This is the continuing Blackberry saga and its Indian market presence as of yesterday on the BBC's website News Technology
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I thinking RIM have started on a slippery slope - for a company that has a reputation for security at the core of their corporate image, yeilding to these demands does them no good at all.
Good point AlexC. This is a difficult balancing act.
Fact is RIM already yield to these demands in the US, Canada, and other 'select' countries.
RIM's Blackberry is a CALEA compliant telecommunications solution and has over the years selectively allowed different govts to Intercept BB communications. Its smacks of a double standard that they 1st deny it’s possible to provide Lawful Interception of BB Comms, and then when proven to have done so for other countries but want to choose which countries are or are not suitable to have escrow keys to the BB comms for that country. BB is a security threat as it does allow for Interception at the telco in country & thus many people with something to hide have to using BB for their non-voice comms not just in the region, but globally too.
If RIM want to be a true global player they need to have one standard for all countries they operate in; not one standard and position for select countries in Europe and the Americas, and another that contradicts the 1st to all other countries including key allies. In any country; national security takes precedence over coporate security concerns, so the so-called position that RIM secures corporate comms from interception is not actually factual - as being CALEA compliant means they allow US authorities to intercept BB comms, and in fact the US does.
Its time for RIM to either deliver what is required or find other markets where they can get away with the standard PR line about BB being effectively 'interception proof' in countries where they chose not to cooperate with the local regulatory requirements.
Just a thought…
MindSmith
Well said, this is indeed dubious double standards of BB
It should always be country first
Moreover, it just make enforcement resort to other deployment technologies with a drastic impact upon the end-users