research in motion

RIM says it is unable to give India access to BlackBerry messages

Paul Mah — Wed, 28 May 2008 06:06:54 -0400

Research In Motion has finally told the Indian government the truth about its BlackBerry devices--that their design automatically precludes any interception of useful data. If you recall, the Indian government previously demanded that it be made privy to the content of encrypted data transmitted to BlackBerry smartphones. Enterprise customers using RIM's BlackBerry Enterprise Server employ a symmetric key design, of which nobody else has a copy.

RIM's willingness to continue "working on a solution" likely is due to the roughly 400,000 BlackBerry users in India. If the threatened shutdown is put into effect, the loss of these subscribers would significantly dent RIM's active base. In a statement, RIM pointed out that wireless encryption is increasingly being made mandatory for enterprise e-mail and is not unique to BlackBerry devices.

For more on the BlackBerry in India:
- check out this Electronista article

New 3G BlackBerry model announced

Dan Bowman — Wed, 14 May 2008 11:03:54 -0400

Research in Motion (RIM) announced a new 3G BlackBerry model called the BlackBerry Bold that sent its shares up 6.9 percent in early trading on the Nasdaq. It incorporates just about all the features that supporters have been clamoring for, such as a tri-band HSDPA radio, doubling of internal memory to 128Mb and a faster 624Mhz processor.

Features found on some earlier BlackBerry models, such as Wi-Fi, and built-in GPS functionality also are present. Multimedia-wise, the BlackBerry Bold retains the standard 3.5mm headphone jack that first came with the BlackBerry Curve, and a 2 megapixel camera. The icing comes in the form of its 480x320 display and the incorporation of an additional 1 GB of on-board storage. This latest device definitely puts RIM in a strong position against a certain expected release by Apple next month.

For more on the BlackBerry Bold:
- check out the official press release

An economical alternative to BlackBerry use

Sun, 18 Dec 2005 19:01:36 -0500

If the current legal wrangling involving Research in Motion's patent on its BlackBerry technology has you considering switching off the handheld platform to another user productivity tool, you might want to check out MailCall, a hosted service offering that turns text messaging into voice mail for access over a landline or wireless phone. The maker, Great American Technologies, says it's product will outlast today's popular handheld devices because those technologies tend to become obsolete quickly, whereas this service will continually upgrade itself. With a monthly subscription cost under $20, the start-up says its service is also a valuable way for small and midsize enterprises to provide necessary service to employees and road warriors. Article

How to secure and protect mobile devices

Sun, 23 Oct 2005 20:01:38 -0400

Today's enterprises are quickly becoming mobile wireless hubs of communications--everyone's got a cell, more are asking for a personal data device, and the wish list is likely to keep growing given emerging technologies. All that equates to increasing security issues and network threats. But IT leaders can make some headway toward protecting data, devices and networks by taking a multi-pronged approach. The first step is a good plan and policy strategy, outlining what users need to do, what IT's security role is and how the organization, as a business, uses mobile tools and solutions. Then it's time to take a good look at what vendors are offering in security measures to determine the best solution to bring in.

Security vendor PGP and BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) are collaborating on a new email security program that will provide encryption, digital signature capability and decryption for the BlackBerry device. Grabbing a good vendor solution is just one of many measures IT leaders should take as internal security work is still very necessary, according to industry experts. While it may seem dull, educating users on why it's critical not to lose a device is extremely valuable toward data security efforts. According to one research firm, users left 85,000 cell phones and more than 20,000 PDAs and Pocket PCs in Chicago taxis alone during the past half year. That's a lot of lost data and network access.

For more on securing devices and data:
read this article at InformationWeek

Nokia launches new smart phone

Sun, 16 Oct 2005 20:01:37 -0400

Is it a PDA or a phone? Is it all of the above--a phone, PDA, and email device? Personal data devices are morphing into phones, PDAs and email devices, and Nokia just launched a keyboard phone that looks very similar to Research In Motion's BlackBerry email device. The Nokia E61 arrives shortly after two others vendors, Hewlett-Packard and Motorola, pushed out new clamshell devices boasting a keypad for thumb text action. The new Nokia, priced at about $400, is compatible with a wide range of email systems, including GoodLink and Visto Mobile. Article