Extracting forensic evidence from cell phones was a tedious process, taking anywhere from 1 to 8 hours. The increasing use of cellular phones by the public also meant that forensic investigators were receiving more cellular phones for data extraction. An information technology crimes investigator in Sweden began searching for forensic software that would make the job easier and faster. The software was available from the private cellular phone industry; Micro Systemation developed SoftGSM X-Ray, a so-called “communication equalizer.” The company agreed to make modifications on the software for investigative purposes. SoftGSM X-Ray’s hardware involves a connection station containing cell phone cradles, a Bluetooth connector, and an infrared connector. The software supports almost 80 different cellular phone models made by Nokia, Sony-Ericsson, Siemens, and Motorola. New types of cradles, cables, and software are continuously developed for new types of phone models. The software supports most of the time-consuming tasks involved with copying and reading mobile phone data. The software is user friendly, installing automatically when the station first connects to the computer. The type of information available for extraction varies by phone due to the software installed by the phone manufacturers. Investigators using the software are able to see who made calls, whose calls were missed, who sent and received SMS messages, and the contents of phone books. To protect standards of evidence, the software only allows one-way communication so that the investigator can view the data, but cannot make changes to the data or destroy any information. Future versions of the SoftGSM X-Ray are in development and will include a help program, encrypted data files, and printable reports.