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For the paranoid BES customers, there is the transcoder feature that allows customers to implement their own crypto before it goes over the wire. The French government uses this feature.

Really Apple is the only major manufacturer who has provided me no-cost full disk encryption, location tracking, remote lock, and remote wipe capabilities out of the box for my phone,

You gotta be kidding. Blackberries had had strong AES encryption, remote lock & wipe etc long before Steve Jobs even thought of making a phone.

And unlike the iphone, the encryption on the blackberry has been tested, audited & certified.

Here's a great article explaining why law enforcement loves the iphone: http://chris.pirillo.com/why-do-law-enforcement-officials-love-the-iphone/ (hint, it isn't because of the strong iphone security)

Unfortunately, customers don't seem to be interested in real security, so they keep buying iphone...

You probably won't get many recommendations for BlackBerry but a BlackBerry combined with a PlayBook may just be what you are looking for.

http://us.blackberry.com/business/software/blackberry-mobile-fusion.html

Sounds like you are referring to BlackBerry Balance
http://ca.blackberry.com/business/software/blackberry-balance.html

If RIM wants to take back the smartphone market they should use their existing managed architecture for a new purpose: Smartphones for families that allow BES control and monitoring of children's phones by parents,

It's not exactly what you're looking for, but the Blackberry Enterprise Server Express is completely free and has most of the features you get with the full BES. If you can run your own Exchange or Lotus Notes server, this might be an option.

combine this with making BB phones available for prepaid accounts

That is a mobile carrier decision.

I sometimes travel in the UK, and it's very easy to buy a prepaid SIM with blackberry service from many companies to avoid paying international roaming charges. Same thing for Italy & Canada.

On the other hand, when I travel in France, no one sells prepaid SIMs with blackberry service.

I don't know why, maybe some weird telecom regulations in France?

"Vixie predicts an uncertain future where computer users don't understand or simply don't care about the risks involved."

Exactly. That is one of the reasons iphone is so popular.

More people keep putting their entire digital & financial life on their smartphone, and you might think people would be very interested in keeping all their information secure.

Blackberry has been audited, tested & certified by many government & non-government agencies: http://us.blackberry.com/business/topics/security/certifications.html

Iphone has been audited, tested & certified by... nobody.

And here is a great article about why law enforcement loves the iphone: http://chris.pirillo.com/why-do-law-enforcement-officials-love-the-iphone/

Since this was true three years ago, the good news is that your IT folks may only be about three years out of date with technology, thus placing them in the top 20% of corporate IT folks. Hey, I like to be optimistic!

Dude, the security of the iphone platform remains far, far below that of the blackberry. Read the many certifications for blackberry: http://us.blackberry.com/business/topics/security/certifications.html

How many certifications does iphone have? None.

As more people are putting their entire life on their phone, you might think security would be important to them.

The last couple years suggests that most people don't care about security and are far more interested in Oooh! Shiny!

But don't try to claim that the iphone is a secure platform. It's false. How many countries have tried to ban blackberry? How many countries have tried to ban iphone?

Why does law enforcement love iphone? http://chris.pirillo.com/why-do-law-enforcement-officials-love-the-iphone/

It is possible for a business to come back from the brink, but RIM has shown absolutely no sign that they'll be a business that does so. All they really have coming up is BlackBerryOS 10

You're obviously unaware of what RIM is doing except for what the doomsayers are trumpeting. RIM understands the work/life balance issue and the paradigm shift away from a work provided device to the BYOD model. Despite this companies still have to be able to keep their data secure. RIM has introduced two new technologies recently to address these issues. BlckBerry Mobile Fusion is RIM's replacement for the BES/BIS. Mobile Fusion allows an enterprise to manage thousands of devices running anything from BB OS to Android to iOS all from one web console. In case you were wondering RIM has indeed incorporated ActiveSync connectivity into their repertoire. The second thing RIM has introduced is called BlackBerry Balance which let's you keep your pictures of your family vacation and the slides of your upcoming presentation on the same device while being secured separately. With this technology you can walk into a new job with your own device and get it activated on their BES/BIS/Mobile Fusion server and it will create a secure work related partition on the device separate from your personal data. When you leave the company they simply wipe the work partition remotely leaving your personal data intact.

