CounterPath announces an advanced version of its multimedia communications softphone, Bria 3.0. Available immediately for Windows and Mac, Bria's new features include HD video, user customization, presence alert and additional troubleshooting tools, all designed to enhance the overall user experience and the enterprise feature set.

Bria 3.0 is the first CounterPath softphone based on Windows Presentation Foundation and .net for Windows, and Cocoa for Mac, the most flexible user interface frameworks currently available. This foundation enables an unprecedented user experience, including user interface features such as transparency, extensive customization options and support for rich media.

Bria 3.0 also is the first version of Bria available for Mac. According to some analyst firms, approximately 80 percent of businesses have Macs on their network, while Mac shipments across the consumer and enterprise markets grew a total of 24 percent in Q4 2009.

Bria 3.0 is based on open industry standards such as SIP and Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP), a foundation that simplifies integration with Internet telephony service provider solutions and PBXs, both SIP-enabled and legacy platforms. Bria 3.0's proven interoperability with major VoIP equipment manufacturers, hosted PBX and system integrators ensures fast, cost-effective deployments, so enterprises can immediately improve employee productivity and reduce travel and communications costs.

Bria 3.0's key features include:

• HD video enables users to view, send and receive video in high- resolution HD (1280x720p) video
• Improved usability, including a simpler design, a variety of layout options and improved task flow for transfers, conferencing and multi- call handling
• Presence Alert allows you to select a contact or group of contacts and be notified when their phone and presence status changes
• Basic, extended and premium levels of support, including a help desk and user forum
• Directory (LDAP/ADSI) integration
• Support for plug-and-play, Human Interface Device (HID)-compliant devices, with the option to personalize buttons to control Bria (Windows version only)
• A troubleshooting assistant that identifies common softphone and VoIP issues, with notification and resolution tools
• Additional security features, including support for a greater variety of network topologies, improved firewall traversal and compliance with the latest ICE/STUN/TURN security options
• Contact synchronization with Microsoft Outlook personal address books
• Bridged Line Appearance support for workgroups allows members to pick up or join other calls
• Improved APIs to support Command Line Interface integration and information transfer between different applications, such as contact support for customer relation management applications

Pricing for a single copy of Bria is $49.95, with additional volume pricing available.