Applications
Affle launches SMS 2.0 in India, Singapore
MUMBAI: Affle, a UK-based mobile phone company, has unveiled a new SMS platform in India and Singapore wherein users will be able to send colored messages and emoticons from mobile phones at no additional cost. Known as SMS 2.0 (short message and search two point zero), the application has enhanced features, content, promotions and a free Internet search facility. Users can schedule SMSes, send SMS to email, send graphic and multimedia attachments, access the Internet and receive updates on discounts and promotions from various advertisers. In other words, default content will remain at the bottom of the screen and converts to full screen when either the message is sent or the consumer clicks on the content. It also links to other customizable search services such as online dictionaries, movies, Wikipedia and others. Affle chairman and CEO Anuj Khanna said,“SMS 2.0 redefines the second ‘S’ in SMS, it is now Short Message and Search. We‘re working with various online search engines to power mobile search on SMS 2.0.” Currently, Affle is partnered with Group M to get advertisers on board and mobile operator Airtel to provide service to its customers. Khanna further added that the revenue from the services will be shared between the application provider, operator, handset manufacturer and advertising agency. Affle is currently in talks with mobile operators in Malaysia to launch the product in the country. Besides India and Singapore, Affle plans to launch the SMS2.0 platform in Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Japan and Australia.
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.