I'm sure you're probably saying that won't be enough to save them and you are right it won't which is why they are making the switch to BB OS 10. A lot of people are asking...even demanding that RIM just adopt Android and move on but as is evidenced in the market today none of the players in the Android space are making any money except for Samsung and they are making money on the handsets they sell as well as the chips they sell to their competitors.And despite the death knells being sounded by every industry "expert" developers are still lining up every day to develop for the PlayBook/ BB OS 10 because the few people using the PlayBook are actually paying to get the apps they want unlike the majority of Android users who want their apps to be free.Do they have a tough road ahead? Hell yes but considering they still sold more handsets in 1Q 2012 then they did in 1Q 2009 despite the RIM faithful all holding out for a BB 10 device I'd say they are far from toast. Most government agencies can't even consider another device because there aren't any that are FIPS 140-2 validated. There are a few here and there and there are third party solutions to make devices secure but they are far from optimal. We have a program where I work where they bolt on a security layer to iOS to meet the security standards and it is the biggest PITA I have ever experienced. Not to mention cumbersome and intrusive. Even people here who love their Apple device can't stand using it to access the network because of the hoops they have to jump through.

It is possible for a business to come back from the brink, but RIM has shown absolutely no sign that they'll be a business that does so. All they really have coming up is BlackBerryOS 10

You're obviously unaware of what RIM is doing except for what the doomsayers are trumpeting. RIM understands the work/life balance issue and the paradigm shift away from a work provided device to the BYOD model. Despite this companies still have to be able to keep their data secure. RIM has introduced two new technologies recently to address these issues. BlckBerry Mobile Fusion is RIM's replacement for the BES/BIS. Mobile Fusion allows an enterprise to manage thousands of devices running anything from BB OS to Android to iOS all from one web console. In case you were wondering RIM has indeed incorporated ActiveSync connectivity into their repertoire. The second thing RIM has introduced is called BlackBerry Balance which let's you keep your pictures of your family vacation and the slides of your upcoming presentation on the same device while being secured separately. With this technology you can walk into a new job with your own device and get it activated on their BES/BIS/Mobile Fusion server and it will create a secure work related partition on the device separate from your personal data. When you leave the company they simply wipe the work partition remotely leaving your personal data intact.

I'm sure you're probably saying that won't be enough to save them and you are right it won't which is why they are making the switch to BB OS 10. A lot of people are asking...even demanding that RIM just adopt Android and move on but as is evidenced in the market today none of the players in the Android space are making any money except for Samsung and they are making money on the handsets they sell as well as the chips they sell to their competitors.And despite the death knells being sounded by every industry "expert" developers are still lining up every day to develop for the PlayBook/ BB OS 10 because the few people using the PlayBook are actually paying to get the apps they want unlike the majority of Android users who want their apps to be free.Do they have a tough road ahead? Hell yes but considering they still sold more handsets in 1Q 2012 then they did in 1Q 2009 despite the RIM faithful all holding out for a BB 10 device I'd say they are far from toast. Most government agencies can't even consider another device because there aren't any that are FIPS 140-2 validated. There are a few here and there and there are third party solutions to make devices secure but they are far from optimal. We have a program where I work where they bolt on a security layer to iOS to meet the security standards and it is the biggest PITA I have ever experienced. Not to mention cumbersome and intrusive. Even people here who love their Apple device can't stand using it to access the network because of the hoops they have to jump through.

Apple is not enterprise friendly. Apple has some enterprise features.

Let me link you to an advanced enterprise feature: http://us.blackberry.com/business/software/blackberry-mobile-voice-system.html
Apple has nothing like that. The fact that RIM is losing ground to a company that barely even tries in the enterprise, shows you how effective Apple is at consumer features.

Microsoft expanding their ActiveSync license program as well I would contribute to helping the iPhone succeed. Suddenly you didn't need to invest in expensive BES licensing costs, windows licensing and hardware costs just to connect a phone to a mailbox. When that happened I wondered just exactly how Blackberry would react to the market, and well they didn't.

Completely false.

A number of years ago, RIM came out with Blackberry Enterprise Server Express.

The Express version has the the majority of features from the Blackberry Enterprise Server, including strong encryption, remote locking, wiping, application deployment & management etc, but Blackberry Enterprise Server Express is free.

That is free as in beer. Zero. Zilch. Nada. One Express server can handle up to 2000 handsets.

Now, RIM has had problems, but failure to respond to the perception that Blackberry Enterprise Server is expensive isn't one of them.

The full Blackberry Enterprise Server does have additional features, such as the ability to log all SMS & BBM which does appeal to some companies to meet their audit requirements.

Some conspiracy-minded people think the decline of Blackberry is because their encryption (AES) was just too good for governments to deal with. No government has tried to ban Iphone & Android, while some have tried to ban Blackberry.

Iphone & Android have so many backdoors/security flaws (which is what allows you to root/jailbreak your phone).

