Applications
End-to-End NB-IoT Solution by Huawei to go commercial by December 2016
NEW DELHI: An end-to-end Narrow-band IoT (NB-IoT) Solution developed by Huawei to help global operators expand their IoT services into new markets will be made available from September this year.
Introducing the system at Internet of Things (IoT) Summit today in during Mobile World Congress Shanghai, Huawei said it plans to conduct a large commercial trial in the fourth quarter of this year and release the solution for large-scale commercial use in late December 2016.
The Solution includes Smart Device Solution enabled by Huawei LiteOS and NB-IoT Chipset; eNodeB base stations that can smoothly evolve to NB-IoT; the IoT Packet Core that supports flexible deployment of Cone in a Box and network functions virtualization (NFV); and a cloud-based IoT Connection Management Platform with big data capabilities.
It is designed to meet operators’ requirements for IoT services with low-power and wide-area (LPWA) coverage. Developed based on 3GPP standards, the solution underpins flexible networking under various industry and use scenarios. In addition, the solution’s devices and platform can be made easily accessible to NB-IoT device and application partners, which makes it possible to rapidly achieve business innovation and scenario-based customization.
Huawei’s Products and Solutions division Marketing & Solutions Department VP Jiang Wangcheng said: “The number of cellular IoT connections worldwide will grow seven-fold over the next three to four years. NB-IoT will be a key driver for this trend – it will also be one of the key untapped markets for operators.” In 2015, Huawei launched the ‘1+2+1’ IoT ICT Strategy.”
Wangcheng added that Huawei was building a robust ecosystem where aimed at exploring new business areas together with customers and partners.
In addition to pursuing technological innovation and developing leading solutions, Huawei has proactively built a strong NB-IoT ecosystem as part of its goal to drive a thriving IoT industry. So far, Huawei has helped operators build NB-IoT open labs to accelerate the development of smart NB-IoT devices and applications. In the third quarter of 2016, Huawei will launch SoftRadio, a software suite that allows developers to access NB-IoT labs via the Internet for remote innovation and commissioning.
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.
