Enigmail and p≡p are partnering together for developing Enigmail/p≡p
Encryption add-on Enigmail and pretty Easy privacy (p≡p) are joining in development of a solution for the well-known mail client Thunderbird. The goal is to make encryption as easy as possible, said Enigmail's project lead Patrick Brunschwig and p≡p's head of development Volker Birk in a common press release. Enigmail and p≡p will offer p≡p technology for any Thunderbird user. Thunderbird is still most popular among free email programs on desktop PCs and Laptops.
“Enigmail offers the most-used solution for mail encryption as Free Software for many years now. But we don't want to rest on our laurels.”, Brunschwig explains. “Still way too few people are able to encrypt. But this is inevitable to protect privacy.” That is to be changed with the partnership. “p≡p is offering the possibility to encrypt fully automatically. This way our users are gaining the highest amount of security, while even not be touched by the process at all. At the same time p≡p is offering compatibility to OpenPGP and S/MIME, which is necessary to integrate into mail infrastructures.”
“Being the trailblazer, Enigmail managed to provide one of the greatest user interfaces for mail encryption.”, Birk says. “To date Enigmail is still the front-runner here. Together with Enigmail we're thinking beyond this: the default for email has to be encrypted and not unencrypted! For this purpose p≡p is offering the possibility to encrypt without any user interaction needed like managing keys. Thunderbird is for p≡p a strategic platform in Free Software: no other free mail program has reached this spread. Therefore, it was the logical choice to ask our colleagues at Enigmail for a cooperation. Who else could deliver more know-how of integrating encryption into Thunderbird?”
The development partnership is meant to lead into common project Enigmail/p≡p. As release date for a very first version Enigmail and p≡p are aiming for December 2015. See also our Twitter.