As more people put their entire life on their smartphone, I'm surprised that strong, audited & certified security isn't more popular. I just don't get it. Apple was secretly logging Iphone locations for years. Iphone & many Android handsets came from the manufacturer with spyware installed from Carrier IQ.

Microsoft expanding their ActiveSync license program as well I would contribute to helping the iPhone succeed. Suddenly you didn't need to invest in expensive BES licensing costs, windows licensing and hardware costs just to connect a phone to a mailbox. When that happened I wondered just exactly how Blackberry would react to the market, and well they didn't.

Completely false.

A number of years ago, RIM came out with Blackberry Enterprise Server Express.

The Express version has the the majority of features from the Blackberry Enterprise Server, including strong encryption, remote locking, wiping, application deployment & management etc, but Blackberry Enterprise Server Express is free.

That is free as in beer. Zero. Zilch. Nada. One Express server can handle up to 2000 handsets.

Now, RIM has had problems, but failure to respond to the perception that Blackberry Enterprise Server is expensive isn't one of them.

The full Blackberry Enterprise Server does have additional features, such as the ability to log all SMS & BBM which does appeal to some companies to meet their audit requirements.

Some conspiracy-minded people think the decline of Blackberry is because their encryption (AES) was just too good for governments to deal with. No government has tried to ban Iphone & Android, while some have tried to ban Blackberry.

Iphone & Android have so many backdoors/security flaws (which is what allows you to root/jailbreak your phone).

As more people put their entire life on their smartphone, I'm surprised that strong, audited & certified security isn't more popular. I just don't get it. Apple was secretly logging Iphone locations for years. Iphone & many Android handsets came from the manufacturer with spyware installed from Carrier IQ.

when Google gets into the mix suddenly it's all 1984

No, because once the technology is available, some asshole at the C level will decide that all employees need to install this on their phone.

The technology has been available for years, yet few employers use it:

http://us.blackberry.com/smartphones/features/gps.jsp

Even if is a privately owned phone.

I don't want the government tracking where I am.

Too late, as long as your phone is powered on, the government can track you. No software needed.

You mean sort of like this?

BlackBerry Mobile Fusion helps make managing mobile devices faster, easier and more organized than ever before. From a single, web-based interface, provision, audit and protect mobile devices, including BlackBerry smartphones, BlackBerry PlayBook tablets and devices that use iOS and Android operating systems. This unified approach helps provide secure mobile access to work email and data in a cost-effective way.

Are you questioning whether you need a tablet or whether to get THIS tablet? Nobody "needs" a tablet but I find I carry my PlayBook around the office a lot and it is a great tool (I have an Android tablet but haven't used it nearly as much). In my case it is made ever more capable because I still rock a BB phone. The two devices combine via the BlackBerry Bridge software on the phone. Once connected your data on your phone can be accessed on the PB including your wireless data whether or not you have a tethering plan (AT&T modifies the Bridge software to prevent this but you can get the unmodified version easily). The hardware can't be beat for this price (3/5 MP cameras/ gyroscope / and a fricken magnometer!). It has the most feature complete browser of any tablet with HTML 5 and Flash 11.2 support so most sites look the same as they would from your PC. And since the PB can run Android apps (and possibly iOS apps in the near future) there are plenty of apps to choose from.

Are you questioning whether you need a tablet or whether to get THIS tablet? Nobody "needs" a tablet but I find I carry my PlayBook around the office a lot and it is a great tool (I have an Android tablet but haven't used it nearly as much). In my case it is made ever more capable because I still rock a BB phone. The two devices combine via the BlackBerry Bridge software on the phone. Once connected your data on your phone can be accessed on the PB including your wireless data whether or not you have a tethering plan (AT&T modifies the Bridge software to prevent this but you can get the unmodified version easily). The hardware can't be beat for this price (3/5 MP cameras/ gyroscope / and a fricken magnometer!). It has the most feature complete browser of any tablet with HTML 5 and Flash 11.2 support so most sites look the same as they would from your PC. And since the PB can run Android apps (and possibly iOS apps in the near future) there are plenty of apps to choose from.

Not sure about the last one but RIM's BlackBerry Mobile Fusion should handle the first 3 for both iOS and Android. Combine that with their BlackBerry Balance and you have a pretty robust way to control most mobile devices while letting users keep their personal stuff separate but on the same device.

Not sure about the last one but RIM's BlackBerry Mobile Fusion should handle the first 3 for both iOS and Android. Combine that with their BlackBerry Balance and you have a pretty robust way to control most mobile devices while letting users keep their personal stuff separate but on the same device.

