Applications
Chinese video site Youku migrates to Juniper Networks switching solutions
MUMBAI: Juniper Networks has announced that China‘s Internet television company Youku.com has deployed a new Juniper-based Ethernet switching infrastructure running on the Junos operating system in its data center and Content Delivery Network caching points across the country.
The Juniper Networks EX Series ethernet switches with virtual chassis fabric technology make it possible for Youku to easily scale its data centre and content distribution network to meet fast-growing demand while simplifying network administration.
Since its creation in 2006, Youku has aimed to be the primary source of online video content for Chinese Internet users across all Internet-enabled devices. Youku has adopted a unique hybrid content strategy by licensing long-form, professionally produced content and fostering user generated content and original web videos produced under its brand “Youku Original”.
According to iResearch, Youku had approximately 231 million unique monthly visitors from homes and offices in March 2011 and approximately 52 million from Internet cafes in February 2011. The rapid growth of its online audience and content library, combined with the need to deliver a high-quality streaming service, encouraged Youku to adopt a more scalable, high-performance network infrastructure.
Youku CTO Jian Yao said, “Internet video is really taking off in China and we are determined to remain at the forefront of this market. In assessing our options for new switching infrastructure, the Juniper Networks EX Series switches stood out for delivering wire-speed performance, tremendous scalability and excellent stability in a compact footprint. With a single operating system running all switches and the use of Virtual Chassis fabric technology, we can keep expanding the data center without having to expand our network management overhead.”
Within Youku‘s data center, the EX Series switches have enabled both internal and external networks to collapse multiple switching layers to create a simplified two-layer network architecture. The internal network uses Juniper Networks EX8216 modular switches which, through Virtual Chassis fabric technology, have been interconnected to create a single, logical device that forms a large Layer 2 core domain. This is connected to EX3200 access switches using dual 10GbE uplinks configured into Redundant Trunk Groups. On the external network, EX4200 switches deployed in a Virtual Chassis configuration form the switching core, with multiple 10GbE links to service provider routers and redundant link-aggregated GbE connections to Juniper Networks EX2200 access switches.
At Youku‘s remote caching sites, Juniper Networks EX3200 switches have been deployed to support 10GbE uplinks to the service provider and GbE link aggregation groups connecting to EX2200 access switches.
Juniper Networks GM, senior VP campus and branch business unit Alex Gray said, “Projections are that video will account for 50 percent of all Internet traffic by 2014 so, as a streaming video service provider addressing the world‘s largest Internet-connected population, Youku needs reliable, highly-scalable network performance. Our EX Series switches with Virtual Chassis fabric technology flatten the network to
increase performance, reduce latency and make it possible for Youku to scale IT operations without increasing complexity.”
With the Junos operating system running as a single operating system across its entire switching infrastructure, Youku can enjoy increased reliability, the ability to deploy new services faster and a decrease in network operation costs. An independent analyst study of 10 Juniper Networks customers documented a savings potential of up to 41 per cent in network operation costs with Junos and Juniper equipment.
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.
