Applications
NDS and Cisco collaborate to launch cloud TV platform
MUMBAI: NDS, now part of Cisco, and Canal Digital, the leading DTH pay-TV provider in the Nordics, have collaborated to launch a next-generation cloud TV platform as a hosted, managed service.
Enabling both satellite and Over-the-Top (OTT) service delivery, the new platform will allow Canal Digital subscribers to access content anytime, anywhere and on multiple devices – whether in the home or on the go.
The premise for the new service is to provide an immersive TV experience that is personalised to the individual, the two companies said in a joint statement.
As an end-to-end hybrid infrastructure, delivered, hosted and managed for Canal Digital by NDS, the new platform will provide a scalable and flexible service that will allow for additional innovative features to be deployed quickly and easily after launch.
NDS Snowflake, the user experience framework, will provide the basis for the User Interface to be implemented across all devices as part of the Canal Digital service.
Powered by a hosted NDS Unified Headend, which will reside outside of the Canal Digital network, the subscriber’s home will be connected through a multimedia gateway that distributes content and metadata-based services around the home over IP to complement satellite delivered programming.
To enable advanced functionality throughout the home, the gateway and multi-tuner hybrid zapper boxes will be powered by NDS’ MediaHighway middleware, utilising Jungo Panorama remote management technology to reduce support costs and improve the subscriber experience.
Canal Digital CEO Patrik Hofbauer said, “Our new platform will provide what can only be described as a new generation of TV entertainment for our subscribers. With NDS, we are investing in our future to provide the ultimate user experience and the best possible infrastructure to support the growth of our business.”
Cisco SVP & GM, service provider video technology group Jesper Andersen said, “In providing a wholly managed service for Canal Digital we are combining our experience and technical capability to extend our role as solutions provider further than ever before. But more significantly, the approach taken by Canal Digital shows market innovation and progression to hosted and cloud-based technologies that will enable future-proofed platforms, optimised resources and scalability.”
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.
