RIM gives India solution for Messenger access

BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion said today it had given a solution ahead of a Jan 31 target date that enables Indian wireless carriers lawful access to consumer services including the BlackBerry Messenger, but excluding access to corporate emails.

BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion said on Thursday it had given a solution ahead of a Jan 31 target date that enables Indian wireless carriers lawful access to consumer services including the BlackBerry Messenger, but excluding access to corporate emails.

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"We also wish to underscore, once again, that this enablement of lawful access does not extend to BlackBerry Enterprise Server, which is essentially an enterprise VPN solution," the company said in a customer update referring to its corporate email server.

The Government had threatened to shut off corporate email and instant messenger services on BlackBerry unless it gains access to them, in a campaign driven by fears that unmonitored communication puts the country's security at risk.

But RIM averted a potential ban last year and the Government said last October that RIM had set up an interim arrangement for lawful interception of BlackBerry Messenger services and assured a final solution by end-January.