Applications
R-Com signs pact with Aegis for VR & gaming, $ 36bn HPC market forecast
MUMBAI: Reliance Communications’ undersea cable unit Global Cloud Xchange has entered into a HPC pact with two companies to provide cloud computing services. Traditionally, HPC has focused on serving end users, but the growth of IoT and Big Data, combined with the emergence of virtual reality and online gaming, now means it is being more readily embraced by enterprises requiring greater computing power across the IT estate.
High-Performance Compute (HPC) co-location facility Aegis Data has announced a strategic alignment with cloud infrastructure and services provider vScaler to host its cloud environment within its data centre. The partnership is further supported by Global Cloud Xchange (GCX), a subsidiary of Reliance Communications (RCOM), which will enable direct access to vScaler’s cloud services platform via GCX’s CLOUD X Fusion, delivering Next-Generation application-specific cloud services to consumers and enterprises over the GCX Global Network.
As part of this strategic partnership, Aegis will provide vScaler with the necessary power and infrastructure requirements that will allow both organisations to capture the increasing demand for scalable HPC-on-demand services from enterprises in the region.
Industry findings have projected that the HPC market is expected to grow up to USD 36.62 billion by 2020, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.45 per cent.
vScaler’s proposition supports this demand via a dedicated, application-specific HPC cloud platform, one that allows users to provision full HPC-on-demand clusters, Big Data analytics and accelerated GPU compute. This will now be enhanced through the relationship with Aegis Data. Currently, one of the biggest challenges facing data centre facilities is the ability to support the necessary power requirements or headroom for growth, and in doing so capping what can be achieved for customers. Aegis Data’s data halls are specifically engineered to deliver the high-density power and cooling required by these Next-Generation platforms, and in doing so provide the perfect complement for vScaler’s offering.
The three-pronged collaboration will further leverage on GCX’s core assets, which include a global network and a leading ecosystem of on-net clouds and providers, enabling seamless, latency-guaranteed, private connectivity between cloud platforms and data centers, colocation environments, or offices, to reduce network costs, increase bandwidth throughput, and provide a more consistent network experience than Internet-based connections.
“The alignment between Aegis and GCX represents one of the most innovative and progressive IT platforms on the market today. Demand for HPC capabilities is growing at a frantic rate, and in meeting the requirements of a diversifying market, it is imperative that we are able to demonstrate that we have the power and connectivity required to support growing data demands,” commented David Power, Chief Technology Officer at vScaler.
“This triangulated partnership supports these demands in perfect harmony, meaning that those organisations looking for HPC requirements can have their demands serviced all under one roof. This is a truly scalable offering that means our customers can focus on their core business proposition, safe in the knowledge that their IT infrastructure can grow with them regardless of their data requirements,” Power added.
Greg McCulloch, Chief Executive Officer of Aegis Data, said: “The proliferation of HPC has meant that data centre facilities can no longer rely on just providing HPC capabilities as a means to gain a competitive advantage. What is now enabling providers to stand apart is their ability to demonstrate how they can deliver this service more rapidly, smartly and more efficiently than their competitors. Our partnership with GCX and vScaler demonstrates this perfectly—ensuring one of the most powerful HPC propositions available.”
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.
