Broadband
Scientific-Atlanta introduces voice-over IP cable modem
Scientific-Atlanta will unveil its latest series of DOCSIS 1.1/Euro-DOCSIS compliant cable modems, the WebSTAR DPX200 at the Western Cable Show in California this week.
The product acts as a complement to high speed voice data that offered by cable operators. The cable modem series comes with an embedded media terminal adapter (EMTA). This is the first time Scientific Atlanta, the leading supplier of digital content distribution systems, is offering stand-alone cable modems with VoIP services. Now cable operators can give subscribers two additional phone service lines and high-speed Internet service. This reduces operational costs as voice services will be bundled with the existing data offering. The WebSTAR DPX200 series will be commercially available by early 2002 with the roll-out of DOCSIS 1.1/PacketCable 1.0.
The cost of telephony service in Europe and Latin America is prohibitive at present, as calls are metered. Scientific Atlanta expects the WebSTAR DPX200 series to allow cable operators in those regions to compete with the telecom companies and offer primary line voice services to their subscribers with better quality and at a lower cost.
Besides this, Scientific-Atlanta is also introducing a stand-alone media terminal adapter (SMTA) as an add-on solution for data modems like the WebSTAR DPX110 cable modem. This will allow cable operators to turn their data modems already in the field into telephony devices. Scientific-Atlanta’s SMTA series is backward compatible for DOCSIS 1.1 upgradable cable modems that have Ethernet interfaces.
Broadband
Zoff Foods extends Shilpa Shetty partnership into ninth year
Spice brand reinforces trust-led positioning amid growth and funding push.
MUMBAI: Nine years, one flavour and the recipe clearly still works. Zoff Foods has extended its long-running association with Shilpa Shetty, marking nine consecutive years of her as brand ambassador as the company scales its presence across Indian households. What began as a digital-first collaboration has gradually evolved into a defining element of the brand’s identity. Over nearly a decade, the partnership has mirrored Zoff’s own journey from an emerging challenger to a fast-growing FMCG player with a widening footprint across e-commerce, quick commerce and offline retail channels.
The logic behind the continuity is straightforward. In a category where trust and familiarity drive purchase decisions, particularly in spices and ready-to-cook segments, long-term associations tend to carry more weight than short bursts of visibility. Shetty’s positioning as a fitness-conscious, health-aware public figure aligns with the brand’s emphasis on purity and quality factors that are increasingly shaping consumer choices in modern Indian kitchens.
The extension also comes at a time when Zoff Foods is entering a more aggressive growth phase. The company recently raised $2 million in a Pre-Series B funding round led by JM Financial Private Equity, with participation from Aman Gupta, signalling a push towards expanding distribution, product innovation and market reach.
Company executives have positioned the continued partnership as a strategic anchor amid this expansion, reinforcing brand recall while entering new markets. For Shetty, the association remains rooted in shared values around authenticity and ingredient integrity attributes that resonate strongly with increasingly mindful consumers.
In a market crowded with new-age brands and shifting loyalties, Zoff’s approach suggests a different playbook: build slowly, stay consistent, and let familiarity do the heavy lifting. Because sometimes, in both branding and cooking, it’s not about reinventing the dish, it’s about perfecting it over time.
