[gui-talk] Fwd: Freedom Scientific Announces Secure and Compatible Braille Display Initiative

[Steve Pattison]

 From:    Scott Erichsen pianoman at scotterichsen.com
 To:      vip list vip-l at softspeak.com.au

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Brad Davis
800-444-4443 or 727-803-8000
www.FreedomScientific.com
Sales: info at FreedomScientific.com
Freedom Scientific Announces Secure and Compatible Braille Display
Initiative
JAWSR 11 to Offer Improved Security and Interoperability
St. Petersburg, Florida - August 11, 2009) - Freedom Scientific, one of the
leading providers of assistive technology for people who are blind,
announced its Secure and Compatible Braille Display Initiative today.
The goal of this new program is to follow Microsoft's move to signed drivers
to improve security and compatibility for customers who use a Braille
display with JAWS. Under this program, Freedom Scientific will test Braille
displays to ensure compatibility with JAWS and then digitally sign the
driver. Starting with the JAWS 11 release later this year, only drivers that
have been digitally signed by Freedom Scientific will work with JAWS.
"A digitally signed driver means you can be confident that the driver
actually comes from the publisher it claims to and that it has not been
altered," said Eric Damery, Vice President of Software Product Management
for Freedom Scientific. "This is important, as one of the most insidious
ways that computers come under attack is through malicious rootkits,
programs that install at the device driver level and take over the entire
system. Such programs can be very difficult to detect since they cannot be
found with traditional security scans, such as anti-virus or anti-spyware
programs."
For those currently using JAWS with 32-bit Microsoft WindowsR and a Braille
display whose driver was included in a previous English version of JAWS,
there will be no change. Freedom Scientific will include signed versions of
all those 32-bit drivers in JAWS 11. If you have questions about your
Braille display, please call Freedom Scientific technical support.
However, all Braille display manufacturers will need to develop new 64-bit
drivers to support 64-bit Microsoft Windows - most new computers now come
with 64-bit Microsoft Windows preinstalled. To support this effort, Freedom
Scientific created the Secure and Compatible Braille Display Program. The
program provides a driver development kit for third party Braille display
manufacturers and a test suite that Freedom Scientific will use to ensure
compatibility with JAWS before digitally signing the driver.
Freedom Scientific is the first company in the industry to develop a signed
driver program which improves the security and compatibility of Braille
displays.
Papenmeier, a German manufacturer of Braille displays, has already completed
their 64-bit signed driver, and other Braille display manufacturers are
actively working on 64-bit signed drivers for their Braille displays.
Dirk Kochanek, of Papenmeier in Germany, says, "We at Papenmeier appreciate
the signed driver concept of Freedom Scientific. Signed drivers improve the
security of operating systems and enhance the compatibility of hardware.
This also can help the acceptance of screen reader solutions in the
professional IT environment, especially with large employers. Papenmeier was
the first company to have their drivers certified and signed by Freedom
Scientific and is ready for 64-bit Windows operating systems."
About Freedom Scientific
Freedom Scientific is one of the leading providers of assistive technology
products for those who are low vision or blind.

Regards Steve
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