Blackberry
The (pronunciation [ˈblækbəri] , English for blackberry ) is a smartphone from the Canadian company Blackberry Limited (previously Research In Motion , or RIM for short ). The physical keyboard, which is still used in almost all models today, is characteristic. In the past, Blackberry developed the device hardware and the operating system BlackBerry OS itself and sold them, including the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, as a comprehensive and secure communication solution. The "hub" in the center bundles messages such as calls, SMS , e-mails, tweets, etc. The devices have been developed and manufactured under license since 2016 and are based on Android, which is hardened by the BlackBerry company .
history
In 1999, RIM launched the first device called the Blackberry 850, which subsequently heralded the age of mobile communication. For the first time, it was possible to access e-mails via a mobile Internet connection or to synchronize new appointments wirelessly. The first, not yet fully developed Blackberry smartphone is the successor model Blackberry 5810, presented in 2002, with an integrated mobile phone.
Blackberry developed various smartphones based on the in-house operating system Blackberry OS , including the popular Bold and Curve series . The company focused on business customers, but expanded the functionality in the course of the process in order to win over the private user segment.
In October 2011, Blackberry presented the new operating system Blackberry 10 at the in-house developer conference , which was used by the then current models such as the Blackberry Q10 , Classic, Z10 or Passport . Previous OS versions are therefore referred to as LegacyOS. At the end of 2014, the Amazon Appstore was made available for all Blackberry 10 devices, via which the Android apps available on Amazon can be installed. Since the devices were designed as so-called workhorses for the office, they had a low processor performance and no 3D graphics processor, which enabled about twice as long battery life as with other manufacturers - but did not allow complex 3D games.
The company missed the move from keyboard to touchscreen in 2008 . As a result, cell phone sales collapsed in early 2011 and the BlackBerry company experienced a dramatic drop in sales in the following years. In 2013, John Chen took over the chairmanship and focused the business on software and services. As part of this, Blackberry separated from its own smartphone development and production in 2016 and only licensed the devices to save costs. This means that BlackBerry is a pure software provider in the smartphone sector . In an interview in 2016, Chen said that Blackberry smartphones with a keyboard will continue to be available in the future.
A year later, Blackberry released the PRIV model, the first smartphone with an Android system. BlackBerry hardens software and hardware to be able to offer the most secure Android smartphones on the market.
function
The main function of a legacy Blackberry smartphone is to be able to receive and send e-mails as a push service . In addition, Blackberrys offer the usual smartphone functions such as address book, calendar, instant messenger ( WhatsApp , BBM (discontinued)), task lists, to-do lists, etc., and additional cell phone functions such as telephony, SMS , MMS and web browsing . In contrast to a traditional PDA , the Blackberry user does not have to worry about data synchronization.
BlackBerry devices up to BlackBerry OS7.1 had to be connected via the BIS option in order to establish a data connection. For business customers, the BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Server, from version 12 BlackBerry Enterprise Services) is available, which is set up on-premises or in the cloud and establishes communication via the BlackBerry Network Operation Center (NOC). BlackBerry carried out a rebranding with version 12.6. The manufacturer now offers to manage all mobile endpoints via the in-house server software and the NOC. Since then, the name Unified Endpoint Manager (UEM) has been used for the EMM system.
With Blackberry devices, emails, calendar entries, notes and address book entries are transferred from the Blackberry NOC to the smartphone via push service. The device is therefore always kept up to date as long as there is a data connection. At the same time, it enables immediate notification and delivery of new e-mails and appointments in real time. Another important function results from the Mobile Data System (MDS), which makes it possible to make other data from the company network - from ERP systems, databases, etc. - accessible on the Blackberry. For example, price or warehouse information can be called up, order processes can be triggered or customer data can be changed.
Blackberry technology deliberately keeps the amount of data to be transferred small: the Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) processes all data in a special way, compresses it and then outputs it to the end device in portions. Only when the user needs more data is it requested from the device. The request is made without the user noticing or having to wait. MByte-sized files (such as PDF or Office files) can be opened quickly despite a GPRS or EDGE connection (for example on the train): The BES opens the attachment on request and converts it into a text-oriented file and sends them in bundles to the client. Via the POP3 protocol, the server would send the entire file unchanged to the client: i.e. the user cannot open the file until it is fully downloaded; the user needed a powerful end device to be able to process larger files accordingly. In addition, all data traffic from the server from the company network to the smartphone and back is encrypted. The original Blackberry devices can also be set in such a way that they not only secure the device content with a password, but also encrypt it.
