iWorld
Synamedia appoints Paul Segre as CEO to spearhead next growth phase
MUMBAI: Video software provider Synamedia has brought in Paul Segre as CEO, with immediate effect. Segre takes over from departing CEO Yves Padrines, who has overseen the company since its inception in 2018.
Prior to this, Segre spent 18 years at customer experience software firm Genesys, latterly as CEO and then chairman. He led the $1.6 billion spin out of Genesys from Alcatel-Lucent (now Nokia) in 2012, backed by the Permira Funds. In six years, he scaled the business to become one of the ten largest privately held software companies in the world, and the largest cloud provider in its space. Paul was also president of Alcatel-Lucent’s applications group and sat on the Alcatel-Lucent Management Committee.
Synamedia chairman Abe Peled said, “Paul’s appointment signals our readiness and enthusiasm for the next chapter in our journey. His leadership track record, breadth of business experience, and ability to scale software businesses will be invaluable as we move forward with innovative solutions and services designed for the IP era.”
Segre’s software and telecoms software industry pedigree and his experience building high-growth businesses make him the right choice to lead Synamedia’s next phase of growth. The firm’s goal is to help existing customers and new direct-to-consumer players embrace IP distribution and build sustainable, profitable businesses.
“Synamedia has a fantastically innovative portfolio, including the Infinite platform, a raft of anti-piracy solutions, video network technologies and the new Synamedia Iris addressable advertising solution,” added Segre. “I am thrilled to lead the firm as we accelerate our growth and become the uncontested leader of video solutions for an IP world.”
Synamedia is a leading video-first technology specialist, which has contributed immensely to the expansion of pay-TV with OTT distribution, and the development of innovative solutions to protect revenues from streaming piracy and develop new revenue streams from addressable advertising.
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
