RIM provides access to BlackBerry Messenger in India, sings familiar tune on corporate email

Research In Motion (RIM) today said that it has provided Indian authorities a final solution to its smartphone BlackBerry messenger chat and public email services but not the corporate email services saying that it has "no ability to provide its customers' encryption key."

''The company has now delivered a solution that enables India's wireless carriers to address their lawful access requirements for our consumer messaging services, which includes BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) and BlackBerry Internet Services (BIS) e-mail," the Ontario, Canada-based RIM said in a customer update.

The Indian government had threatened to shut down BlackBerry services in the country if its request for monitoring of BlackBerry services were not met (See: Government ready to boot out BlackBerry from India) and had extended the deadline on three occasions, the last being until 31 January 2011.

"We are pleased to have delivered a solution well before a mutually agreed milestone date of 31 January 2011. We look forward to continue serving our Indian customers with industry products and services that deliver an unmatched mobile communications experience," the update added.

India is seeking access to encrypted BlackBerry services as it fears terrorists could misuse them.

In November, RIM had set up an interim arrangement for lawful interception of BlackBerry's messaging services and had said that it would offer a final solution by the end of January.