer Steve Oetegenn says, “Avail Media has a compelling approach to IPTV wholesale services that meets the needs of its customers. We have participated in this market from the beginning and understand the issues and nuances in efficiently providing end-to-end encryption. We are excited to continue to work with Avail Media on the best IPTV solution for its customers.” |
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.
