[MisterGriffiths]

So, for those of you with BlackBerry users in the UAE, what are you intending to do?

It's all gone very quiet. No statements have been released, no stepped up reassurances from RIM, the press have nothing to report.

We have less than 4 weeks, and as much as I wish I could sit back and rely on my gut feel that October 11th will come and go without any action, I have to have something ready to roll.

My short term alternative was to get my carrier to BIS activate my UAE BlackBerrys (sending down the 'BlackBerry Internet Browsing Service' service book), unlock the browser in the BES IT Policy, then get them to use the BIS Browser to come in via OMA or OWA.

Now I'm hearing rumours that it isn't just BES they intend to block, it's likely to be all BlackBerry Data, including BIS.

OK we can still run the BES'd devices over private wifi in the office and possibly at home but that isn't going to cut the mustard with our users.

My concern now is the availability of an alternative device. If BIS does go too and we have to deploy another smart phone, will there be any left on the shelves over the next few weeks.

Has anyone jumped ship already?

[RJeffDay]

I thought that RIM backed down and gave the UAE a few BB servers to install over there so the Gov't could monitor everything at the server level...

Am I wrong?

[coooly]

It's seems UAE will not block BlackBerry services after all :

(Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates is "very optimistic" about reaching an agreement in a dispute with BlackBerry maker Research In Motion before an official deadline, a top Abu Dhabi official said.

"We are very optimistic about the outcome. We both are working very hard trying to resolve the issues....it's going to be solved before the deadline," Mohammed al-Bawardi, secretary general at Abu Dhabi's executive council, told reporters on Sunday.


To bad for my users in UAE, they won't get iPhones

[juwaack68]

Looks like the agreement has been reached for sure now:

UAE reverses plan to ban BlackBerry - CNN.com

Abu Dhabi, Uae (CNN) -- The United Arab Emirates will not implement a planned ban on all BlackBerry services that was to have gone into effect next week, the state news agency said Friday.

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority confirmed that all BlackBerry services have conformed to the agency's regulations, the WAM news agency said.

As a result, authorities will not follow through with a ban on services that was to have gone into effect on Monday.