BlackBerry sets up server in Mumbai

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion has finally set up a server in Mumbai, providing a mechanism for lawful interception of its messenger services, thereby ending the logjam over its services in India.

The union home ministry announced the development during a high-level meeting recently. The ministry also informed the security agencies that Canada-based RIM has installed the servers in Mumbai.

BlackBerry services in the country were under cloud for a long time now since the security agencies raised concerns over its operations with no method to intercept its messenger service and enterprise mail.

Officers belonging to the central security agencies have inspected the servers and permission for direct linkage for lawful interception was expected to be issued shortly, the home secretary said at a meeting held in his office.

The telecom department has prescribed a similar policy for the Nokia Push Mail, the home secretary said during the presentation.

The government, however, has agreed to certain concessions on intercepting mail sent through BlackBerry Enterprise Services (BES), which decrypts the messages and sends it to email server of the service provider where it remains stored in decrypted form. The message is then pushed to the BlackBerry device in encrypted form.
 
The DoT would obtain list and location of the servers from telecom service providers.