BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) has proposed forming a joint consultative forum comprising government, subscribers and service providers to identify mechanism for lawful interception.

The company said that banning the services altogether will be counterproductive.

The company has written to Cabinet Secretary, K M Chandrasekhar and said it had provided options to Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) within India's existing techno-legal framework. It however refrained from committing to provide lawful interception mechanisms as notified by the Indian agencies.

According to RIM, its BlackBerry Enterprise Services uses standard technology which was no different from any of the other encryption products used to provide Virtual Private Network on both wireless and wired networks. RIM said it also strongly believed that the concerns of LEA and the government can only be effectively addressed in a wider dialogue between government and industry.

"Singling out products like BES in the present instance and imposing ban on such services would be futile and counterproductive," Vice President of RIM, Mr Robert E Crow said in the letter.

RIM said that banning the services would be counterproductive because who wanted to misuse of Internet encrypted technology would shift to any one of other numerous and freely available options.

"As this issue impacts the Internet industry as a whole, we at RIM therefore earnestly request that a joint consultative forum, of Government, users and providers of encrypted services, be established for collectively engaging and assisting the Governmen t to draw up procedures and process that will be adhered to across the board to address the concerns of LEA and the misuse of such technologies," Mr Crow said.

"As we understand it, many of these users also want the opportunity to directly engage with the Government to find solutions," Mr Crow said.