The Blackberry service can only be used on older devices (before the introduction of OS 10 ) with a special BIS option, which must be booked with the mobile network operator for the mobile network card. This so-called "Blackberry option" includes a basic fee and a fee for the data volume ordered. For the Blackberry push service, with around 500 e-mails per month and calendar usage of around 100 entries per week, hardly more than 1 MB per month is used.
The DocumentsToGo software from DataViz has been part of the operating system since Blackberry OS 7.0 ; this means that documents and file attachments can also be viewed natively. The editing function of Office documents is also possible. The software enables, for example, the creation of Microsoft Word , Excel or PowerPoint files.
Blackberry models
| Blackberry model | Market launch | operating system | service | GPS | WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS | HSDPA | EV-DO | LTE | NFC | processor | R.A.M. | Media storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8100 pearl | 09/2006 | OS 4.5 | Half-QWERTY | - | - | - | - | - | - | 312 MHz | 64 MB | optional microSD (max. 2 GB) |
| 8800 | 02/2007 | OS 4.5 | QWERTZ | Yes | - | - | - | - | - | 312 MHz | 64 MB | optional microSD (max. 2 GB) |
| 8300 curve | 05/2007 | OS 4.5 | QWERTZ | - | - | - | - | - | - | 312 MHz | 64 MB | optional microSD (max. 4 GB) |
| 8820 | 07/2007 | OS 4.5 | QWERTZ | Yes | b / g | - | - | - | - | 312 MHz | 64 MB | optional microSD (max. 2 GB) |
| 8310 curve | 08/2007 | OS 4.5 | QWERTZ | Yes | - | - | - | - | - | 312 MHz | 64 MB | optional microSD (max. 4 GB) |
| 8320 curve | 09/2007 | OS 4.5 | QWERTZ | Yes | b / g | - | - | - | - | 312 MHz | 64 MB | optional microSD (max. 4 GB) |
| 8120 Pearl | 10/2007 | OS 4.5 | Half-QWERTY | - | b / g | - | - | - | - | 312 MHz | 64 MB | optional microSD (max. 4 GB) |
| 8110 Pearl | 01/2008 | OS 4.5 | Half-QWERTY | Yes | - | - | - | - | - | 312 MHz | 64 MB | optional microSD (max. 4 GB) |
| 9000 Bold | 05/2008 | OS 4.6 or OS 5.0 (with update) |
QWERTZ | Yes | a / b / g | Yes | - | - | - | 624 MHz | 128 MB | 1 GB eMMC and optional microSD (max. 8 GB) |
| 8220 Pearl Flip | 09/2008 | OS 4.6 | Half-QWERTY clamshell |
Yes | b / g | - | - | - | - | 312 MHz | 64 MB | optional microSD (max. 8 GB) |
| 9500 Storm | 09/2008 | OS 4.6 or OS 5.0 (with update) |
Touch screen | Yes | - | Yes | - | - | - | 528 MHz | 128 MB | 1 GB eMMC and optional microSD (max. 16 GB) |
| 8900 curve | 11/2008 | OS 4.6 or OS 5.0 (with update) |
QWERTZ | Yes | b / g | - | - | - | - | 512 MHz | 256 MB | optional microSD (max. 32 GB) |
| 8520 curve | 07/2009 | OS 5.0 | QWERTZ | - | b / g | - | - | - | - | 512 MHz | 256 MB | optional microSD (max. 32 GB) |
| 9520 Storm 2 | 10/2009 | OS 5.0 | Touch screen | Yes | b / g | Yes | - | - | - | 528 MHz | 256 MB | 2 GB eMMC and optional microSD (max. 16 GB) |
| 9700 Bold | 10/2009 | OS 5.0 or OS 6.0 (with update) |
QWERTZ | Yes | a / b / g | Yes | - | - | - | 624 MHz | 256 MB | 2 GB microSD (max. 16 GB) |
| 9105 Pearl 3G | 04/2010 | OS 5.0 or OS 6.0 (with update) |
T9 | Yes | b / g / n | Yes | - | - | - | 624 MHz | 256 MB | 2 GB microSD (max. 32 GB) |
| 9800 torch | 08/2010 | OS 6.0 | Touchscreen QWERTZ (slider) |
Yes | b / g / n | Yes | - | - | - | 624 MHz | 512 MB | 4 GB eMMC, 4 GB microSD (max. 32 GB) |
| 9300 Curve 3G | 08/2010 | OS 5.0 or OS 6.0 (with update) |
QWERTZ | Yes | b / g / n | Yes | - | - | - | 624 MHz | 256 MB | optional microSD (max. 32 GB) |
