Google pulls Gmail app off BlackBerry smartphones

In a move, which will strengthen its rivalry with the manufacturers of popular BlackBerry smartphones (Research in Motion), Google has decided to discontinue offering Gmail app support on BlackBerry, Times of India reports. Beginning from the 22nd of November, 2011, BlackBerry users will not be able to access the Gmail app. The report, however, also confirms that while users will not be able to download the app after the above mentioned date, those already having the app will be able to use it just like they always did. Alternatively, by using their smartphone's web browser,  or syncing their Google account with the BlackBerry service, users will be able to access Gmail.

App no more for BlackBerry 

In response, the article quotes Google as saying that they wish to concentrate on the mobile browser experience, and hence decided to stall the development of the app for BlackBerry. RIM also stated that the BlackBerry smartphones allow users to sync their mail accounts to their BlackBerry smartphones, hence a dedicated app is not a neccessity.

Either ways, this spells trouble for the future of BlackBerry smartphones, who we learn are going through a rough patch, as reportedly they're witnessing their users shifting their loyalties to a fast-growing Android or the iPhone.

source:     http://tech2.in.com/news/blackberry/google-pulls-gmail-app-off-blackberry-smartphones/256542

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Posted in application , BlackBerry smartphones , Gmail , Gmail for BlackBerry , Google , Research in Motion , RIM

Millions of BlackBerry users cut off for third day

Millions of BlackBerry users around the world were left without text communication services for a third day on Wednesday as Research in Motion struggled to fix what it said was a switching failure in its private network. Users in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India suffered patchy e-mail service and no access to browsing and messaging, ratcheting up negative sentiment towards a company already losing market share to Apple and Samsung.

Bit of a glitch

RIM, which had said on Tuesday that services had returned to normal, said later the problems had actually spread beyond EMEA and India to Argentina, Brazil and Chile. "The messaging and browsing delays ... were caused by a core switch failure within RIM's infrastructure," it said. "As a result, a large backlog of data was generated and we are now working to clear that backlog and restore normal service." The service disruptions are the worst since an outage swept north America two years ago, and come as Apple prepares to put on sale its already sold-out iPhone 4S on Friday. "It's a blow upon a bruise. It comes at a bad time," said Richard Windsor, global technology specialist at Nomura. "One possibility could be that it encourages client companies to look more at other options such as allowing users to connect their own devices to the corporate server and save themselves the cost of buying everyone a BlackBerry." Many companies, no longer seeing the need to pay to be locked into RIM's secure proprietary e-mail service, have already begun allowing employees to use alternative smartphones, particularly Apple's iPhone, for corporate mail.

RIM has made inroads into the youth market attracted by its free BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) service, partially compensating for its losses in the corporate market. But, new products like its PlayBook tablet computer have been poorly received. Following a dismal set of quarterly results and a plunge in its share price, some investors are now calling for a break-up, sale or change of management at the company. Increasingly frustrated users tweeted their frustration on Wednesday, while RIM's own official Twitter feed was last updated on Tuesday night, saying problems were being resolved and it was sorry for the inconvenience.

Veteran British entrepreneur Alan Sugar, who founded electronics company Amstrad in 1968, tweeted: "In all my years in IT biz, I have never seen such an outage as experienced by Blackberry. I can't understand why it's taking so long to fix." Some customers used humour to deal with the situation. One joke making the rounds on Twitter said: "What did the one BBM user say to the other? Nothing."

source:  http://tech2.in.com/news/mobile-services/millions-of-blackberry-users-cut-off-for-third-day/248212

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Posted in Africa , back-up switch , BlackBerry , BlackBerry Messenger , BlackBerry smartphones , Core switch failure , data backlog , e-mail services , Europe , India , outage , the Middle East

DoT calls complete ban on BBM 'undesirable', if RIM complies

Popular smartphone manufacturer, RIM did have to face rough waters in India over security issues pertaining to its popular messenger service on their BlackBerry smartphones (BlackBerry Messenger) and corporate e-mail service - BlackBerry Enterprise Service (BES). The encrypted nature of messages which were sent to and fro across the network did not allow the security agencies to carry out any screening. This did not go down well with the security agencies in the country, as well as the government, since screening messages was crucial to the security of the country. The Indian government in general and the telecom ministry in particular, had then asked the Canada-based, RIM to come clean with the interception keys to enable real-time tracking of the BBM and BlackBerry’s corporate e-mail services or face a complete ban.

Ban imminent, unless RIM agrees

Now, according to a report in the Times of India, RIM has been blessed with a little bit of good fortune. The telecom ministry has stated that a complete ban is ‘undesirable’. However, it adds that the complete ban is ‘undesirable’, only if RIM agrees to provide the security agencies with the encrypted data in a readable format. RIM, too, had provided a solution early on, which was based on having data intercepted in real-time. The report further suggests that the solution has not been put into action right now, DoT is testing it.

source:http://tech2.in.com/news/smartphones/dot-calls-complete-ban-on-bbm-undesirable-if-rim-complies/247262

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Posted in BBM , BlackBerry Enterprise Service , BlackBerry Messenger , BlackBerry smartphones , corporate e-mail services , Department of Telecommunications , DoT , Research in Motion , RIM