Independence Day: Software tool bypasses Firewalls, enables uncensored Instant Messaging

"Independence Day" might have an additional meaning for millions of office workers who can't access Instant Messaging services like MSN, Yahoo, AIM or ICQ because they are blocked by corporate firewalls. A new software tool called "hopster" bypasses censoring proxy servers and connects users at work with their friends and family.

July 4, Vienna, Austria - "Independence Day" might have an additional meaning for millions of office workers who can't access Instant Messaging services like MSN, Yahoo, AIM or ICQ because they are blocked by corporate firewalls. A new software tool called "hopster" bypasses censoring proxy servers and connects users at work with their friends and family.

Much to the suprise of the developers, hopster has already gained overwhelming popularity in the Middle East, where access to the Internet is limited and Instant Messaging services are censored by country-wide firewalls.

"Getting around political censorship was nothing we had planned for, but once people found our web site, they kept coming in, and it is working just fine - I'd call it a successful Beta test", says Andreas Pizsa, developer of hopster.

Unlike many other security and privacy related software tools, hopster was designed to be as user-friendly as possible. Once the small 900 KB tool is installed on the client's computer, it analyzes the network environment, identifies proxy servers and automatically configures Instant Messaging applications to bypass the firewall.

A demo version of hopster is available at http://www.hopster.com; the demo version displays an advertising window which is removed for a $9.95 registration fee.