Oops, just saw that Playbook 2.1 beta has just been released - improvements to the browser, allows rotating of apps that didn't rotate - there are also Android Player improvements that might be relevant to your apps.

RIM is already using ActiveSync in the PlayBook OS, which is what will become BB 10. Microsoft won't be able to lock out certain vendors devices overtly, that would open them up to an investigation for anti-competitive practices. I'm sure they would like to be able to but it just won't happen. Do you really think Google or RIM would just throw up the white flag and let Microsoft lock their OS's out of ActiveSync (or whatever new protocol they create to replace it)?

http://bizblog.blackberry.com/2012/03/mobile-device-roadmap/

100% agree.
The security of a BES/BB combination cannot be equaled by any current handset/OS (Unless the NSA/CIA/etc. have a secret one nobody knows about). If you must use Android then RIM has a solution for that as well.

100% agree.
The security of a BES/BB combination cannot be equaled by any current handset/OS (Unless the NSA/CIA/etc. have a secret one nobody knows about). If you must use Android then RIM has a solution for that as well.

That's why BB has an optional policy that will cause a phone to wipe itself if it can't contact the server for a set amount of time. Once contact is lost a timer starts on the phone itself so no server contact is required for a wipe to occur. This is of course a double edged sword that could get triggered if a user goes on vacation but simple planning can prevent that from being an issue.

I wasn't aware of that policy, and there are a few others (from http://docs.blackberry.com/en/admin/deliverables/4222/Secure_Wipe_Delay_After_IT_Policy_Received_204226_11.jsp)

• Secure Wipe Delay After IT Policy Received IT policy rule (this is the one you mentioned - if it doesn't receive an IT policy update within X hours, it wipes)

• Secure Wipe Delay After Lock IT policy rule (if the user doesn't unlock the device within X hours, it wipes)

• Secure Wipe if Low Battery IT policy rule

iPhones are locked down, have enterprise support tools,

Have you seen the costs of iphone "enterprise" tools? Apple doesn't make any. Not cheap from third-parties, and no real oversight or auditing.

come encrypted by default.

Iphones are NOT encrypted by default. And no one has audited the encryption implementation. How many Apple backdoors? How many flaws for easy jailbreaking?

Unless you're willing to inflict Blackberries on your users, AND pay for the BES, AND pay the per-handset CAL,

A number of years ago RIM came out with Blackberry Enterprise Server Express, which is absolutely free. It has most of the features of the regular Blackberry Enterprise Server. Strong AES encryption, remote wipe, remote lock, etc.

It doesn't have some of the logging functions - for example, you can't log BBM with Blackberry Enterprise Server Express.

The management platform isn't really untested, it will be the same one used to manage PlayBooks now http://blogs.blackberry.com/2012/03/introducing-blackberry-device-service-for-blackberry-mobile-fusion/ . I'm also going to argue with your "under powered" claim. The specs may be lower but I have a BB 9900, a SE Xperia and a Galaxy S2, the 9900 runs just as smoothly and feels less fragmented when performing a task. Raw hardware specs are not always the same as user experience.

Unfortunately no one has stepped up to the plate to match the built in security and manageability of RIM's platforms. Leaving such features up to third party solutions/vendors leaves businesses in the same position as Timothy, wondering if they can trust them or not. If RIM falls there will be a void no other vendor is prepared to fill.

They actually are abandoning their legacy OS. While it may have been a great smartphone OS when originally introduced, its been pushed far beyond its design limits and is very much running out of steam.

The new OS in development, which is currently called "BlackBerry 10" (formerly called "BBX") is using the same basic modern architecture as everyone else. Under the covers, its using QNX (a POSIX-compliant realtime multitasking OS). On the surface, RIM is building a whole software stack and set of applications. They've got a new UI framework based on C++/Qt called Cascades. They're also supporting a variety of additional development options, including raw native code (for game developers), HTML5-based apps, Adobe Air, and even the "Android runtime".

They've also been holding a whole series of developer events to promote the new platform, and are seeding developer devices to help everyone get started with it. If you actually dig up and see what they've been working on, its obvious that they're dead serious about moving forward to the future.

Of course this all takes time, but they are fully committed to building out the new platform. They've even engaged the whole developer community directly, in more ways than many realize. They've been posting a ton of open source content, and have made many of their developers and program managers directly accessible to the developers out there in the community.

So people, please stop thinking they're some stodgy company still trying to push 5-year-old phones. They've changed a lot since then. It just takes time for everything to come to market, and even more time for the popular-press (who seems to have negative retorts "in the can" prior to RIM press releases being published) to notice.