| 9780 Bold | 10/2010 | OS 6.0 | QWERTZ | Yes | a / b / g | Yes | - | - | - | 624 MHz | 512 MB | 2 GB microSD (max. 32 GB) |
| Playbook | 04/2011 | Blackberry Tablet OS (QNX) | Touch screen | Yes | a / b / g / n | No | - | - | 1.0 GHz | 1024 MB | 64 GB eMMC | |
| 9900 Bold | 05/2011 | OS 7.0 or OS 7.1 (with update) |
QWERTZ touchscreen |
Yes | a / b / g / n | Yes | - | - | Yes | 1.2 GHz | 768 MB | 8 GB eMMC and optional microSD (max. 32 GB) |
| 9860 Torch | 08/2011 | OS 7.0 or OS 7.1 (with update) |
Touch screen | Yes | b / g / n | Yes | - | - | - | 1.2 GHz | 768 MB | 4 GB eMMC and optional microSD (max. 32 GB) |
| 9810 Torch | 08/2011 | OS 7.0 or OS 7.1 (with update) |
Touchscreen QWERTZ (slider) |
Yes | b / g / n | Yes | - | - | - | 1.2 GHz | 768 MB | 8 GB eMMC and optional microSD (max. 32 GB) |
| 9360 curve | 08/2011 | OS 7.0 or OS 7.1 (with update) |
QWERTZ | Yes | b / g / n | Yes | - | - | Yes | 800 MHz | 512 MB | 512 MB eMMC, 4 GB microSD (max. 32 GB) |
| 9981 Porsche Design | 10/2011 | OS 7.0 or OS 7.1 (with update) |
QWERTZ touchscreen |
Yes | a / b / g / n | Yes | - | - | Yes | 1.2 GHz | 768 MB | 8 GB eMMC, 16 GB microSD (max. 32 GB) |
| 9380 curve | 11/2011 | OS 7.0 or OS 7.1 (with update) |
Touch screen | Yes | b / g / n | Yes | - | - | Yes | 800 MHz | 512 MB | 512 MB eMMC, 4 GB microSD (max. 32 GB) |
| 9790 Bold | 11/2011 | OS 7.0 or OS 7.1 (with update) |
QWERTZ touchscreen |
Yes | a / b / g / n | Yes | - | - | Yes | 1.0 GHz | 768 MB | 8 GB eMMC and optional microSD (max. 32 GB) |
| 9320 curve | 05/2012 | OS 7.1 | QWERTZ | Yes | b / g / n | Yes | - | - | - | 806 MHz | 512 MB | 512 MB eMMC and optional microSD (max. 32 GB) |
| Playbook 3G + | 08/2012 | Blackberry Tablet OS (QNX) | Touch screen | Yes | a / b / g / n | Yes | - | - | 1.5 GHz | 1024 MB | 32 GB eMMC | |
| 9720 | 08/2013 | OS 7.1 | QWERTZ touchscreen |
Yes | b / g / n | Yes | - | - | - | 806 MHz | 512 MB | 512 MB eMMC and optional microSD (max. 32 GB) |
| Z10 | 02/2013 |
10 or 10.3 (with update) |
Touch screen | Yes | a / b / g / n | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1.5 GHz | 2 GB | 16 GB eMMC and optional microSD (max. 32 GB) | |
| Q10 | 05/2013 | 10.1 or 10.3 (with update) |
Touchscreen QWERTZ |
Yes | a / b / g / n | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1.5 GHz | 2 GB | 16 GB eMMC and optional microSD (max. 32 GB) | |
| Q5 | 07/2013 | 10.1 or 10.3 (with update) |
Touchscreen QWERTZ |
Yes | a / b / g / n | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1.2 GHz | 2 GB | 8 GB eMMC and optional microSD (max. 32 GB) | |
| Z30 | 11/2013 | 10.2 or 10.3 (with update) |
Touch screen | Yes | a / b / g / n | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1.7 GHz | 2 GB | 16 GB eMMC and optional microSD (max. 64 GB) | |
| Passport | 09/2014 | 10.3 | Touchscreen QWERTZ |
Yes | a / b / g / n | Yes | Yes | Yes | 2.2 GHz | 3 GB | 32 GB eMMC and optional microSD (max. 128 GB) | |
| Classic | 12/2014 | 10.3 | QWERTZ touchscreen |
Yes | a / b / g / n | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1.5 GHz | 2 GB | 16 GB eMMC and optional microSD (max. 128 GB) |
| Leap | 04/2015 | 10.3 | Touch screen | Yes | b / g / n | Yes | Yes | No | 1.5 GHz | 2 GB | 16 GB eMMC and optional microSD (max. 128 GB) | |
| Priv | 11/2015 | Android 5.1.1 or Android 6.0 (with update) |
Touchscreen QWERTZ (slider) |
Yes | a / b / g / n | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1.8 GHz & 1.4 GHz | 3 GB | 30 GB eMMC and optional microSD (max. 2 TB) |
| DTEK50 | 08/2016 | Android 6.0.1 | Touch screen | Yes | a / b / g / n / ac | Yes | - | Yes | Yes | 1.5 GHz & 1.2 GHz | 3 GB | 16 GB internal and optional microSD (max. 2 TB) |
