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AT&T to use Sun servers to power IP-based video service
MUMBAI: Sun Microsystems has announced that US telecom major AT&T will utilise Sun servers and modular arrays to help deliver the Internet Protocol (IP)-based video service, AT&T U-verse TV. Building on a long-standing relationship between the two companies, AT&T selected Sun for the performance and overall value of its technologies. Sun Fire X4600 servers will help deliver video to customers of AT&T U-verse TV, the only 100 per cent IP-based television service to be offered by a national provider. AT&T U-verse TV currently offers more than 320 linear channels and more than 26 high-definition (HD) channels. AT&T will also deploy Sun StorageTek storage arrays, which will provide easy and continuous access to the U-verse TV Video-on-Demand library. The servers and arrays will be rolled out in new deployments of IP-video super hub offices and IP-video hub offices in the AT&T U-verse network. The complete AT&T solution from Sun will also include Sun Fire X4500 servers, which combine the performance of a four-way Sun x64 server and the highest storage density available, with high-data throughput for about half the cost of traditional solutions. AT&T will also use Sun Support Services and Sun Professional Services to help manage the system. Sun Microsystems executive VP Systems Group John Fowler says, “Sun is helping to radically reset the economics of IPTV. Sun offers an exceptional IPTV infrastructure that scales to support a massive number of consumers. This means we can help AT&T deliver video and other online services to consumers in a cost-effective way which wasn’t possible just a few years ago.” AT&T U-verse services are available in parts of 23 markets across eight states. AT&T plans to continue launching new markets throughout this and next year and to expand availability in current markets.
AT&T VP, advanced network technologies Ernie Carey says, “AT&T continues to expand the scope of its U-verse TV offerings to include more video and multimedia services to more and more customers. As we expand availability, we are also building out a world-class, IP-based infrastructure that offers strong performance and serviceability for the needs of consumers both today and tomorrow. Sun’s high-capacity servers bring next-generation technology, processing power and storage capacity to the U-verse network.”
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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.
