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The more or less challenge – the role of outsourcing
SINGAPORE: With the broadcast industry rapidly going digital, broadcasters need to provide new services on their existing cost bases to achieve operational efficiencies to drive in business changes.
So, besides other seminars on going digital, the third day‘s afternoon session at Broadcast Asia focused on how broadcasters need to focus on their core competencies by outsourcing in other areas.
Some of the important issues that were raised included – why outsourcing is relevant to the broadcast industry and what benefits it can bring. And most importantly what are some of the ways in which outsourcing can be delivered.
Throwing light on the rapidly accelerating changes in the broadcast industry, Siemens Business Services Media head Saleha Williams said, “Broadcasters have to grow out of their traditional operating models which are no longer working, because of rapid technological changes and business models. Outsourcing can also save us from various revenue pressures which have come in with lots of competition with more platforms, audience fragmentation and increasing churn and new advertising models.”
The seminar brought out five core elements to the technology change
o Broadband
o Mobile
o PVR
o HDTV
o Increasing competition from gaming and other forms of non broadcast entertainment
Some of the regulatory-led change are:
o Digital broadcasting (analogue switch off)
o Deregulation
Willaims gave out some pointers on how outsourcing can help broadcasters
o Outsourcing in broadcast markets as much about innovation as cost savings.
o Solving new problems, such as distribution to emerging platforms.
o Outsourcers act as a catalyst, enabling broadcasters to transform ways of working. At heart of every outsourcing relationship.
o Economies of scale, improved operational effectiveness and off shoring.
o Typically savings of 20-30%, but depends totally on the nature of the service.
Williams also listed out some of the benefits achieved by outsourcing other parts of the world.
o Outsourcing in broadcast markets as much about innovation as cost savings.
o Solving new problems, such as distribution to emerging platforms.
o Outsourcers act as a catalyst, enabling broadcasters to transform ways of working.
· Significant technology investment needed to compete in changing broadcast market.
o Outsourcers can help broadcasters smooth their investment profile.
o Pay an annual charge i.e. from capex to opex.
o Outsourcers and their partners provide greater specialisation.
o Apply learning from working with other broadcast organisations.
o Sometimes easier to measure and incentivise services provided externally.
o At heart of every outsourcing relationship .Economies of scale, improved operational effectiveness and off shoring.
o Typically savings of 20-30%, but depends totally on the nature of the service.
o Allows broadcaster to concentrate more effectively on its business strategy.
o Reduces the level of management attention required for non core activities.
o Hands problem over to a third party.
· Driven by cost savings and risk transfer / reduction.
· Embeds outsource provider in broadcaster‘s organisation.
o Provides transformational change.
o Driven by risk sharing / reduction and cost savings.
o Flexibility
Three Principal Issues
o Not understood initial cost base or level of savings achievable in house
o Not factored all costs into deal e.g. transition, management and termination
o Maintain outsourced services in house (pay twice over)
o Efficiencies change over time i.e. cost efficient process in 2006 may be an expensive one by 2010
Reasons and Observations
o Both actual falls and perception that service levels have fallen are important
o Broadcaster culture – problems need solving at once even if not “on air”
o Require realistic service levels to be agreed and communicated to all users
o Broadcaster and outsourcer need to understand each other‘s business drivers
o Need to protect competitive strengths and strategic identity. For instance, a company outsourcing technology may decide to keep enough of its technology strategists in house to be in control of its technology vision.
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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.
