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Middle East media, broadcast technology market worth $11.6 billion
MUMBAI: A new report from IABM, the association for media and broadcast technology suppliers, suggests that the overall value of the market in the Middle East is currently $ 11.6 billion, with recorded market growth per annum of almost 11 per cent. |
IABM‘s forecast is that broadcast and media technology market will be worth $ 17.5 billion by 2010. One major trend underlined by the report – and further demonstrated by this year‘s recently concluded Cabsat trade event in Dubai – is convergence, as telecommunication, broadcast, and information technologies integrate, bringing together previously separate forms of media. |
Held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition from the 6-8 March 2007, there were over 400 leading suppliers from 50 countries as well as new launches and demonstrations. The event also enabled industry professionals to meet with peers in a number of industry conferences and symposia, providing them with an opportunity to discuss the major changes occurring across the industry. Convergence, the organisers of Cabsat note, is changing the supply chain within the broadcasting and communication industries, creating major opportunities for innovative organisations to grow and develop. New methods for delivering content in a variety of formats are emerging all the time, which is a powerful incentive for companies to network and understand new trends in the market. Example of such convergence technologies is Mobile TV technology using DVB-H and T-DMB standards. Companies that are demonstrating this at the Show include DMT Systems Spa, E-Vision, GloCom, Grass Valley, Harris Corporation, Newtec Productions NV and Rohde & Schwarz Emirates LLC. The organisers says that the success of Cabsat has been driven in part by its ability to stay ahead of new developments in the industry, and to provide a unique platform for local, regional and international groups to come together to discuss them”. The recently concluded editon of Cabsat supported a number of industry discussions to help companies understand the changes occurring in the communications and broadcast sectors. It examined the theme of “digitalisation,” explored the new convergent technologies that are relevant to the broadcast, satellite and telecom industries. |
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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.
