Bharat Berry, Alternative To BlackBerry Launched In India

An Indian firm called Data Infosys Ltd has launched an alternative to Blackberry, Bharat Berry in the wake of government’s unwillingness in implementing Blackberry service without getting user details.

India is asking BlackBerry maker RIM to allow the security agencies to intercept user data. Accordingly, the service provider has been given Jan 31 deadline.

The new 'Bharat Berry' service was launched by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

On the occasion of the launch, Data Infosys Ltd founder and CEO Ajay Data said, "The issue that the online usage of BlackBerry phones cannot be monitored by the government will be fully-solved with our service 'Bharat Berry', a country made compliant product designed keeping in consideration with all necessary Indian laws and works with all BlackBerry and other phones,".

"The Bharat Berry service provides more advanced push mail on BlackBerry handsets and ensures that the user remains connected to email, calendar and contacts through the servers hosted in India," he said.

"It also provides over-the-air (OTA) synchronisation of calendar and contacts to outlook, so there will be no need to take backup of attach with the computer," he added.

Bharat Berry has a very advanced email server called XGeNPlus and works on open source technologies. There is no compliance issue as the servers are hosted in India, Ajay Data said.

"Unchecked terrorist activities are the major concern of security agencies, as it can escape detection by using BlackBerry's coded services. We are providing a concrete solution to the problem that has left lakhs of BlackBerry phone users in limbo," he further said.

According to him, users will be charged Rs 100 per month in order to access to the services like emails and to ensure access and synchronization of calendar and contacts, they will have to pay Rs 50 per month.

The Bharat Berry software can be purchased online and downloaded from the website bharatberry.com.

"Lakhs of people are using BlackBerry phones today and there is no certainty that the company will continue to work in future following the controversy. In such a scenario, we are ready with similar service on low charges," Nitin Walia, director of the company, said.

There are about one million BlackBerry users in India.