I agree. I was happy with OS 1.0.x and happier with OS 2.0 Beta. When the final production version of 2.0 came out, I can pretty much see that this tablet does everything that is required of it. Fluid multi-tasking, intuitive gestures. It's got a *great* selection of games as well - check out http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/vendor/1700/?lang=EN for a bunch of EA Sports games available on the PB ( there are other vendors as well - this is just an example )

Why do you post so much nonsense about BES when you know so little about it and you're unwilling to do even the bare minimum to learn about it?

Are you saying that RIM doesn't have such a list?

Do you want a marketing page? You really couldn't find it with a simple google search? Did you even try their website? Of course not! It's much easier to spread misinformation than it is to learn about things you don't understand. Do you need me to read it aloud?

As you're likely interested in the advantages re enterprise device management check out BlackBerry Mobile Fusion for managing BB, iOS, and Android devices. You'll quickly see how limited other platforms are compared to BB when it comes to the enterprise. Simple things like wirelessly deploying an app to a users phone (which BES has done for ages on the BB platform) are just not possible on platforms like iOS, regardless of the backend tools.

Now, quit posting about things you don't understand. Read and think before spreading misinformation.

Why do you post so much nonsense about BES when you know so little about it and you're unwilling to do even the bare minimum to learn about it?

Are you saying that RIM doesn't have such a list?

Do you want a marketing page? You really couldn't find it with a simple google search? Did you even try their website? Of course not! It's much easier to spread misinformation than it is to learn about things you don't understand. Do you need me to read it aloud?

As you're likely interested in the advantages re enterprise device management check out BlackBerry Mobile Fusion for managing BB, iOS, and Android devices. You'll quickly see how limited other platforms are compared to BB when it comes to the enterprise. Simple things like wirelessly deploying an app to a users phone (which BES has done for ages on the BB platform) are just not possible on platforms like iOS, regardless of the backend tools.

Now, quit posting about things you don't understand. Read and think before spreading misinformation.

Start here for some simple answers

Dig through here for more

Start here for some simple answers

Dig through here for more

Everyone should have an ultra-secure smart phone. Get the costs down and make it a standard feature for smartphones. It shouldn't be something only for the gov.

What, like a blackberry? Certified by NATO, common criteria, FIPS, yada yada yada:
http://us.blackberry.com/ataglance/security/certifications.jsp

In fact you can buy blackberries pretty cheap these days since most people are focused on OOOOH!!! SHINY! instead of real security.

Two weeks ago we bought some spare 3G blackberry curves for the office. Unlocked, they were $100 each.

all that a cell tower would see (fake or otherwise) is an encrypted stream (probably a VPN) heading between the handset and some locked down secure server out there.

What, like a blackberry? They've been certified by NATO and many other govts:

http://us.blackberry.com/ataglance/security/certifications.jsp

BES properly setup is pretty awesome if you need to do complex things. For example assume you have 50 corporate database applications with their own distributed permissions system and you want to make application distribution choices based on those distributed permissions in an automated fashion.

But if you want a simple example: http://us.blackberry.com/business/software/mvs/
I've used this for all calls recorded policies.

So Employee X is on the road in his car and talking to customer Y's cell phone and that call gets recorded and archived with neither one of them doing anything other than "dialing a number". Try doing that with an iPhone.

Several years ago I looked into becoming a Blackberry developer. I noticed their site was terribly unprofessional and it reminded me of a mom-and-pop shop at times. Just from visiting their site and wading through the developers section I decided to forgo wasting my time on their platform since it was obvious their management had serious problems.

I tried being a BB developer a few months ago, when the beta for Android development started, and nothing's changed. The website was slow, buggy, and all the documentation was poorly written and wrong, wrong, wrong. 90% of it was linked to external websites (Eclipse, Android SDK), and the links pointed to incorrect versions, or just said "do whatever it says there" (which was the wrong thing).

The moment I gave up was when their documentation *AND* their highly touted "see how easy it is" video both contained incorrect instructions. They both said "Install Blackberry SDK in Eclipse by clicking on X". X didn't exist, it was actually a feature in Y. That took me a day to figure out. Then the docs said "To build your application in one step, just right click and select Z".

And of course-- there was no Z. Nothing even close. I event posted in their support forums

. It took an entire month for another developer (not a RIM person) to respond, and all I got was "huh, that's weird".

Compare that to either the Apple or Android dev docs (which are properly written and correct), and I can see why RIM can't attract developers. And if that's the attitude that runs throughout the company...

Apples a bit late to the automobile integration game.

