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Dubai: Etisalat is in negotiations with a UK-based company to purchase a system that could block all voice over internet calls. Currently, Skype bypasses network proxys, allowing individuals to talk or exchange information undetected. Bitek has two systems Snyper and Guardian which can block Skype. "We are in discussions with Etisalat for a product called Guardian which they can use to selectively choose what [programs] will or will not have access," said Graham Butler, president and CEO of Bitek International. In October, Gulf News reported that Etisalat is considering launching its own VoIP service later this year. Concerns According to a telcom analyst who asked not to be named, Etisalat's move raises concerns that the telecom giant will use this system to gain more control of VoiP.
"It's all about erasing the competition. They can use this system to choose who can use VoIP and who can't, and they may choose to only allow their programs to be used if they start it up," he said. Both the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) and Etisalat have refused to comment on the negotiations or any plans to utilise Guardian. Access to Skype, and other voice over internet protocol (VoIP) web sites, is already blocked in the UAE and using the programs is illegal. However, a loophole allows people who've obtained the program elsewhere to make phone calls abroad for fils per minute. Bitek International's software closes that loophole, by monitoring the network until it spots Skype activity. It will block the activity through any IP network without disrupting approved programs. Guardian lets the provider control which programs and users can acces VoiP, while the Snyper system blocks all access. Both programs, Butler said, will also block both Google and Yahoo Voice programs. Butler said that Snyper and Guardian are not intended to attack Skype itself, but rather to prevent unauthorised data transfers in and out of networks. The products are targeted towards national telecommunication regulators, governments, corporations and banks, he added. A Bitek study found that uncontrolled VoIP traffic represents global losses ranging from $16 million to $100 million (Dh58.4 to Dh365 million) annually. For countries with nationally regulated telecoms, this is a significant figure said Butler. "One Gulf country who we are currently in discussions with said they had losses of $200 million a year." The programs can also cut costs for private clients, according to Iftikhar Ahmad, an IT trainer at Informatics Computer Centre. He said Bitek's programs will help companies regain control of information flowing through their networks by shutting down unauthorised access. "It is good idea to use Snyper software because it controls the network traffic by simply blocking these Skype users. It also acts as traffic filter and returns the control to the network adminsitrator," said Ahmad. Since it was released in 2003, Skype has been downloaded more than 151 million times and has over 50 million registered users globally.
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