iWorld
TO THE NEW launches VideoReady
MUMBAI: One of the leading digital services company TO THE NEW has launched VideoReady, a turnkey TV Everywhere/OTT solution.
VideoReady is a flexible and robust video product that helps prepare, manage, deliver and monetize digital video content. VideoReady provides different experiences and features for full coverage of a pure play OTT service for content owners and broadcasters, while a comprehensive TVE solution with near TV experience for operators. The solution that comes with rich and intuitive multiscreen OTT/TV Everywhere reference applications can quickly adapt to client’s branding and can be customized for a faster time to market.
“We have always been at the digital forefront and VideoReady is a testimony of our expertise in Video domain. The Turnkey OTT solution comes with a suite of multiscreen reference applications and enables OTT services to be launched in less than 6 weeks. Our aim with VideoReady is to simplify the Video OTT delivery eco-system and create solutions that can travel across domains and geographies,” said TO THE NEW video solutions EVP Dave Maan.
“OTT video services and TVE will have close to 200 million users globally by 2019 contributing to a total of $ 37 billion online video market in revenues. These numbers are huge and looking at the current surge in usage and paid online subscriptions, the business case looks much stronger. This clearly indicates that cord cutting is happening as we speak, and content companies need to move much faster to provide compelling services to digital consumers to ensure sustainability in business,” said TO THE NEW CEO Deepak Mittal.
At the upcoming Broadcast Asia 2016, TO THE NEW will demonstrate VideoReady and how it simplifies the entire OTT and TVE ecosystem and enables content owners and operators launch, manage and grow their online video offerings across platforms.
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.
