Applications
Airtel, Vonage launch unified business communication app for enterprises
Mumbai: In a strategic move to revolutionise business communications in India, Airtel Business has partnered with Vonage to launch Airtel IQ Business Connect, a cutting-edge application designed to streamline customer engagement for enterprises. This innovative platform promises multi-channel communication, real-time monitoring, and data loss prevention, ensuring seamless interactions across mobile devices, tablets, and laptops.
Airtel IQ Business Connect, launched on 16 October 2024, provides enterprises with a unified communication platform that simplifies customer engagement, even during employee transitions. The device-agnostic application ensures continuity, allowing businesses to maintain strong customer loyalty without investing in additional hardware.
“We are delighted to partner with Vonage and launch ‘Airtel IQ Business Connect’ – a next-gen technology application. Businesses today are looking for a compliance-adhering, unified communications application to ensure smooth customer communications,” said Airtel Business, chief business officer – digital products & services, Abhishek Biswal. “This solution will drive improved business communication and productivity.”
Vonage, a global leader in cloud communications, expressed excitement over the collaboration. Vonage, head of applications, Reggie Scales said, “We are excited to announce our strategic partnership with Airtel Business to power new unified communications capabilities for enterprises in India. Effective communication and collaboration are essential in today’s dynamic business environment. This solution brings a multi-channel approach, combining voice and messaging to enhance engagement.”
Airtel IQ Business Connect, part of Airtel Business’s cloud communications portfolio, empowers employees and hybrid workforces to communicate seamlessly with stakeholders, improving customer engagement and satisfaction. As India’s first telecom company serving as a WhatsApp Business Service Provider (BSP), Airtel ensures omnichannel engagement across voice and messaging platforms.
This partnership strengthens Vonage’s commitment to innovation in India, where it operates an R&D centre of excellence in Bengaluru, focusing on building new business communication features.
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.