It's no secret that RIMs QNX car application platform *actually* powers over 20 million vehicles on the road. They've already taken integration to a whole new level:

QNX lets BlackBerry PlayBook become in-car controller

The QNX car app platform can power your vehicle’s in-car monitors, including the speedometer and the entertainment unit. [...] you can easily bring things like Pandora or even YouTube to you in-car entertainment unit as well as have realistic maps or song album covers overlaid next to your speedometer.
[...] The BlackBerry PlayBook can then be used to control the climate in the car and you can also get the media from the device over to your car’s entertainment unit with just a few clicks.
QNX also showed off how BlackBerry Traffic can be integrated into the in-car unit via Bluetooth and this provides live, turn-by-turn navigation with an emphasis on how long it will actually take you to get there

RIM's strong relationship with Porche is no secret either (see the Porche designed BlackBery 9981) Concept Porsche Shows Off RIM QNX

QNX shows off its versatility, powers OnStar accessories

Police are also starting to use RIM's in-vehicle technologies: Cop Conference Features BlackBerry PlayBook As Law Enforcement Tool Some details: Serving and Protectingwith a BlackBerry PlayBook

It keeps getting better New QNX Platform to Transform the Automotive Experience

You could say that less than impressed with Siri in the Mercedes after seeing what RIM is doing in the same arena with their technology.

The graphic seems to be a crop of actual "content ratings table" found on App World.

You can see it in this article. If you go to app page linked in the article and click on its rating, the aforementioned table does appear.

I posted this elsewhere in the discussion but it might get buried and missed. While the article has an interesting graphic which describes an adult rating that clearly includes porn ( http://blogs.cio.com/sites/cio.com/files/u80/BB_AppWorldRatings.jpg ), the actual RIM dev blog ( http://devblog.blackberry.com/2011/11/blackberry-app-world-content-ratings/?CPID=TWDNPI&Date=113011 ) has an entirely different graphic ( http://rimdevblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/app-world-content-rating-1.jpg ) which _prohibits graphic sexual content._

I don't know about you but I think I'll take my information from the actual source and chalk this article up to nothing more than FUD...

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I posted this elsewhere in the discussion but it might get buried and missed. While the article has an interesting graphic which describes an adult rating that clearly includes porn ( http://blogs.cio.com/sites/cio.com/files/u80/BB_AppWorldRatings.jpg ), the actual RIM dev blog ( http://devblog.blackberry.com/2011/11/blackberry-app-world-content-ratings/?CPID=TWDNPI&Date=113011 ) has an entirely different graphic ( http://rimdevblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/app-world-content-rating-1.jpg ) which _prohibits graphic sexual content._

I don't know about you but I think I'll take my information from the actual source and chalk this article up to nothing more than FUD...

https://developer.apple.com/library/IOs/#documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/MobileHIG/Introduction/Introduction.html
https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/AppleHIGuidelines/Intro/Intro.html
http://developer.android.com/design/index.html
http://developer.gnome.org/hig-book/
http://docs.blackberry.com/en/developers/deliverables/36511/index.jsp?name=UI+Guidelines+-+BlackBerry+SmartphonesBlackBerry+Smartphones7.1&language=English&userType=21&category=BlackBerry+UI+Guidelines&subCategory=
http://docs.blackberry.com/en/developers/deliverables/27299/index.jsp?name=UI+Guidelines+-+BlackBerry+PlayBook+TabletBlackBerry+PlayBook+Tablet1.0&language=English&userType=21&category=BlackBerry+UI+Guidelines&subCategory=
http://wiki.eclipse.org/User_Interface_Guidelines ...

Yeah, its hilarious an unusual that Microsoft publishes a design guide for their OS because obviously the author didn't spend 5 minutes on Google...

https://developer.apple.com/library/IOs/#documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/MobileHIG/Introduction/Introduction.html
https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/AppleHIGuidelines/Intro/Intro.html
http://developer.android.com/design/index.html
http://developer.gnome.org/hig-book/
http://docs.blackberry.com/en/developers/deliverables/36511/index.jsp?name=UI+Guidelines+-+BlackBerry+SmartphonesBlackBerry+Smartphones7.1&language=English&userType=21&category=BlackBerry+UI+Guidelines&subCategory=
http://docs.blackberry.com/en/developers/deliverables/27299/index.jsp?name=UI+Guidelines+-+BlackBerry+PlayBook+TabletBlackBerry+PlayBook+Tablet1.0&language=English&userType=21&category=BlackBerry+UI+Guidelines&subCategory=
http://wiki.eclipse.org/User_Interface_Guidelines ...