| DTEK60 | 10/2016 | Android 6.0.1 | Touch screen | Yes | b / g / na / n ac | Yes | - | Yes | Yes | 2.15GHz & 1.6GHz | 4GB | 32 GB internal and optional microSD (max. 2TB) |
| KEYone | 04/2017 | Android 7.1 (Android 8.1 with update) | Touchscreen + sensitive keyboard | Yes | a / b / g / n / ac | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 2GHz Octacore | 3GB | 32 GB internal and optional microSD (max. 2TB) |
| KEY² | 06/2018 | Android 8.1 | Touchscreen + keyboard | Yes | a / b / g / n / ac | Yes | Yes | Yes | 2.2Ghz & 1.8Ghz Octacore | 6GB | 64 / 128GB internal and optional microSD | |
| KEY² LE | 10/2018 | Android 8.1 | Touchscreen + keyboard | Yes | a / b / g / n / ac | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1.8 GHz octacore | 4GB | 32 / 64GB internal and optional microSD | |
| Additional Blackberry devices that were or are only available in the US and Canadian markets: | ||||||||||||
| 8830 | 04/2007 | OS 4.5 | QWERTY | Yes | - | - | Yes | - | - | 312 MHz | 64 MB | optional microSD (max. 2 GB) |
| 8330 curve | 09/2007 | OS 4.5 | QWERTY | Yes | - | - | Yes | - | - | 312 MHz | 64 MB | optional microSD (max. 4 GB) |
| 8130 Pearl | 10/2007 | OS 4.5 | Half-QWERTY | Yes | b / g | - | Yes | - | - | 312 MHz | 64 MB | optional microSD (max. 4 GB) |
| 8350i curve | 09/2008 | OS 4.5 | QWERTY | Yes | b / g | - | - | - | - | ? | 128 MB | optional microSD (max. 16 GB) |
| 9530 Storm | 09/2008 | OS 4.6 or OS 5.0 (with update) |
Touch screen | Yes | - | Yes | Yes | - | - | 528 MHz | 128 MB | 1 GB eMMC and optional microSD (max. 16 GB) |
| 8230 Pearl Flip | 02/2009 | OS 4.6 | Half-QWERTY clamshell |
Yes | b / g | - | Yes | - | - | 312 MHz | 128 MB | optional microSD (max. 8 GB) |
| 8530 curve | 11/2009 | OS 5.0 | QWERTY | Yes | b / g | - | Yes | - | - | 528 MHz | 256 MB | optional microSD (max. 32 GB) |
| 9630 tour | 07/2009 | OS 5.0 | QWERTY | Yes | - | Yes | Yes | - | - | 528 MHz | 256 MB | optional microSD (max. 8 GB) |
| 9550 Storm 2 | 10/2009 | OS 5.0 | Touch screen | Yes | b / g | Yes | Yes | - | - | 528 MHz | 256 MB | 2 GB eMMC and optional microSD (max. 16 GB) |
| 9650 Bold | 04/2010 | OS 6.0 | QWERTY | Yes | b / g | Yes | - | - | - | 528 MHz | 512 MB | 2 GB microSD (max. 32 GB) |
| 9100 Pearl 3G | 04/2010 | OS 5.0 or OS 6.0 (with update) |
Half-QWERTY | Yes | b / g / n | Yes | - | - | - | 624 MHz | 256 MB | 2 GB microSD (max. 32 GB) |
| 9330 Curve 3G | 09/2010 | OS 5.0 or OS 6.0 (with update) |
QWERTY | Yes | b / g | Yes | Yes | - | - | 624 MHz | 512 MB | optional microSD (max. 32 GB) |
| 9670 style | 10/2010 | OS 6.0 | QWERTY clamshell |
Yes | b / g / n | Yes | - | - | - | ? | 512 MB | 8 GB microSD (max. 16 GB) |
| 9930 Bold | 05/2011 | OS 7.0 or OS 7.1 (with update) |
QWERTY touchscreen |
Yes | a / b / g / n | Yes | Yes | - | Yes | 1.2 GHz | 768 MB | 8 GB eMMC and optional microSD (max. 32 GB) |
| 9850 Torch | 08/2011 | OS 7.0 | Touch screen | Yes | b / g / n | Yes | Yes | - | - | 1.2 GHz | 768 MB | 4 GB eMMC and optional microSD (max. 32 GB) |
| 9350 curve | 08/2011 | OS 7.0 or OS 7.1 (with update) |
QWERTY | Yes | b / g / n | - | - | - | Yes | 800 MHz | 512 MB | 512 MB eMMC and optional microSD (max. 32 GB) |
| 9370 curve | 08/2011 | OS 7.0 or OS 7.1 (with update) |
QWERTY | Yes | b / g / n | - | Yes | - | Yes | 800 MHz | 512 MB | 1 GB eMMC and optional microSD (max. 32 GB) |
| 9220 curve | 05/2012 | OS 7.1 | QWERTY | Yes | b / g / n | - | - | - | - | ? | 512 MB | 512 MB eMMC and optional microSD (max. 32 GB) |
Sales and distribution
