OPTENET JOINS ISPA TO AID FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNET INDUSTRY

Published 30th June 2009

Company’s Commitment to Eliminate Illegal Internet Content, Promote Online Safety for Children and Support New Government Online Initiatives Echoes that of ISPA

LONDON, 30 June 2009 – Optenet, a global IT security company and provider of high-performance content filtering solutions, today announced that it has joined the Internet Services Providers' Association (ISPA), the respected and influential UK trade association for the Internet industry. Through joining, Optenet will assist in shaping policy to ensure a safer Internet experience for surfers, particularly children and the vulnerable.

Established in 1995, the ISPA promotes competition, self-regulation and the development of the Internet industry. The ISPA's main activity is in making representations on behalf of the industry to Government bodies, such as the Home Office, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Ofcom.

"We are pleased to welcome Optenet as the ISPA's latest member and look forward to its expert input on areas of Internet policy. As members of the ISPA, Optenet will be involved in shaping ISPA policy through sub-groups as well as enjoying the many benefits of ISPA membership," explained the ISPA’s Secretary General, Nicholas Lansman.

Originally launched 12 years ago as an Internet service provider dedicated to creating a safer Web experience for minors, Optenet is now a Web content security vendor that brings the same filtering and security capabilities to service providers and enterprises across the globe.

“Since our inception in 1997, Optenet has been firmly committed to eliminating the digital divide through effective education and safer usage of the Internet, especially for children. We see membership of the ISPA as a natural extension to these efforts and hope it will prove a catalyst for change in the industry,” added Optenet’s Regional Director Northern Europe and South Africa, Kevin Roberts.

Optenet has already helped create a number of revolutionary child safety initiatives which have been endorsed by the European Commission’s Safer Internet Program, including Securenet, a European network of child pornography hotlines and the Infonet programme that aids the production of filtering and online classification system. Additionally, in Spain, Optenet sponsors campaigns run by the NGO Protégeles to combat online child pornography. Protégeles is a member of the International Association of Internet Hotlines, INHOPE.

In addition to the ISPA, Optenet is also a member of the Internet Watch Foundation, FOSI and The Internet Industry Association.

About Optenet:
Optenet is a global IT security company that provides high-performance content filtering solutions to service providers and large enterprises worldwide. Optenet’s technology protects over 75 million end users around the globe, including the customers of many of the world’s leading ISPs and mobile operators, as well as employees of global enterprise organisations. The Company is a socially conscious organisation, committed to eliminating illegal content on the Internet, protecting children and supporting government agencies and non-profit organisations that share the same goal.