NEW DELHI: Users of Blackberry Messenger Service can be assured of uninterrupted service at least till January 2011. However, the future of the service remains precarious till its manufacturer Research In Motion (RIM) is able to offer the home ministry a permanent solution.

According to government sources, the offers made by RIM will have been fully tested by January, by when the ministry of home affairs and department of telecom will also firm up their security parameters, including a fresh legal framework for encryption. It is also on record that RIM has stated that there is no technical solution available for the lawful interception of BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Service) data, nor can it be offered.

The government wants access to the encrypted data used for these services in a readable format, which involves a system-by-system software upgrade across roughly 250 Legal Intercept and Monitoring (LIM) facilities installed by various mobile operators across the country in the 22 telecom circles.

This will allow mobile operators to legally tap into Blackberry services on receipt of an official warrant from the government after a specific target has been identified for interception. The government cleverly avoided a head on collision with RIM in view of the Commonwealth Games and the upcoming Obama visit, given the extensive use of Blackberry services that is expected during this period.

Yet several issues remain including whether a web-based solution as suggested by RIM - is risk-free since the contents can go outside during the application of the solution.

This matter has also thrown up two additional issues for discussion within the government. The first relates to the 40-bit encryption for net/phone services like Gmail and Skype, and secondly, the need to evaluate an advanced intercept architecture which can address fast changing technologies and dynamic encryption in the communications business.