VoiceAge Networks Corporation and McAfee Inc revealed at 3GSM their demonstration of the market’s first audio and video content adaptation solution from VoiceAge Networks integrating McAfee VirusScan Mobile product for the mobile market.

 

The joint demo illustrates a solution against any type of mobile virus that spreads via MMS messages potentially affecting MMS-active subscribers from any mobile network operator in the world. VoiceAge Networks, while performing the transcoding of multimedia messages (MMS) using its popular SPOTxde Server, opens up and dissects each MMS. McAfee VirusScan then automatically scans all MMS media elements and the built-in fixing mechanism filters out viruses disguised as multimedia content. All of this happens in milliseconds, completely transparent to the subscriber.

 

This collaborative endeavor brings one of the first mobile anti-abuse solutions worldwide to mobile network operators. Media-based viruses are a major problem in the wired world. MMS viruses are comparable to PC viruses and capable of propagating themselves via MMS messages. The first Mobile virus, Commwarrior, was discovered a year ago and was affecting Symbian operating system running on Nokia Series-60 handsets. It spread by sending multiple MMS messages from the infected device, which was generating large usage fees before an infected phone’s owner becomes aware of the problem. Furthermore, mobile viruses can damage the data stored on the device (contact list, calendar of events and more). On the operator side, MMS virus spreads can directly affect mobile data ARPU, resulting in loss of network bandwidth and a drastic decline in mobile content consumption.

 

"The timing to develop this solution is perfect," says Jean Mayrand, CEO of VoiceAge Networks. "MMS traffic is picking up and revenues are estimated to reach US$50B by 2010 driven by trillions of messages. Mobile network operators need to acquire the best-of-breed in transcoding and in virus protection if they want to mitigate their risk at those traffic levels. This complete solution will greatly enhance their capabilities to deliver MMS services safely to their customers".

 

"Subscriber safety and security are becoming as important as interoperability in mobile multimedia," says Victor Kouznetsov, SVP McAfee Mobile. "Close co-operation between leaders in security and interoperability allows for optimal placement within the network and highest level of protection for the operator and subscriber. With this joint solution we are addressing immediate concerns growing in the operator environment as well as provide a roadmap to safeguard future mobile services."

 

 

The VoiceAge Networks and McAfee solution will be shown at the McAfee Inc. booth at 3GSM, between halls 1,2,3,4, 5 and 8 on Avenue de La Reina Maria Cristina.

 

On display will be a demonstration of transcoding and virus scan of multimedia message files to different mobile devices using SPOTxde Server and McAfee VirusScan. This VoiceAge Networks platform performs real-time content adaptation of MMS, whether for person to person or application to person. The immediate impact is the dramatic improvement in the successful delivery of these messages, as the risks of interoperability issues are automatically neutralized by the platform. And once SPOTxde Server is deployed, the same implementation can be used to integrate with all other services in the network, including Application Gateways, Download Servers, and of course a Mobile Service Delivery Platform.

 

McAfee Mobile Security is a platform designed, architected and implemented specifically for the Mobile eco-system.  McAfee VirusScan Mobile is the flagship product in the security platform, which is offered as an-end-to-end integrated security solution, providing advanced scanning, detection and cleaning of mobile data to prevent corruption due to viruses, worms, Trojans, malware, and other security threats.

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