iWorld
Hooq delivers new mobile web experience with google technology
MUMBAI: HOOQ – the largest Video on Demand service in Southeast Asia – launched an all-new mobile web experience for its customers using PWA – a technology that is championed by Google. This technology allows HOOQ to deliver an app-like experience on the web and displays seamlessly and identically on all devices, including desktop, mobile and tablet.
“HOOQ’s deployment of PWA came on the back of findings that four in five consumers access the internet daily on their smartphones and the usage between apps and websites were about the same. At the same time, we’ve also learned that more than half of those who came to the app store, interested in HOOQ chose not to download the app largely due to data constraints or storage limits on their device. This means that having a mobile app will only serve 50% of those mobile users but serving up a pure web experience allows HOOQ to potentially double its reach to mobile users consuming content regardless of their choice of viewing over web or app.” said Michael Fleshman, Chief Technology Officer of HOOQ.
“The intent of introducing PWA is to deliver a smooth and engaging experience where customers with lower-end devices or low data caps can still enjoy the full HOOQ experience without the need to compromise. What’s more, we are able to combine the ease of access and reach of the Web together with the immersive experience of a native app for customers to engage with HOOQ; browse the complete catalogue and play content without having to download the app”, Fleshman added.
HOOQ users can now experience faster load times and smoother interactions even in uncertain network conditions. With the help of pre-caching, HOOQ’s PWA stays up-to-date, serving the user with the newest premium content upon launch and users can also save HOOQ’s PWA to their home screen; making HOOQ accessible, without the hassle of downloading it from the app stores.
Smartphone penetration in emerging Asia has been on the rise and in 2017 over 230 million smartphones were sold, according to GFK. Whilst a 44% year-on-year growth in smartphone penetration provides HOOQ with a ripe opportunity in Southeast Asia, over 60% of these handsets are in the low to mid-range. This growing base of smartphone users are cognizant of their precious storage space on their phones and are less likely to download an app. By removing all this friction, more users can now access HOOQ directly from a URL and are able to share it on social media, email, text message etc. and skip the hassle of app downloads from the app store, resulting in a much larger potential user base.
PWA is now live in all HOOQ markets – the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, India and Singapore, where users can enjoy the best of local and Hollywood movies and TV series by simply going to www.hooq.tv.
iWorld
Meta plans 8,000 layoffs in new AI-led restructuring wave
First phase from May 20 may cut 10 per cent workforce amid AI pivot.
MUMBAI: At Meta, the future may be artificial but the cuts are very real. The social media giant is reportedly preparing a fresh round of layoffs, with an initial wave expected to impact around 8,000 employees as it doubles down on its artificial intelligence ambitions. According to a Reuters report, the first phase of job cuts is slated to begin on May 20, targeting roughly 10 per cent of Meta’s global workforce. With nearly 79,000 employees on its rolls as of December 31, the move marks one of the company’s most significant workforce reductions in recent years.
And this may only be the beginning. Sources indicate that additional layoffs are being planned for the second half of the year, although the scale and timing remain fluid, likely to be shaped by how Meta’s AI capabilities evolve in the coming months. Earlier reports had suggested that total cuts in 2026 could reach 20 per cent or more of its workforce.
The restructuring comes as chief executive Mark Zuckerberg continues to steer the company towards an AI-first operating model, committing hundreds of billions of dollars to the transition. Internally, this shift is already visible: teams within Reality Labs have been reorganised, engineers have been moved into a newly formed Applied AI unit, and a Meta Small Business division has been created to align with broader structural changes.
The trend is hardly isolated. Across the tech sector, companies are trimming headcount while investing aggressively in automation. Amazon, for instance, has reportedly cut around 30,000 corporate roles nearly 10 per cent of its white-collar workforce citing efficiency gains driven by AI. Data from Layoffs.fyi shows over 73,000 tech employees have already lost jobs this year, compared with 153,000 in all of 2024.
For Meta, the move echoes its earlier “year of efficiency” in 2022–23, when about 21,000 roles were eliminated amid slowing growth and market pressures. This time, however, the backdrop is different. The company is financially stronger, generating over $200 billion in revenue and $60 billion in profit last year, with shares up 3.68 per cent year-to-date though still below last summer’s peak.
That contrast underlines the shift underway. These layoffs are less about survival and more about reinvention. As Meta restructures itself around AI from autonomous coding agents to advanced machine learning systems, the question is no longer whether the company will change, but how many roles will be left unchanged when it does.
