RIM buckles down, to set up proxy server in India
30 Aug 2010
Research In Motion (RIM), had its veil of user confidentiality unmasked today by the Indian government, forcing the maker of the popular BlackBerry smartphone to agree to setting up a proxy server in the country to monitor encrypted corporate e-mails.
The Waterloo, Canada-based company's stubborn resistance since 2008 of not giving in to India's security concerns crumbled after it bacame clear the Indian authorities would suspend some of its services by 31 August if RIM did not come up with a solution to intercept and monitor BlackBerry's messenger and enterprise services on a real time basis. (See: Government ready to boot out BlackBerry from India)
RIM has agreed to set up a proxy server in India, the same solution it has reportedly provided to the US, China, Russia, the UK and of late, to Saudi Arabia.
The announcement came after home secretary G K Pillai, accompanied by government officials, security chiefs met representatives of RIM in New Delhi today.
The Indian government said that it will review issues related to Blackberry security within 60 days.
"The home ministry will review the security issue relating to Blackberry services within 60 days, by which time the DoT (department of telecommunications) will submit its report," a government statement said.