In 2005 Blackberry was able to take the lead in the PDA market with a market share of 21% thanks to its strong growth.
Up to and including 2011, Blackberry was able to benefit from the growing smartphone division, in the USA the Curve model was sold more frequently than the iPhone in the first quarter of 2009 . In 2013, the decline is already becoming apparent, although both Angela Merkel and Barack Obama have already been seen using BlackBerry smartphones.
The market shares could subsequently not be maintained because competing companies such as Samsung and Apple specifically claimed the area of private users for themselves. In 2015, however, Blackberry was named the market leader for enterprise mobile management in the Forester Wave report, which, in view of the special group of users, is mainly attributed to its success in the corporate and business customer segment.
| 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | 277,000 | 920,000 | 2,440,000 | 4,040,000 | 6,400,000 | 13,800,000 | 26,000,000 | 36,700,000 | 52,300,000 | 49,000,000 | 28,100,000 | 20,500,000 | 8,500,000 | 1,650,000 | 850,000 |
| time | 2004 Jan. | 2004 Nov. | 2005 May | 2005 Aug | 2005 Dec | 2006 Oct. | 2007 June | 2007 Dec | 2009 Oct. | 2010 Dec |
| Users in millions | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 6.0 | 9.0 | 11.2 | 30.0 | 41.0 |
service
Up to the 8100 Pearl device type, the devices were mainly controlled with a thumbwheel ( trackwheel ) and a delete button on the right side of the device. This enabled the BlackBerry to be used consistently with one hand. Text input for the common types is done using a full QWERTY keyboard that has been optimized for use with both thumbs . The end devices of the 71xx, 81xx, 82xx and 91xx series, which have a sure -type keyboard, are an exception. Two buttons on the left and right of the housing can be freely assigned, for example with the address book and the calendar.
The name of the Blackberry Pearl refers to the "Pearl", an illuminated control ball (trackball) that is now placed under the screen for navigation. In the course of this redesign, the "Escape" key (delete key) has been relocated from the side of the device next to the thumbwheel to ensure one-handed operation.
Since the trackball often tends to block due to dirt, Blackberry Limited built in its later model series 85xx, 96xx and 97xx instead a trackpad that recognizes the direction of movement of the thumb sliding on it. The models Q5 and Q10 were subsequently designed without the well-known Blackberry bar with the associated trackpad. With the new introduction of the Blackberry Classic, both the extended menu keys and the trackpad have been integrated again, which means that one-handed operation is completely possible again. All devices with the Blackberry 10 operating system can also be operated via the integrated touchscreen. Some of the Android devices also have a sensitive keyboard that recognizes swiping gestures.
Back office
The push service is provided in the back office by the BES, which in turn has a connection to the groupware systems Microsoft Exchange , Novell GroupWise , Lotus Domino , Google Apps or Alt-N MDaemon. Since BES12 or now UEM, the EMM system has the ability to activate and manage BlackBerry OS, Android, Android for Work, iOS, Samsung KNOX, Windows 10 Desktop / Mobile and MacOS against the server. BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), COPE (Corporate Owned, Personally Enabled) and COBO (Corporate Owned, Business Only) can be used as legal relationships.
