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RealNetworks, Idea Cellular partner for RBT service
MUMBAI: RealNetworks India, a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of US-based digital entertainment services company RealNetworks, has inked a long-term Ringback Tone (RBT) partnership with mobile services operator Idea Cellular which has over 100 million subscribers.
RealNetworks won the deal after an open bidding process ahead of global and Indian Vas players.
RealNetworks will power Dialer Tones for 10 key circles in Gujarat, Rajasthan, UP West, UP East, Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal, Kolkata, Assam and North East. The subscriber base of these circles constitute about one-third of Idea Cellular’s total base, who will now have access to globally advanced and innovative service features.
Idea Cellular CMO Sashi Shankar said, “Dialer Tones has matured as a product and growth has stagnated. There is a need to invest in innovation and think out-of-the-box. We hope to partly address this through our partnership with RealNetworks. After a rigorous evaluation process, RealNetworks emerged as ‘best fit’ for the job at hand. We hope to leverage their global expertise in music, technology and licensing”.
RealNetworks AsiaPacific head DJ Lee said, “We are honoured to be chosen as the RBT partner of Idea Cellular. RealNetworks global expertise in RBT deployment, combined with Idea Cellular’s deep and ongoing commitment to its subscribers’ satisfaction means that Idea’s subscribers will have the opportunity to enjoy innovative, reliable and fun RBT services.”
RealNetworks‘ RBT ASP service is available through 16 mobile operators in 10 countries around the world with 588 million subscribers. Recently, RealNetworks opened its second office in India in Mumbai as a result of the new deal with Idea Cellular.
RealNetworks India country manager DJ Kim said, “RealNetworks India plans to aggressively expand our base with multiple carriers in Mumbai as well as across the country. We will move ahead to bring RealNetworks globally proven VAS services and expertise from advanced markets like USA, Korea and Europe to the fast-growing and promising India market.”
RealNetworks has been steadily growing its business in India since the company opened its first office in National Capital Region (NCR) in 2005. RealNetworks already provides RBT service for Tier 1 and Tier 2 carriers as well as Vas operations to Tier 1 carriers.
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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.
