Drishti launches porn blocker hardware

CMN Bureau

HYDERABAD, INDIA: IT research company Drishti Systems Private Limited today launched a statistical pornography filter NetOptima N101, a plug-n-play hardware device to block porn contents on the Internet. NetOptima deploys a pattern matching algorithm technique to spot the web content.

Besides pattern matching, the hardware also uses document parsing and word searching algorithms, developed by Drishti’s seven-member research and development team headed by Anil K Chandra. Based on pattern-based filtering method, the device analyses the web pages while it is being loaded for pre-defined patterns and blocks pornographic content.

Drishti is also trying to patent the algorithms it has devised. The company’s R&D has created a database of patterns to determine the nature of content. The company is targeting educational institutions, Internet Service Providers and corporates for NetOptima, said Chandra.

“We are first launching NetOptima in Andhra Pradesh. Soon we will also launch it in other states followed by the Middle East and US markets.’’ The company is already planning an upgraded version of the device, according to Abhishek Bhalerao, a member behind the development of NetOptima.

It took three years for Drishti to completely develop the hardware. The company is manufacturing the device at the Shamirpet facility of its partner Linkwell Telesystems, another Hyderabad based company. NetOptima is priced at Rs 65,000 per device. Drishti also launched its porn-free broadband, Drishti Broadband.