blackberry Archive

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BlackBerry e-government deal with TRA

By
Emiratweet
– October 19, 2010
Guess What? Canadian firm Research In Motion...

Guess What? Canadian firm Research In Motion has signed a deal with TRA to improve e-government services

Canadian firm, Research In Motion (RIM), has signed a deal with the UAE’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) to improve e-government services, RIM’s Co-CEO Jim Balsillie said on Monday. The chief executive of the company, that makes the BlackBerry smartphones, told delegates at Gitex that the UAE is “an advanced ICT nation” but steered clear of commenting on lifting of the ban threat on BlackBerry services.

Previously TRA said the company’s secure messenger service, which encrypts user data and routes communications through servers outside the country, is a threat to the UAE’s national security. It threatened to shut down BlackBerry services in the UAE on October 11, unless the company found a way to comply with local laws governing electronic communications. Now neither the TRA nor RIM has released details on the agreement that will allow BlackBerry services to continue operating in the UAE, but security experts are speculating that the Canada-based company has a network operations centre (NOC) in the country.

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BlackBerry services will continue

By
Emiratweet
– October 8, 2010
BlackBerry services will continue beyond October 11-...

BlackBerry services will continue beyond October 11- TRA. BlackBerry services in the UAE will continue beyond October 11, Telecom Regulatory Authority has said, reports WAM

TRA also acknowledged “the positive engagement and collaboration of Research In Motion (RIM) in reaching this regulatory compliant outcome”.

The UAE on Friday cancelled its decision to stop Blackberry services from Monday and said the facility would continue as normal apparently after reaching agreement with the Canadian manufacturers. TRA has confirmed that BlackBerry services are now compliant with the UAE’s telecommunications regulatory framework.

“Therefore”, the TRA assured today in a statement: “all Blackberry services in the UAE will continue to operate as normal and no suspension of service will occur on October 11, 2010″.

TRA also acknowledged “the positive engagement and collaboration of Research In Motion (RIM) in reaching this regulatory compliant outcome”.

1

Very Optimistic

By
Emiratweet
– September 26, 2010
Last time we posted (September 21, 2010)...

Last time we posted (September 21, 2010) about the blackberry issue we said:

We hope that with three weeks to go, BlackBerry will not only do its sums but also do the right thing and on the other hand we urge the people and media to not sway us and be positive as we wait for a clear and justified announcement.

And still after posting that we received and heard alot and many RUMORS. Today we receive that Government officials are “very optimistic” that they will resolve their dispute with the maker of BlackBerry before a threatened ban comes into force in two weeks. This has been declared from a top Abu Dhabi Government official today. (told you we are positive) Talks between government officials and Research in Motion (RIM), are very positive stated the secretary general of the Executive Council, the Abu Dhabi Government’s top decision-making body.

“People are working very hard to resolve the issues,” said  Mohammed al Bowardi today on the sidelines of an energy conference in the capital. “We are very optimistic we will solve this by the deadline.”

1

Blackberry Ban

By
Emiratweet
– September 21, 2010
“So far, no progress has been made”...

“So far, no progress has been made” in the negotiations on allowing the UAE to access encrypted BlackBerry data, the Dubai daily Emarat Al-Yom cited a UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority official as saying.

Alot have been said about this matter and many announcements have been publicized which make us wonder what is true and what is not. TRA said their positive and RIM said they are positive,  DU and Etisalat made us sense that there are good news and again we hear that “UAE remains set to ban BlackBerry services”.

We are sure that alot of work has been put by all parties to solve this and come up with alternates and we appreciate all the hard work. Yet we would appreciate it if we don’t get swayed with different announcements and news. We understand that cybercrime is the most dangerous threat to the safety and security of any country. In fact so much so that even Interpol is not immune to hackers and the misuse of the liberties granted on the information highway are now more insidious than speedsters on the road.

We hope that with three weeks to go, BlackBerry will not only do its sums but also do the right thing and on the other hand we urge the people and media to not sway us and be positive as we wait for a clear and justified announcement.

Did you know: There are an estimated 500,000 BlackBerry users in the oil-rich UAE, which has a population of around six million people.

0

Optimistic Results

By
Emiratweet
– September 19, 2010
Chief Executive Partner of «Research In Motion...

Chief Executive Partner of «Research In Motion (RIM)» , Jim Balseli, said the talks between the Government of the UAE and the company on the exchange of user information «BlackBerry», is moving in a positive direction and cause for optimism. He added that that they are continuing their discussions with relevant agencies in the government of countries that threaten to stop the service,  to introduce alternative solutions and listen to the demands of suppliers and try to find solutions satisfactory to all parties.

There is progress in the talks with the authorities in those countries, and there will be solutions before the end of the deadline, but no service has been arrested. He expressed his optimism to make positive and constructive outcome during the talks, pointing out that the company respects the needs of government, and seeks to find a formula to cooperate fully in accordance with legal requirements, based on criteria the telecommunications sector. *yay*

The CEO of  Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (du), Fareed Faraydooni stated that the company hasn’t received any new instructions from the Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRA) on the subject, pointing out that if an agreement is reached between the Canadian company and the Board, there will be many positive effects in domestic markets with the continued service.

On the other hand, an official at Etisalat, who preferred to be anonymous said that they are waiting for new instructions and can not comment on any special steps of the negotiations, until its announced officially.

We are positive and inshalla we hear good news ASAP!

0

Still negotiating but firm on Oct 11 deadline

By
Emiratweet
– August 31, 2010
“Negotiations are on. We cannot announce the...