Yeah, its hilarious an unusual that Microsoft publishes a design guide for their OS because obviously the author didn't spend 5 minutes on Google...

Missed Opportunity.

For both BlackBerry and their "professional grade" but too-small PlayBook tablet, and for E-Ink and their lack of color devices on the market. To be fair, there is the jetBook Color which is targeted at the educational market... but it's the only one and I doubt anyone has made any additional aviation apps for it. Too bad they couldn't have leveraged their branding for the aviation market.

False. To start with, the blackberry platform has been audited, tested & certified by NATO & many governments that are not part of Echelon, such as Austria & Turkey:

http://us.blackberry.com/ataglance/security/certifications.jsp

Here is a citation for France. And here is a citation for Germany doing the same. And even Sweden and the EU issued the same warnings (although perhaps this was done just informally, as I can't seem to find the citations for those).

You made two exaggerations in your response. You shouldn't have said "many governments that are not part of Echelon". You should have said "_two_ governments that are not part of Echelon". Two governments doesn't make "many".

Also assuming Turkey and Austria were not coerced/pressured by the US/UK/Anglo coalition in their audits (an assumption I'm not willing to concede yet, because I've seen such coercions take place), it's not the "blackberry platform" which was audited by those "many" non-Echelon governments, it's just the "Blackberry Enterprise Solution" that was. This distinction is important because it's also common wisdom among high level people to keep two different phones, one for Enterprise use and one for personal use.

A European non-UK blackberry phone for personal use would not be going through company servers, but it would be going through the private BBM network in the UK (there is no way to opt out of that as per my understanding) and it would only give the user a false sense of security about being able to share personal sensitive information through it (when all of its text transmissions were indexed and analyzed through the Echelon program).

There are many governments that have threatened to ban blackberries, but none have threatened to ban iphone/android. Think about it.

"The German ministry was first advised to avoid using BlackBerry and iPhone devices in November 2009" (emphasis mine). Think about what? Your logic is flawed. Like you said yourself, some countries like the UA Emirates were upset because they couldn't view the traffic, but nothing of that means that RIM doesn't share its de-encrypted data with the Echelon program (and the country RIM originally originated from, Canada, which is indeed part of that Echelon program).

For example, given the volume of text messages, a mobile carrier in Hungary would notice if millions of messages are being routed outside the country instead of directly to their destination down the hall.

Yes, I do work and talk with some of those people. This is _my_ industry. And this is what some of those people have told me. The fact that I could back up my claims with articles from places like the BBC was sheer googling luck on my part.

And if you want to keep something secret, sending it in an unencrypted text message is a bad idea.

If you want to keep something secret, sending it as a message to anyone is a bad idea. But putting general platitudes aside, there is only one thing worse than using a knowingly unsecure communication channel, and that's the idea that you might be using an unsecure channel unknowingly (because then you'd be mislead and you simply wouldn't know to keep your mouth shut because of that false sense of security).

After all, it wouldn't take much to compromise high level people in an international negotiation. All you'd need to know is that one or two of the negotiators had used their personal Blackberry device to commit fraud, commit insider trading, or to coordinate a hot affair with their bosse's wife.

My bet would be that they were using Blackberry's private BBMs network.

False. It was a regular text message. Text messages in every country are sent with no encryption. Text messages are easily read by the mobile carrier, governments, and others.

In Europe (except for the UK), government officials and high ranking businessmen are told not to use Blackberries, because all the traffic is said to be shared de-encrypted with the US/UK/Canadian/New Zealand/Australian intelligence's echelon program as part of their anglo-security intelligence sharing pact.

False. To start with, the blackberry platform has been audited, tested & certified by NATO & many governments that are not part of Echelon, such as Austria & Turkey:

http://us.blackberry.com/ataglance/security/certifications.jsp

Second, you really don't understand how the blackberry platform works. The message traffic is transmitted by your mobile carrier and Research in Motion, but that isn't a concern.

With a blackberry enterprise server, the AES decryption keys are located in two places - on the blackberry itself, and on the blackberry enterprise server (software that your company buys and installs in-house). The mobile carrier doesn't have the decryption keys (so they can't read the traffic), Research in Motion doesn't have the decryption keys (so they can't read the traffic), and the govt doesn't have the decryption keys.

There are no known successful attacks against AES aside from brute force, which is generally regarded by cryptographers as not feasible, even for a major government.

There are many governments that have threatened to ban blackberries, but none have threatened to ban iphone/android. Think about it.

