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mobile2win inks deal for ‘Philippine Idol’
MUMBAI: mobile2win, wireless value added services enabler, has bagged the contract as the exclusive and official wireless aggregator for reality show Philippine Idol. |
Under the terms of the agreement, mobile2win will handle the entire connectivity with all operators, back-end infrastructure, voting, collation and vote management for the 14 weeks of the show that‘s being aired from 3 September 2006 on ABC 5, informs an official release. The deal was inked with FremantleMedia, creators and producers of programme brands in the world and owner of the Idols format, after a pitch and selection process amongst several wireless aggregators in Asia. |
mobile2win worked previously with FremantleMedia on Indian Idol, the local Indian version of the Idols format, and was responsible for creating a distinct mobile platform with distribution of all the latest and regularly updated content week after week across operators in India. mobile2win conceptualized and created the entire content for Indian Idol, including wall papers, animation, true tones, polytones, videos, colour logos, themes and an Indian Idol mobile game, adds the release. mobile2win India country head Rajiv Hiranandani says, “The Idols format has always been tremendously popular the world over and the show‘s interactivity gives viewers and even greater chance to participate in their favourite programme. Indian Idol was a huge success and winning the contract for Philippine Idol is indeed a great milestone for the company and mobile2win will strive to provide the best in terms of backend infrastructure.” FremantleMedia‘s VP licensing and interactive Asia Pacific Jon Penn said, “We chose mobile2win as they have done a fantastic job over several years for the voting and interactivity on Indian Idol. Their approach is systematic and professional and we know they will do a great job for us in the Philippines, one of the most “interactive” markets in the world.” |
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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.
