Blue Coat provides mobile operators with web filtering, anti-virus, web acceleration and service platform

The solution, deployed within the mobile operator's network, also enables protection against viruses, spyware and other malware created for the mobile handset; protects against illegal child pornography; enables premium content services; and accelerates content.

Blue Coat is the content filtering provider for Vodafone worldwide, protecting children and those with policy requests from accessing inappropriate content and services. Vodafone live! provides access to a range of information and entertainment content from world-leading brands. The content standards of this service are based on Blue Coat's appliances and Blue Coat WebFilter to provide a "safety first" service. This service is being rolled out to all of Vodafone's 17 operating companies worldwide.

"As full Internet access becomes available on mobile telephones, operators have a mandate to protect minors from harmful content. With the growing rate of children today owning mobile phones giving them access to illicit and dangerous material off the Internet through GPRS, our purpose is to give parents control of what their children see on the Web," said Ray Kafity, general manager of Blue Coat Middle East.

"Mobile operators also need a solution in place to defend against future viruses and malware that will specifically target the mobile handset. Blue Coat is now fully proven as a solution for mobile operators to meet today's challenges of content filtering, content acceleration, security protection and the ability to create future services."

URL Filtering with User Understanding; Blocking Illegal Content

Mobile operators can combine Blue Coat appliances with its popular onboard WebFilter database for accuracy, speed and comprehensive filtering of Internet content. WebFilter incorporates Dynamic Real Time Rating (DRTR™) technology that can categorize "on the fly" new Websites as they are being requested and then block or allow them accordingly. Operators can block access to adult content until they can confirm that the user is over the legal age.

Content filtering at the individual subscriber level is ultimately what every mobile operator wants to achieve. The Blue Coat platform is unique in that it understands the concept of an individual subscriber by simultaneously correlating information from the operator's subscriber database, RADIUS attributes and customer details contained in the Mobile Subscriber ISDN (MSISDN).

Once the MSISDN is associated with a user, policy can be applied to the session in accordance with factors, such as whether the customer is a minor, an adult or a corporate user. The service also employs the Internet Watch Foundation child pornography list to keep all customers from accessing illegal content.

Delivering Premium Content; Blocking Conflicting Service

With the Blue Coat platform's ability to combine awareness and understanding of subscribers with content control, mobile operators can create new revenue-producing services involving premium-rate, personalized content. The solution can block usage of Skype or other Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services that conflict with an operator's telephony services.

Accelerating Web Content

In addition to providing security and services, the Blue Coat solution typically accelerates Internet content and applications by a factor of ten through use of sophisticated caching and pipelining technologies. The Blue Coat family of appliances can scale to accommodate millions of subscribers in centralized or decentralized deployments.