The server monitors the user's mailbox for incoming mails and forwards them to the Mobile Routing Center (MRC) of Blackberry Limited. From there, the mails are sent to the cell phone provider and then transferred to the Blackberry by radio. The transfer of calendar entries, task lists, addresses and notes (push service) works in the same way. If the entries are recorded on the Blackberry or emails are written, the data is transferred in the opposite direction to the groupware system.
The BES / UEM also allows companies to have increased security settings. In this way, the administrator can install software in the background on the devices via the cellular network (" Over the Air " or "OTA"). In an emergency, the Blackberry can be deleted with a special OTA command, at least as long as there is a connection to the server.
For small companies, a BES cloud solution is also available as an alternative to BES on-premise. But the BlackBerry partners also offer their own hosting and housing offers.
So that private users and companies with BlackBerry legacy devices up to and including OS 7.1 can use parts of the Blackberry technology without their own servers ( prosumers ), the mobile network providers provide servers that provide the basic service e-mail. In contrast to the Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES), these are called differently, namely Blackberry Internet Service (BIS). External POP3 / IMAP / OWA / LWA mailboxes are integrated here and the incoming e-mails are then forwarded to the handheld device. It is possible to mask responses from the handheld device with your own e-mail address so that the e-mail address generated by the mobile phone provider does not have to be used. This service is currently offered in Germany by T-Mobile , Vodafone , E-Plus and O 2 . With BIS it is only possible to synchronize contacts or the calendar with individual e-mail providers without additional software. BIS customers also have the option of synchronizing the Blackberry via USB or, with newer models, manually via Bluetooth using the Blackberry Desktop with Outlook or Notes. In addition, BIS customers can use the functionality known for Blackberry if they use solutions developed by third-party providers that synchronize data with the Blackberry via an XML interface.
connection
In older models, the handset and server are compared via a special pager network, in newer models in the GSM network via GPRS in encrypted and compressed form. With the Blackberry 8707/9000/9500/9520/9700 (Vodafone) or the XDA III-Trion (O 2 ), UMTS-capable Blackberry and Blackberry Connect devices are now also available. 3DES is supported for encryption and AES is supported for servers from version 4 onwards.
safety
An important security component is the AES encryption (in older versions 3DES ) of the data traffic with 256-bit long AES keys from the BES to the handheld device. According to Blackberry Limited, the transmission of data between the end device and the Blackberry server is always encrypted. This was announced after the incorrectly reproduced in Le Monde - and only allegedly subsequently corrected - warning against the use of the devices in government circles, according to which there was an alleged data protection threat from US and British secret services under the Regulation of Investigatory Power Act (RIP Act) . The law allows UK authorities to monitor communications on servers located in the UK. This does not apply to Blackberry servers, as they only pass Blackberry data through in Great Britain, but not store it. This key, which is initially negotiated using a random generator when the device is activated, is valid for a maximum of 30 days until it is renewed. If the key were to be compromised, the subsequent key is not dependent on the predecessor and thus security is guaranteed. The Blackberry administrator can renew the key. The user of the hand-held device can also create a new key with the colloquial “paranoia button”. Outgoing packets are not encrypted by the BES or the handheld device with the “Masterkey”, but rather with a “session key” based on the Masterkey. There is also the option of using S / MIME or PGP for e-mail encryption.
In addition, the device content can be encrypted to enforce a device password. A Blackberry administrator can set more than 400 settings via "Policies" to switch off device properties or to provide security features. These include:
- The possibility of enforcing secure passwords (up to 24 characters), in the most complex case with upper and lower case letters, special characters and numbers.
- Password history: The last passwords are remembered and cannot be used again.
- Blocking certain passwords.
- Blocking of the device after a predefined time.
- Blocking and deletion of the device after a defined number of incorrect password entries
- "Periodic Challenge": Password entry after a certain period of time, even if the device is being used.
- Prohibition of SMS, MMS or other email services.
- Enforcement of encryption of the entire handheld device (content protection)
- Deactivation of the camera, the multimedia functions and external storage ( microSD ).
The policy settings are explained in the "BlackBerry Enterprise Server Policy Reference Guide". A user cannot influence these settings if an administrator changes them centrally. He can administer devices worldwide and delete them over the air if one is lost or stolen. The central administration implements behavioral guidelines and guidelines for corporate identity .
