European Patent Office (EPO) dismisses appeal
Dublin, December 2, 2015. The Appeals Board of the European Patent Office (EPO) last week dismissed an Appeal in Opposition proceedings which sought to revoke Anam’s patent (EP 1683375 B1) on SMS Home Routing. The decision conclusively held that Anam’s patent for an SMS routing system that allows Mobile Network Operators to offer SMS value added services, was both novel and inventive. The decision by the EPO Appeals Board in Munich brings seven years of opposition proceedings to conclusion.
Initially filed in 2004, the routing technique is today central to how Mobile Operators are implementing new monetisation strategies. Referred to in the Industry as “Transparent SMS Home Routing”, this ingenious technique gives the mobile network operator full visibility and control of all SMS traffic being delivered to its subscribers, even when they are roaming. A compelling feature of Anam’s patented technique is that it does not require any change in message handling for the interconnecting networks.
Company Founder Louise O’Sullivan, who attended the appeal hearing, sees the decision as indicative of Anam’s technical prowess in the sector. “Retaining the patent after such rigorous testing is a resounding endorsement. Our position as the foremost provider of SMS Firewalling technology is beyond question”. The routing technique is central to how SMS Firewalls are best deployed by Mobile Operators to protect their subscribers against SPAM, fraudulent & grey route SMS traffic. Mobile Operators can also generate new revenue by using the Anam invention to expose “free loading” A2P traffic on their networks and moving it onto a paid footing. In the wake of OTT services growth, Operators are actively looking at introducing other new revenue generating Value Added Services using the Home routing capability.
Truly delighted with the outcome of the appeal court, Anam’s CTO and Inventor of the patent, John Murtagh flagged impact beyond the SMS arena stating “the technology behind the patent is fundamental to SS7 firewalling”. He goes on “SMS Home Routing plays a central role in the measures that a Mobile Network Operator would deploy to counteract SS7 attacks based on the inherent vulnerabilities with the global SS7 network”. This means that the technology can be used to secure networks against well publicised hacking attempts.
The decision is also welcomed by Anam’s R&D Board Chairman, Professor Gerry Byrne who is responsible for driving Anam’s Technology Innovation programme. “I am delighted to be leading the creative process at Anam and the EPO’s acknowledgement of such a widely used invention is huge encouragement for the team.
