Applications
Siemens expands Music2You platform to enable music video downloads
MUMBAI: AOL Germany subscribers will soon be able to download music videos, thanks to the “Music2You” (M2Y) service from Siemens. M2Y is an innovative service for the provision of free content such as music and is already used by many Internet and telecommunications providers. AOL Germany has been using the M2Y platform, which is managed and hosted by Siemens, since 2004 and now offers 850,000 downloadable songs with this service. In this time, the Internet provider has established itself as one of the three leading music portals in the German market. |
This cooperation has now been extended with the addition of a download service for music videos. Partners who are providing AOL with content for the launch are Warner Music, EMI and SonyBMG. The music videos are offered by M2Y in Microsoft’s WMV format and are characterized by high bit rates and high-quality resolution. “We are expanding our download offering so as to address our customers’ needs even better. Video downloads are an ideal complement to our music video offering. We will deliver a premium quality product that meets the needs of home entertainment users rather than limiting usage exclusively to portable players”, said Director Entertainment & eCommerce at AOL Germany Boris Rogosch, describing the launch of the new download service for music videos. |
“This new deal with AOL highlights the many and varied possibilities in the growing managed applications market”, explained Senior Vice President for Value Added Services at Siemens Communications Carrier Services Christian Hopf. “Having begun by offering music to our carrier and Internet provider clients, we are now intensifying our efforts in diversifying our content portfolio with music video downloads, streaming delivery, ringback tones and ringtones via fixed and mobile networks,” added Hopf. |
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.