In July 2009 the provider Etisalat distributed a "performance patch" in the United Arab Emirates , which turned out to be sniffing software from the US software company SS8 and which could be used to interrogate the e-mail traffic of Blackberry customers.
The Blackberry OS 10 transfers email passwords in plain text to the manufacturer as standard, provided that the user sets up his email accounts automatically on the device. The Blackberry company uses this access data to log into the specified mail server with the customer account and thus to check the e-mail configuration. Blackberry also states that the customer's access data is only used when the mail account is set up and is not saved by the company. The transmission of the password is covered by the terms and conditions accepted by the user. Heise-Verlag recommends users of Blackberry 10 who use the same password for mail and other services via single sign-on to change all passwords that were used on Blackberry 10 devices for e-mail access. The transmission of the password when setting up the mail account can be prevented by using the Advanced button on the device; Likewise, there is no transmission when configured via BES.
The Canadian company also decrypts BBM and PIN messages and reveals the PIN code of customers to authorities around the world. Blackberry bypasses the procedure regulated in the legal assistance agreement with Canada. This means that there is no state supervision of whether the foreign request for information is legitimate and genuine. Requesting authorities present the documents required in their country, which often does not require a judicial order. The authority declares that its request for information serves to enforce the applicable criminal laws and promises that the request will not serve to control or punish peaceful expressions of political or religious opinions.
Privacy and Blackberry
With the Enterprise Server (BES), BlackBerry developed a product that is primarily designed for the US market. American companies expect different performance characteristics than global customers. In the United States, all email sent over the corporate network is owned by the company. Privacy is not guaranteed and is explicitly excluded in many cases. According to current case law, companies in the USA are also responsible for what employees write in their e-mails. Therefore, in many companies there is a strong monitoring of the data traffic. The BES is also able to do this. Settings can be made so that every e-mail is automatically sent as a blind copy to a specific recipient. The software makes it possible to write all PIN-to-PIN messages (something like SMS between Blackberry devices), SMS and messages sent via Blackberry Messenger in log files . In addition, all telephone calls can be written to a log file with the associated name from the user address book. For this purpose, almost all status and settings of the device, such as installed software or operating times, can be called up on the server side. In Germany and other countries, this technology poses a data protection problem. The settings can easily be changed at any time without notifying the user, with the help of the policies , and can only be applied to him or a specific user group. A simple misconfiguration can thus make content significant under data protection law accessible to an unauthorized group of people. Under this premise, the use of Blackberry devices in the corporate environment should always be based on the general stipulation that content should be designed purely for business purposes and little or not at all personally. Furthermore, when introducing Blackberry services in the company environment, it must be clarified to what extent an introduction - here also in particular because of the technical implementation of access to the mailbox with the help of a "courier account", especially in the Microsoft Exchange environment - with the works council must be discussed and approved.
BlackBerry is one of the first main members of the FIDO alliance , which developed the industry standard Universal Second Factor (U2F) for generally applicable two-factor authentication .
Crime and censorship
In the wake of the unrest in the United Kingdom in 2011 , the Blackberry Messenger (“BBM”) in particular came under fire: many rioters used the instant messaging network to communicate directly with one another, without the government being able to eavesdrop. At the time, the messenger only worked with Blackberries and encrypted messages, videos and images. During the riots, Blackberry announced on an official Twitter account for Great Britain that it would cooperate with the authorities. As a reaction to this announcement, the hacker group "TeaMp0isoN" penetrated the official BlackBerry blog and posted a message on the website.
The Indian government suspects that the November 26, 2008 attacks in Mumbai , in which 166 people were killed, were planned via Blackberrys. However, experts point out that terrorists could also communicate in encrypted form over the "normal" Internet.
In Saudi Arabia , the BBM was particularly popular with young people. In the conservative Islamic country, it was the only way for many users to get in touch with the opposite sex. In 2009, according to the manufacturer Blackberry, the largest state-owned telecommunications company in the United Arab Emirates, Etisalat , tried to install a spy program on the devices under the pretext of a software update.