It is said that even if you're sending a text or an email to an office worker just standing in an office down the hall from you, it doesn't matter where you are in Europe, and even if you're not in the UK, the text or email will first go through the UK

That simply isn't true. For knowledgeable network people it is easy to determine the path that network traffic follows. For example, given the volume of text messages, a mobile carrier in Hungary would notice if millions of messages are being routed outside the country instead of directly to their destination down the hall.

Look, I'm not saying that the government definitely isn't out to get you, but you should learn about the limitations of technology. Your scenario just isn't plausible.

And if you want to keep something secret, sending it in an unencrypted text message is a bad idea.

BlackBerry Server Express - care to change that statement about no free implementation of BB protocols?

RIM also has BlackBerry Protect, which for BIS/BES plans is a great way to remotely lock or completely wipe the device. Strike two.

I didn't have any problems using telnet/ssh clients regardless of BES/BIS. I didn't use jabber so I can't speak to that. With BES the administrator can decide if all connectivity must go through BES. By default, the user can decide. For example - users can download Opera Mini which uses straight TCP/IP connectivity.

Email support works just fine. You can even run a BIS plan on BESX. BIS has been able to sync contacts and calendar just fine for some time now.

Just because it's different from activesync doesn't mean that it doesn't work.

Actually, you've been doing it since 2008 which is when BlackBerry introduced the feature (in a rather limited and braindead way). http://us.blackberry.com/ataglance/networks/WiFiCellularWhitepaper.pdf

I know that that statement makes me fully confident... "CIQ is not installed on Blackberry smartphones." is short, punchy, and sounds nice. Who wants to guess why their spokesweasel went with the above, instead?

Because RIM can't block other people from installing apps after the fact. RIM can't block YOU from installing apps. The platform is designed that way.

RIM has always been very honest about their software. The RIM software clearly lists apps that are installed, and the authors. RIM software lets you selectively grant or deny permissions to software YOU install on YOUR blackberry. RIM software lets YOU delete software from YOUR blackberry.

Moreover, a few years back when Etisalat (an Arab mobile carrier) tried to trick its users to installing spyware, RIM was clear and honest about it:

http://us.blackberry.com/ataglance/security/regappremover.jsp

RIM was very clear that the software wasn't from them, they didn't write it, they didn't assist Etisalat in writing it, RIM didn't authorize it, and how to remove the spyware from YOUR blackberry if YOU choose to.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/etisalat-blackberry-update-was-indeed-spyware-rim-provides-a-so/

To go with an unfortunately appropriate analogy, CIQ is just a street-level heavy. Three of the largest telcomm corporations in the United States are Al Capone. The latter party is almost certainly the driving force behind the former party's crimes; but he's virtually untouchable and isn't exactly going to get his hands dirty to keep a lacky from getting thrown under the bus.

The carriers, while they almost certainly are up to their eyeballs in slime, have zillion-page 'contracts' with the people they are screwing, massive lobbying expertise, and quite possibly de facto or even de jure legal impunity when it comes to a little of the old wiretapping(just look at the, er, unimpressive consequences when their collaboration with the NSA was revealed...) CIQ, by contrast, is just a little coder shop somewhere, 6 years of history, not even the flimsiest of contracts with any phone users, and no obvious friends. Everybody who isn't their customers certainly has no reason not to want them gone, and even their customers would almost certainly rather switch spyware vendors(they've got plenty of options) than endure the PR hit of defending their present vendor...

Much as I'd love to watch CIQ's operations burned down with those responsible locked inside, I suspect that the focus on CIQ will drown out the (far more dire) fact that contemporary communications technology is running headlong into the dystopian future, and the world is crawling with upmarket spyware vendors who provide very similar products and services worldwide. CIQ was unlucky enough to land in hot water

Just a little while back, Etisalat was trojaning its blackberry customers with (poorly made) spyware from the wonderful people at SS8. Guess who suffered no consequences whatsoever and is still merrily peddling "Lawful intercept solutions"?

True, but you can install any app you want on a BlackBerry, including ones that allow users to use their own keys. You can even get BES for free and run your own mailserver with your own keys. I realize RIM has fallen behind in many areas, but I have to say I am quite disappointed that practically none of the major tech blogs has discussed the fact that Carrier IQ is not only not installed on BlackBerry devices, but it is a violation of RIM agreements for a carrier to install this app on a phone. From RIM support forum:

RIM can attest that it does not pre-install the CarrierIQ application on BlackBerry smartphones and has never done so. Furthermore, RIM does not authorize its carrier partners to install the CarrierIQ application on BlackBerry smartphones before sales or distribution and has never done so. RIM also did not develop or commission the development of the CarrierIQ application, nor is RIM involved in any way in the testing, promotion, or distribution of the CarrierIQ application.