Frankfurter Allgemeine, February 03, 2003  (translated from German)

Surf faster with data compression
German company speeds up slow internet connections

The Saxons are a smart lot. This is proven once again by the internet service company Nutzwerk in Leipzig. Their service does not only protect against viruses and unwanted dialers. Nutzwerk has developed a method to speed up the display of internet pages several times. The user gets the impression that he surfs via a fast and expensive DSL connection, not just via his modem or ISDN connection.

The high speed is especially noticeable with mobile devices, like for example a connection through GPRS. The pages seem to be displayed as fast as with ISDN. This method has a side effect that is not to be underestimated: The mobile data transmission costs a lot less because GPRS is charged according to the volume of the data stream, which Nutzwerk reduces by doing a compressed transmission.

The Nutzwerk product is called "SaferSurf Speed" and compresses text data into a zip file before they are sent to the customer via a narrowband connection. Once the data have arrived, the computer unpacks them as quick as a flash, similarly to the download of software. The text content of the internet pages is displayed first on the screen. Only then the graphics are shown. "And in passing we have a look if the data contain unwanted content", said CEO René Holzer in Munich.

"We even succeeded in selling our service as far as Samoa", says Holzer proudly. The access to the service is simple: SaferSurf Speed is entered as proxy server into the internet browser; the price varies between $3 and $5.90 per month, depending on the booked service package.