Applications
Microsoft to offer Indians customized email ids
MUMBAI: In its first step towards customizing email for Indian consumers, Microsoft has announced the launch of ‘custom domains‘ that allows Windows Live users in India to create any email id they want. Commenting on the advantages that this service provides to advertisers, Microsoft head of digital marketing revenue and strategic business Rajnish said, “With this service advertisers can now look to reach out to specific user segments whose interests and personalities align with their brands. This initiative even offers advertisers the opportunity to create a custom id for their own brand loyalists.” The initiative was flagged off by unveiling an email id for the residents of Lokhandwala in Andheri, Mumbai called www.lokhandwalarocks.com. |
Microsoft promises to deliver an email id for every kind of Indian which truly reflects their identity and personality. Email needs to connect with the user in a deeper way and this will be possible with custom domain ids powered by Windows Live Hotmail. MSN India believes that there is a need to move email from just a being a service to becoming an extension of a consumer‘s personality and identity, states an official release. |
| Windows Live Hotmail is aimed to be the next generation MSN Hotmail providing a faster, safer and more powerful online communication experience. |
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.
