Ectel Inc. announced it sold its X-Probe PD product for lawful intercept to one of the nation’s largest wireless carriers. The company would not identify the carrier, nor would it offer financial details of the deal.
Ectel said its X-Probe PD product helps carriers comply with new lawful interception regulations for data network monitoring. Indeed, federal and state courts authorized a total of more than 1,300 wiretaps last year, and 77 percent of those taps were of wireless devices. Network operators are required by law to submit to such surveillance requests by giving law enforcement agencies call records and usage information.
In most cases, operators need to provide only phone numbers and billing details. But in some cases, law enforcement agencies request real-time access to calls, allowing them to listen in on what is being said in real time. If the suspects are exchanging text messages or even picture messages, law enforcement agencies will need to know that too.
“This is a strategic win for Ectel,” said Aharon Shech, the company’s president and chief executive officer. “Service providers are facing regulatory compliance challenges, which are comprehensively addressed by our unique solution. We are pleased that the X-Probe meets the needs of this first-tier carrier and continue with our efforts to introduce it to other service providers throughout the U.S.”
Other companies providing lawful intercept services include Verint Systems Inc., SS8 Networks, Aqsacom and VeriSign.