Patent dispute
The Blackberry technology infringed (at least in the US) a patent that was filed in 1991 and later acquired by a company called NTP, Inc., based in the US state of Virginia . This sued Blackberry Limited in November 2001 after negotiations over a license agreement had failed. This was followed by a lawsuit lasting several years, during which it was feared that a court could order the shutdown of all Blackberry services. This did not happen, however, instead the opponents reached an amicable settlement in March 2006. Blackberry Limited undertook to pay US $ 612 million and acquired the right to use the patents concerned. The patents held by NTP (16 claims) have now been declared null and void by the United States Patent and Trademark Office .
weaknesses
Although the Blackberry was a productive solution for mobile communication via e-mail, the devices could not display any e-mail attachments in third-party formats (MS Office, PDF, TIFF etc.) at the beginning of the introduction. The Blackberry basic software was largely limited to parsing text from the documents and displaying it as pure text. In later model series (from 2010) these functional restrictions were permanently removed: Blackberry smartphones in particular are known today for being able to display numerous file formats natively.
Blackberry has not provided the KeyOne model with software updates since April 2019 (only 2 years after its market launch) and thus exposes its users to security risks.
The update to Android 9 promised for the Key² model is still a long time coming and may not appear at all.
See also
literature
- Alastair Sweeny: BlackBerry Planet: The Story of Research in Motion and the Little Device that Took the World by Storm . Wiley, 2009, ISBN 978-0-470-15940-8 .
Web links
- Blackberry Official Website (German)
- Website for BlackBerry developers (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Thomas Spinnler: New business model: Blackberry is back. In: tagesschau.de. March 28, 2018, accessed April 18, 2018 .
- ↑ Colin Duwe: RIM BlackBerry 5810 Wireless Handheld. zdnet.de, November 20, 2002.
- ↑ Blackberry: From high-flyer to takeover candidate. February 2, 2015, accessed January 16, 2016 .
- ↑ BlackBerry Passport vs. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. September 30, 2014, accessed January 19, 2016 .
- ↑ Ten things to know about BlackBerry - and how much trouble it is (or isn't) in. The Guardian, September 29, 2014, accessed January 7, 2017 .
- ^ David George-Cosh: BlackBerry Outsourcing Handset Business . In: The Wall Street Journal . September 28, 2016 ( online [accessed October 13, 2016]).
- ↑ BlackBerry CEO says iconic QWERTY keyboard will live on even after outsourcing. In: BNN.ca. September 28, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2016 .
- ↑ BlackBerry Priv: Android Slider now also available in Germany. netzwelt.de, December 10, 2015, accessed on January 16, 2016 .
- ↑ Presentation Android by BlackBerry Security | BB10QNX.de . In: BB10QNX.de . October 18, 2016 ( online [accessed April 21, 2017]).
- ↑ Blackberry can be used in future without a special data option. In: teltarif.de. January 29, 2013, accessed July 26, 2015 .
- ↑ BlackBerry Leap Specifications - Specifications of the BlackBerry Leap smartphone. In: de.blackberry.co. Retrieved November 24, 2016 .
- ↑ DTEK50 specifications on the German manufacturer's website. Retrieved July 31, 2016 .
- ↑ DTEK60 Specs - Technical data for the BlackBerry smartphone. In: shop.blackberry.com. Retrieved October 29, 2016 .
- ↑ Technical data of the BlackBerry® KEYone - DE. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on April 21, 2017 ; accessed on April 21, 2017 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Blackberry more popular than iPhone in the US. areamobile, May 6, 2009, accessed January 12, 2016 .
- ↑ a b Which phones do world leaders use? The Guardian , Aug. 31, 2013 .
- ↑ The Forrester Wave: Enterprise Mobile Management, Q4 2015. (No longer available online.) Forrester Research, archived from the original on January 12, 2016 ; accessed on January 12, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Financial Releases. Blackberry Ltd., accessed January 12, 2016 .
- ↑ MDaemon Messaging Server - Blackberry Connectivity
- ↑ Felix Knoke: Netzwelt ticker: Arab Emirates fear Blackberrys. Report to Spiegel Online from July 27, 2010.
- ↑ Arabian Business.com of July 14th, 2009: Etisalat's BlackBerry patch designed for surveillance ( Memento of July 30th, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Blackberry spies out mail login. Heise Online from July 18, 2013.
- ↑ Blackberry can have access to e-mail passwords approved via terms and conditions. Heise Online from July 19, 2013.
- ↑ Daniel AJ Sokolov: Blackberry delivers user data to authorities all over the world. Heise Online from June 11, 2016.
- ↑ London Riots: Hackers attacked Blackberry homepage
- ↑ Blackberry has been criticized in several countries
- ↑ Current system versions of BlackBerry Android devices [update]. Retrieved October 8, 2019 .
- ↑ Markus Weidner: Blackberry: Coming out of keyboard smartphones? Retrieved October 8, 2019 .
