Applications
63 mn IPTV subscribers by 2010: Study
MUMBAI: California-based market research firm iSuppli has released a study that predicts that the number of subscribers to Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) services worldwide is expected to nearly triple in 2007. This will help drive a strong increase in sales of wired communications equipment and related semiconductors for the year. |
Global IPTV subscribers will reach 14.5 million in 2007, up 192.4 per cent from 4.9 million in 2006, iSuppli predicts. By 2010, worldwide IPTV subscribers will amount to 63 million |
The study notes that in the long run, the Asia Pacific region will lead the global revolution in IPTV in terms of subscribers, service revenue, infrastructure etc. The region’s broadband penetration, supportive regulatory framework, will fuel the growth. China has potential; The US will be a difficult market for IPTV: Worldwide IPTV service revenue is forecast to reach $ 38 billion in the year 2009. The worldwide IPTV subscribers are forecasted to reach 53 million in the year 2009. The Americas and Western Europe are expected to be the biggest markets in terms of revenue per user basis. IPTV market potential varies highly across the world depending upon the local Pay-TV market and regulatory conditions. China will be the future IPTV dragon due to rapid urbanisation, fast growing economy and expanding middle class.The US will be a more difficult market for IPTV, due to high existing pay-TV penetration, and stiff price and service competition that is likely to come from the entrenched operators in the cable and satellite sectors. Consumer familiarity with IPTV service is very low although youth today are much more aware of it when compared with people belonging to other age groups. In terms of the principal barriers to IPTV adoption, the cost is by far and away the most significant factor across all countries and age groups. |
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.
