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ZTE to promote product awareness on VAS
MUMBAI: ZTE Corporation, the global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, is this month raising product awareness to highlight its range of value-added services (VAS). As an integral part of the global tour, ZTE is offering a series of technical workshops to major operators in nine countries around the world, focusing in detail on the uses and benefits of its latest network solutions and technologies like IMS SOFTDA, Handset Television, NGCC(Next Generation Call) and OCS(Online Billing system). |
With a theme of “Information, Content and Entertainment”, the 2007 tour following two similar and highly successful events in previous two years, and will cover major cities around the world including United Arab Emirates, Egypt, India, Bengal? Brazil, Vietnam, Algeria, Kenya and Pakistan. “In the converging telecoms world, traditional voice and data services can no longer be regarded as the revenue-generating services that they once were,” said Mr Huang Dabin, CEO of ZTE India. “In the on-going effort to retain customers and increase ARPU, services that add value on top of voice and data are fast becoming the key to the creation of future-proofed, profit-generating networks. Our VAS forum places the new breed of services in context for national operators who are seeking an economically viable means to scale services in a way which meets customer expectations.” |
ZTE delivers its value adding technology through its Anyservice solution, a system which enables multiple services such as polyphonic ringtones, SMS, 3G data services, prepaid services, intelligent public phone services and a number of corporate solutions to streamline communications in the enterprise. Demonstrating ZTE´s ability to meet the diverse demands of local customers, ZTE´s VAS forum highlights the full portfolio of VAS solutions, simultaneously focusing on one or two specific customised solutions for local markets. To date, ZTE´s Anyservice VAS solutions have been deployed for around 70 carriers in over 60 countries around 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.
