CounterPaths Unacceptable Move
As the new decade rolls around, CounterPath, the developers of the popular VoIP softphone X-Lite, have decided to force everyone off and onto their Bria platform, previously for commercial users, but now for everyone, if you try to run X-lite, you'll get an error telling you its now End Of Life and to pop over to CounterPaths website and download Bria Solo Free which is free for home and non-commercial use, and claim is a direct replacement for X-Lite.So you're probably wondering yeah, ummm, soooo, what the hell is wrong with that?
Well, do you remember when you downloaded X-lite? You may have given them your email address - which is fine, you're using their software for free after all, but do you recall giving them anything else?
No, you didn't, you never had to give them your private and confidential SIP information, nor should you, there's only one person who should ever know that - YOU!
This is where CounterPaths actions have disturbingly turned, when you try to download Bria Solo Free, you don't get to do that until you have given CounterPath your confidential SIP details, your SIP Login, your SIP Password, your SIP Server.
In what reality do CounterPath think this is acceptable? This is grave and serious invasion of privacy, a security risk amongst the highest level. If they wanted to make it easy for a user to get the software up and running, it should ask for this after install on its first run.
Bria Solo Free calls home to its licence server too. Why? it's a free direct replacement version for X-lite, isn't it? The commercial unlocked options shouldn't be a concern. Calling home would be acceptable if it was the commercial version as there is a licence to verify, but not so for the Solo free, but even for commercial version, it is still unacceptable to collect a users private SIP details, that is unacceptable period.
CounterPath need to realise and admit this monumental F-up, there should be no collection of SIP details, and no ET calling home either on the free versions.
I did try to take this up with CounterPath but couldn't get past the front desk monkey Robert who kept accusing me of using their software in a commercial environment, even after having set him straight on that, twice, in the end his only response was " have a nice day".
Luckily this is no longer the early 2000's, its 2020 and there are several excellent free alternatives that don't destroy your privacy...
Grandstream Wave popular fully featured App for Android and iOS recommended
MicroSIP for Windows, light on resources, inbuilt port knocking recommended
Blink best for Mac but supports other OS's
Ekiga great for Linux, bit old school though
Zoiper is available for Windows, Linux, Mac, Android and iOS, the free version is however rather feature limited
There are of course others out there, some maintained, some not, but the above are rated very highly by those who use them
The Logo's used in this article are copyright property of their respective owners, they are used here without permission under Australian Copyright Law Fair Dealings exemption.
No, you didn't, you never had to give them your private and confidential SIP information, nor should you, there's only one person who should ever know that - YOU!
This is where CounterPaths actions have disturbingly turned, when you try to download Bria Solo Free, you don't get to do that until you have given CounterPath your confidential SIP details, your SIP Login, your SIP Password, your SIP Server.
In what reality do CounterPath think this is acceptable? This is grave and serious invasion of privacy, a security risk amongst the highest level. If they wanted to make it easy for a user to get the software up and running, it should ask for this after install on its first run.
Bria Solo Free calls home to its licence server too. Why? it's a free direct replacement version for X-lite, isn't it? The commercial unlocked options shouldn't be a concern. Calling home would be acceptable if it was the commercial version as there is a licence to verify, but not so for the Solo free, but even for commercial version, it is still unacceptable to collect a users private SIP details, that is unacceptable period.CounterPath need to realise and admit this monumental F-up, there should be no collection of SIP details, and no ET calling home either on the free versions.
I did try to take this up with CounterPath but couldn't get past the front desk monkey Robert who kept accusing me of using their software in a commercial environment, even after having set him straight on that, twice, in the end his only response was " have a nice day".
Luckily this is no longer the early 2000's, its 2020 and there are several excellent free alternatives that don't destroy your privacy...
Grandstream Wave popular fully featured App for Android and iOS recommended
MicroSIP for Windows, light on resources, inbuilt port knocking recommended
Blink best for Mac but supports other OS's
Ekiga great for Linux, bit old school though
Zoiper is available for Windows, Linux, Mac, Android and iOS, the free version is however rather feature limited
There are of course others out there, some maintained, some not, but the above are rated very highly by those who use them
The Logo's used in this article are copyright property of their respective owners, they are used here without permission under Australian Copyright Law Fair Dealings exemption.
Trackbacks
No Trackbacks
Comments
Display comments as Linear | Threaded
Denny on :
zoiper get a thumbs up for android, even if it is feature locked without pro version.
Niko Benittito on :
damn mongrel dogs counterpath. I too not giving you jack shit of my details, if you get hacked so do I, and how do we know we can trust your staff? It just not happening, and scummy you wont allow x-lite to keep working, so you can force us onto your bria database with your collecting all those usernames, passwords and SIP servers, the NSA will love you
Well I wont be and I made sure all me mates know too.