Blackberry in Russia
 

Can someone please shed some light on the use of BB in Russia? I have read a number of news articles that state "It is a requirement of the law to give unhindered access to electronic communication if and when the FSB requires it" does this mean that the FSB have to have open access to your corporate network and the BES server? Or is it a case if they ask for copies of any messages as part of an investigation that they must be handed over? Any and all information on setting up a corporate BB service in Russia gratefully recieved.Thanks

No, it means that you only can use BIS service with the Russian mobile carriers. Because with BIS there is no encryption on the BB traffic. If you want to use BES in Russia, you will require foreign SIM cards and BES. This is currently the only way it will work. I know many companies that provide their Russian users BB and BES service in this way.

i was surprised that after spending 9 days in Moscow and St Petersburg, I did not see a single blackberry.

Maybe you were at the wrong time and at the wrong place? ;-)
IMHO, most of BlackBerrys in Russia are in private use, and they are "grey" (I mean not certified by Rostest an others at all).

We generally recommend that our clients use BIS and a foreign SIM card in Russia. Our legal advisers said that by using BES people would be in violation of Russian law, although we haven't heard of anyone being stopped in the last few years.

One of my colleagues was fined in 1999, just for using a foreign mobile phone, not even a Blackberry; since then the laws have allowed foreign mobile phones but there is considerable ambiguity concerning the regulation (and consequent enforcement) regarding data services.

If anyone has some clarification on this topic that would be great to share this information.