The Blackberry Dominos Keep Falling
Research In Motion, RIM, a Canadian company, which makes Blackberry Smartphone, and other mobile technology, was the subject of recent headlines: “RIM Refuses to Give Codes as BlackBerry Faces Ban.” http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-08-04/rim-refuses-to-give-codes-as-blackberry-faces-bans.html
The issue facing RIM is encryption. What makes RIM devices desirable is their ability to encrypt messages which is also at heart of the companies problems. The encrypted messages cannot be monitored by governments which are demanding that RIM either produces the key to decipher messages, or declaring that RIM will be forced to curtail or cease to offer services in the disputed countries.
The article states that RIM uses encryption, and does not provide governments with the keys to read the encrypted information. Companies can use the RIM Blackberry Server to support their own encrypted network. For example, on my server, I can install a Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES), which will receive an email, compress, encrypt, and forward to my handheld, that will then decrypt, decompress, so that I can then read the message.
The encrypted data cannot be monitored by countries, such as Saudi Arabia, which want to monitor instant messaging, web surfing and email on the Blackberry devices. Saudi Arabia states that that are unable to fight terrorism and criminal activity, as long as the communication is encrypted. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-10888954
The United Arab Emirates and India have also made clear their desire to monitor communication on the Blackberry’s. Presently, Blackberry servers are in Canada, and other countries such as Great Britain, which manages the traffic of the messages. Blackberry is the only smartphone maker to manage their own traffic, and originally this was done by RIM, to support growth of the Blackberry.
According to Reuters, India wants to be able to read all Blackberry Secure email and instant messaging. If RIM does not allow access to the Indian Government, they will then ban the Blackberry services. Originally, RIM had agreed to give the Indian government partial access now, and full access before the end of the year, to the Blackberry messenger service. But RIM has not yet agreed to the demand by India to access encrypted emails, by receiving unencrypted email from the Blackberry Enterprise Server, which would forward the now readable email to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) in India. The Indian government would be able to monitor from the ISP. http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wbfo/news.newsmain
I was going to go out and buy a new Blackberry in support of RIM, when I first saw the headline that RIM refuses to give up codes. But as the days followed and I did research on RIM, I was disappointed to find that they are giving in to the demands put upon them by Saudi Arabia, UAE, and now India. RIM had an opportunity to set a standard and say no, but instead they are caving into the demands. The governments will now be able to monitor and stop free speech. RIM has been taken hostage, and has now paid off the captors in order to not lose a large market share.
