Winferno, a software company specializing in Windows products, has released an add-on for the Windows browser that makes browsing less hazardous. The company is reaching out to ISPs with a site license offer.

by Alex Goldman ISP-Planet Associate Editor [November 10, 2003]

Boston, Mass.-based Winferno's Secure IE product is designed to make Web surfing safer. The product prevents surreptitious installation of cookies as well as ActiveX and JavaScript objects on customers' computers.

"It complements two established categories of product: anti-virus and firewall," says John Lal, Winferno's president and founder. Lal notes that most firewalls have to allow most browser traffic, which opens a security hole in the systems of most home users.

For this market, it is also vital that the product to be easy to use. "Painless install is our goal," says Lal. "With a one-click install, the product sets conservative settings."

It's also important to help users understand what settings are active. Lal says that while Microsoft IE allows users to manage settings by zone, Secure IE makes those settings easier to understand by displaying a grid on which users can double click any item to change it.

Productivity features
These days, almost everybody does at least some work from home, and productivity features will be of general interest. Some productivity features can even help school age children do homework more efficiently.

For example, Secure IE allows users to save a work environment consisting of several Web pages open at once. Users can save any Web page because the software puts all of the components in a single file. Users can even save secure server pages (such as billing pages).

Having the Web page in a single file speeds up the saving of Web pages, because individual elements don't have to be reloaded. Lal says the software can save files 5 to 10 times faster.

The product manages downloads in the background and works with anti-virus software to scan downloaded files for viruses.

Dialup users will like the ability to resume interrupted downloads. Often, when downloading a large file such as a movie trailer, the connection is broken. When the user reestablishes the Internet connection, it's better to start where you left off than to start at the beginning of the file again.

Best of all, the product can block most flash and pop-up ads. The company says its technology distinguishes between desired and undesired ads. It would, for example, allow a popup generated when a user clicked on a link.

Pricing and availability
The product is available now for Windows 98 and newer Windows operating systems. It is priced like anti-virus software, listing at $39.95 retail, with discounted prices as low as $29.95.

The company is willing to sell it to ISPs at half price for purchase volumes of thousands of units, and offers steeper discounts for larger volume purchases.

The product is distributed by Richardson, Tex.-based Credo International, a company that focuses on marketing to ISPs.

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