“Negotiations are on. We cannot announce the details. But so far no concrete solutions have been reached,” said the official.

TRA on Tuesday said it is sticking to its deadline given to BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) although negotiations with the Canada-based manufacturer are continuing. A spokesperson for the TRA told Emirates 24|7 that TRA’s position is that BlackBerry services would be stopped from October 11 as earlier announced.

Meanwhile, several BlackBerry users said they are already experiencing difficulties with using the Messenger service. But as all has been saying we lately have been experiencing constant problems with the service. It takes almost 25 to 30 minutes to reach the recipient. The lag time is too high and sometimes the system itself freezes. It has been happening for the last one week.

1

Talks on “BlackBerry” is progressing well

By
Emiratweet
– August 17, 2010
“It’s a compliance issue with regulatory demands,”...

“It’s a compliance issue with regulatory demands,” Al Otaiba said. “It’s very straightforward. It’s not anything regarding censorship, it’s not regarding anything besides what the TRA has requested: compliance with regulatory standards.”

Two Emirati diplomats said today that talks between the United Arab Emirates and the “Research In Motion,” Canada is progressing well and  may soon find a solution to the dispute over the security of mobile data “BlackBerry.”

The UAE Ambassador to the United States Yousif Al Otaiba told reporters after a meeting of ambassadors in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, the talks were progressing well, and hoped to reach a conclusion in the near future. He was also asked whether it was possible to conclude a similar agreement for the United Arab Emirates Saudi Arabia agreement with the Canadian company, and he said, “Every country has its own requirements and rules of the organization.”

BlackBerry Messenger, email and web browsing services will be halted in the UAE from October 11, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said in a statement on August 1. The regulator claims BlackBerry messages, which are transferred to computer servers outside the country, can’t be monitored as stipulated under national security laws. In addition, RIM will provide an automated solution for tracking BlackBerry smartphone messages by November, said the officials who declined to be named because the discussions are private.

Inshalla all works out ….

[Source]

0

DU announce alternative packages

By
Emiratweet
– August 4, 2010
Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, known by its...

Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, known by its brand name du, will offer its BlackBerry customers multiple packages to enable them to switch to other smartphone models from September 1, without losing the functionalities of the BlackBerry, Chief Executive Osman Sultan said.

The plans range from Dh130 to Dh260 per month, and discounts are available on annual subscriptions. Du will also give its Blackberry customers discounts ranging from Dh1, 500 to Dh2, 500 on smart and high end phones, including the Apple iPhone 4.

These offers will be withdrawn if the UAE’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority reaches an agreement with BlackBerry manufacturer Research In Motion on access to users’ data.

Sultan said he does not foresee an impact on du’s profitability from the ban that TRA wants to impose on certain BlackBerry services from October 11. He did not disclose how many BlackBerry subscribers his company has.

Starting from 1 September 2010, you can visit www.du.ae/assurance and tell us your preferred Assurance Plan. You will be moved to the Standard Assurance Plan if you do not confirm any of the above choices on our website.

If you have our six months free BlackBerry® Internet Service (as of 11 October 2010) you will continue to enjoy the monthly fee waiver on the Standard Assurance Plan for the remaining period.

Above offer is applicable for BlackBerry® customers who subscribed to the service on or before 1 August 2010.

[Source]

0

Etisalat’s Alternative Package

By
Emiratweet
– August 3, 2010
The replacement packages on offer, for those...

The replacement packages on offer, for those who subscribed to the BlackBerry services on or before 31 July, consist of bundled SMS, MMS, data usage, voice minutes and alternative smartphones.

The 12 replacement phones available include Apple’s iPhone, and are conditional on customers signing a 12-month contract.

The other phones available for swap are: Nokia E72; Sony Ericsson X10 Mini; Sony Ericsson X10 Mini; Nokia E66; Sony Ericsson Vivaz; Nokia N900; Nokia N 97; Sony Ericsson Vivaz pro; Sony Ericsson Satio; Samsung Wave; and Samsung Galaxy S.

Full details of the offer are available at www.etisalat.ae/blackberry/alternative.html, So What do you think of the alternative?

1

Before We Rant!

By
Emiratweet
– August 3, 2010
Three days since  TRA announced the suspension...

Three days since  TRA announced the suspension of the blackberry service that would kick in on October 11 and last until a legal solution was reached. Alot of opinions alot of “why?” “not fair?” “give us real answers” not forgetting the rumors, and spam jokes too.

“Due to its technical nature, some BlackBerry services, like the messenger, email, and web browsing, remain beyond the implementation of local laws,” the TRA said.

UAE has around 500,000 blackberry subscribers, what is wrong with regulating and securing the services uses which can be a cause serious social, judicial and national security repercussions.

So What is the problem now?

The fact that the blackberry servers are hosted outside the country means that all information, emails, and communications are stored outside the country and is at risk  plus it is not in alignment with the UAE’s communication regulations and is a high cause of security risks. TRA’s decision took sometime because TRA tried to consume all options and went through extensive debate with RIM to propose a solution which is not yet given.

If RIM allowed one government a peek under the bonnet of the BlackBerry system, every other government would be forced to review their BlackBerry security procedures. – The National

^^^^ Then we hear that RIM Helps Russia, China Monitor BlackBerry Users’ E-mails ???

People before ranting about the suspension and getting led by rumors lets look at the bigger picture UAE hasn’t asked for anything different nor more .. Each country has its own local rules and regulations, lets have faith and trust in ours! Whether the above makes sense or not here is something to think about as you close this page

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