iWorld
Times Internet Launches M360 publishing platform to empower digital publishers
MUMBAI: To resolve rising complexities in digital publishing – both in terms of technology and monetization options, Times Internet has launched the M360 platform that will help Indian publishers navigate a dynamic digital media landscape with an end-to-end solution. M360 enables cross-platform publishing, content personalization, audience insights, and free-and-fair advertising at scale. This "Software-as-a-Service(SaaS)" platform is designed to integrate comprehensive publishing capabilities with a seamless experience and is now available at a competitive price along with a cost-efficient ad revenue share.
As the most comprehensive publishing platform in the world, M360’s Content Management System provides the convenience of being both simple and reliable and is integrated with major platforms like Google AMP, Facebook IA, and Apple News. It sports an intuitive Website Builder and an advanced Machine Learning-backed content intelligence engine that drives contextuality and provides every avenue of monetization under a single umbrella with seamless access to the Colombia Audience Network and Data Management Platform (DMP). This enables publishers to build unique audience profiles for precise targeting, directly sell slots, and engage with premium programmatic revenue partners, or choose from a roster of quality ad-networks for their campaigns.
Speaking about the launch, Times Internet COO Puneet Gupta said, “Technology has become an intricate part of publishing – from authoring to hosting, to personalized layouts, algorithms, faster load time and monetization – consuming disproportionate bandwidth of publishing teams and organizations. Built over the very same components that power The Times Of India Digital, M360 aims to bring these technology gains to the smallest of the publishers allowing them to focus on bringing great content to their readers. “
M360 co-founder Arjun Satya added, “M360 is a world-class SaaS platform built in India that helps publishers develop engaging content through its CMS, grow traffic and drive personalized ad campaigns thereby increasing effective CPM. With the increase in ad revenue along with reduced engineering and IT costs, our publishers on M360 are seeing a 40-60 per cent increase in their operating profits than before.”
M360 leverages Times Internet's premium ad network, Colombia, to monetize its publisher traffic. With more than 15 Bn personalized feeds across content and ads to over 470 Mn+ users across 110 publishers, the Colombia Audience Network has monetized 55% of digital news traffic in India for the last 2 years. It offers marketers the advantage of content recommendations, video, and native advertising to deliver a seamless and highly engaging content experience to its nearly half-a-billion loyal audience. M360's users also have access to a dedicated support team for rapid query-resolution and to help them make the most out of their monetization requirements.
Follow Tellychakkar for the consumer facing news & entertainment
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.
