[DMCA-Activists] The Inquirer: Anti-Skype software kills IM, P2P too

[Seth Johnson]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [IP] The Inquirer: Anti-Skype software kills IM, P2P too
Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2005 10:23:14 -0400
From: David Farber <address@hidden>
Reply-To: address@hidden
To: Ip Ip <address@hidden>
References: <address@hidden>



Begin forwarded message:

From: Bob Drzyzgula <address@hidden>
Date: September 19, 2005 9:47:43 AM EDT
To: David Farber <address@hidden>
Cc: Ip Ip <address@hidden>
Subject: The Inquirer: Anti-Skype software kills IM, P2P too



  <http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=26255>

| Anti-Skype software kills IM, P2P too
| Bandwidth bandsaw released
| By: Doug Mohney
|
| Monday 19 September 2005, 07:14
|
| LAST WEEK, Verso Technologies (www.verso.com)
| announced the rollout of a "carrier-grade applications
| filter" that can block so-called bandwidth drains
| such as Skype, P2P messaging, streaming media, and
| instant messaging.
|
| Skype is singled out in the headline of the press
| release. It's not a P2P blocker, it's a "Skype
| Filtering Technology."
|
| Verso CEO Monty Bannerman, founding CTO of the NAP of
| Americas, says service providers are gung-ho about
| his new product offering. As a "free" service,
| Skype is raiding the business model of service
| providers that want to roll out VoIP services for
| their customers. "They're all telling me they hate
| Skype and they're telling me that they want to do
| something about Skype," said Bannerman in a telephone
| interview. "If you have something in your network that
| is costing you money and raiding your business model,
| I assure you you're going to do something about it."
|
| Bannerman claims that Skype and other P2P applications
| were generating up to 30 per cent of existing
| network traffic load as of last year according to
| presentations at the North American Network Operators
| Group (NANOG). Since a revenue-based service provider
| isn't making any money off that traffic load, it's
| not a good thing, especially if they plan to offer
| their own flavor of VoIP to their customer base. Since
| making the announcement, Verso has received a number
| of phone calls from existing customers as well as
| intrigued service providers.
|
| Could this technology be used to block Vonage
| service? "Sure," said Bannerman. "But we wouldn't do
| that." Bannerman drew a distinction between the more
| heavily US-regulated Vonage and Skype, saying that
| they were "different," with Vonage required to provide
| E-911 service and abide by other FCC regulations,
| while Skype had no such state-side regulation. He
| believed he had a shot at selling some of his boxes
| to Vonage in order for that company to monitor
| traffic flow.
|
| Figuring how to measure and block Skype has been a
| significant challenge, since the application has been
| difficult to measure. Verso has spent over a year
| and four engineering attempts to develop a platform
| capable of detecting, managing, and controlling
| Skype. "We are better than anyone else at this moment
| in time in detecting Skype and doing something with
| it, including turning it off."
|
| When asked if current FCC rulings and upcoming
| American federal legislation to prevent application
| blocking of any type would affect selling the
| Skype-blocker in the States, Bannerman didn't seem
| to be worried. "The World Wide Web isn't just about
| America, plunk yourself anywhere else," he said. "This
| is a product for the world market," and he pointed
| out that there's a patchwork of regulatory schemes
| around the globe. µ




-------------------------------------

Archives at:
http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/