RIM wants two years to tackle email security issues

BlackBerry manufacturer says India's security concerns will take up to two years to address

BlackBerry manufacturer Research in Motion (RIM) wants 18 to 24 months to respond to security concerns from Indian agencies who have requested access to its corporate servers.

RIM has faced increasing pressure from India, the UAE and Saudi Arabia in recent months to provide access to communication over BlackBerry devices, amid fears they could be used by terrorists.

However, the company has said it is not planning to grant access, and said in a recent statement: "RIM reaffirms that any suggestion that it is enabling, or planning to enable in any time frame, access to data transmitted through BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) is both false and technologically infeasible."

The Indian government has threatened to close down corporate email services for BlackBerry in the country, as it is uneasy about unmonitored communication.

A cessation of services was narrowly averted in 2010 as an interim agreement was reached that permitted the lawful interception of BlackBerry Messenger services. However a final solution was expected to be reached this month.

Talks continue, and despite its statement that it could not grant the Indian government access to its servers in the short term, the company said in a statement: "RIM's dealings with the government of India remain positive."