Applications
NDS is Comcast’s professional services partner
MUMBAI: NDS has been chosen by US entertainment service provider Comcast to be the prime integrator of the company’s tru2way software integration project that utilises the Cable Labs tru2way Reference Implementation (RI).
Under this agreement, NDS’ Professional Services Group will lead set-top box (STB) testing, code development and success validation for the integration of new tru2way applications and devices for Comcast.
NDS will provide Comcast with services that optimise the RI stack, enabling uniform and reliable porting to tru2way STBs. This will allow Comcast to run the same applications and services across multiple models of STBs, offering a consistent user experience for subscribers and providing the company with the freedom to use a variety of hardware platforms.
The NDS team will work to build the RI testing tool, implement the tests against the different STBs, develop code and assist in fixing any issues.
Comcast senior VP of advanced business and technology development Mark Hess says, “We are committed to the Cable Labs Reference Implementation and its deployment on tru2way devices. NDS has tremendous experience in working with video operators around the world and has proven their ability to offer reliable, timely and highly competent solutions as an integrations partner. We’re eager to begin our work together to enhance the RI, which will help advance the industry’s adoption of tru2way while also enabling us to bring our customers interactive services.”
NDS VP, GM of professional services Stuart McGeechan says, “Our integration and professional services work has been recognised as dependable and effective in providing complex technical solutions to the US cable market. We are greatly looking forward to integrating the secure RI application into the Comcast portfolio, as this agreement further underlines our successful approach of bringing together best of breed products and solutions while cementing our position as a reliable and trusted ‘go to’ partner for North American cable companies.”
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.
