CounterPath Teams with PGP Founder Phil Zimmermann to Increase VoIP Softphone Security with Integration of Zfone's ZRTP Protocol
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VANCOUVER and PALO ALTO, USA, April 4 // - CounterPath Solutions, Inc. (OTCBB: CTPS), a leading provider of VoIP (Voice over IP) and Video over IP SIP softphones, and PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) founder Phil Zimmermann, industry leader in IP communications security, privacy and compliance solutions, today announced an agreement that would see Zfone, the secure VoIP media encryption software, integrated as an option into CounterPath's softphone solutions including eyeBeam(TM) 1.5 and X-Lite 3.0(TM). This agreement adds a new level of security to CounterPath's VoIP softphone solutions and increases their importance for the enterprise market.
Zfone media encryption for VoIP communications uses a new protocol called ZRTP to achieve risk-free security without reliance on a PKI (Public Key Infrastructure), key certification, trust models, certificate authorities or key management complexity. Zfone performs its key agreements and key management in a pure peer-to-peer manner over the RTP packet stream and interoperates with any standard SIP phone. CounterPath's SIP softphones and softphone SDKs (Software Development Kits), including the eyeBeam 1.5 softphone, provide VoIP, Video over IP, IM (Instant Messaging) and Presence functionalities, and offer flexible VoIP solutions for some of the world's largest service providers and equipment manufacturers including Cisco, Lucent, AT&T, British Telecom and Deutsche Telekom.
The integration of Zfone media encryption into CounterPath's softphones will significantly increase VoIP security levels for CounterPath's customers and end users. Enterprises, service providers and infrastructure manufacturers deploying these softphones will benefit from protection from security threats such as Spam, Denial-of-Service attacks, eavesdropping, spying and wiretapping, while enjoying the same level of security and convenience that they have come to expect from email.
"As communications-over-IP proliferates, there is increased concern over security of information, especially in enterprise environments where incidences of corporate espionage are becoming more prevalent," said Donovan Jones, President and COO of CounterPath. "We expect this collaboration to positively impact the commercial viability of softphones and play an important role in how corporations protect their intellectual property."
"The ZRTP protocol turns CounterPath's popular soft VoIP clients into serious secure telephones," commented Phil Zimmermann. "With Zfone built into X-Lite and eyeBeam, they will now be secure telephones for the masses, and will be welcomed into the ever-growing interoperable ZRTP user community."
CounterPath is seen at the forefront of SIP softphone manufacturers integrating high-level media encryption into its technology.
About Zfone
Zfone is a new secure VoIP phone software product which lets you make encrypted phone calls over the Internet. Its principal designer is Phil Zimmermann, the creator of PGP, the most widely used email encryption software in the world. Zfone uses a new protocol called ZRTP, which achieves security without reliance on a PKI, key certification, trust models, certificate authorities, or key management complexity. ZRTP does not rely on SIP signaling for the key management, performs its key agreements in a purely peer-to-peer manner over the RTP media stream, and interoperates with any standard SIP/RTP phone. To learn more about Zfone, please visit www.zfoneproject.com.
About CounterPath
CounterPath Solutions, Inc., formerly Xten Networks, Inc., is a developer of award-winning, carrier-grade VoIP and Video over IP SIP softphones for telecom and Internet telephony service providers, cable operators, IP-PBX manufacturers and infrastructure manufacturers. CounterPath's SIP softphones and softphone SDKs (Software Development Kits), which provide VoIP, Video over IP, IM (Instant Messaging) and Presence functionality and can be preconfigured to our customer's VoIP service, are predominantly licensed on a per seat or per subscriber basis, either co-branded or private labeled. CounterPath's technology is deployed by over 250 customers in more than 50 countries. Additional information about CounterPath and CounterPath's products and services is available at www.counterpath.com.
CONTACT: Rob Brown, Director of Marketing, (604) 320-3344 x.120, pr@counterpath.com
Source: CounterPath Solutions, Inc.
