BlackBerry Gets a 2-Month Reprieve in India

In a sign that India and the maker of popular BlackBerry devices might be closer to settling a dispute over law enforcement's access to corporate e-mail, the government on August 30 said that it would study and test a proposal by the company for two months.

The decision ends a waiting game, at least for now, over whether India would ban the popular corporate e-mail and BlackBerry Messenger chatting services on Tuesday, a deadline set this month for access. In a statement, the ministry of home affairs, which is responsible for internal security, said Research in Motion, the Canadian company that makes BlackBerry devices, had made "certain proposals for lawful access by law enforcement agencies and these would be operationalized immediately. The feasibility of the solutions offered would be assessed thereafter."