RIM gives BlackBerry users work-life Balance

BlackBerry smartphone makers Research In Motion will allow its handset owners to split work and personal data stored on the devices using a new feature known as BlackBerry Balance, according to reports online.

The decision to separate work-related emails sent using the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) from personal photographs, social networking activity and web browsing is BlackBerry's bid to stay competitive in both the business and consumer markets.

"There are two fundamental use cases on the smartphone - enterprise and personal. The problem is that they are conflicting," Jeff McDowell, RIM's senior vice-president for business and platform marketing told Reuters.

Balance is expected to make its way onto handsets in North America in the next two months McDowell said. No indication of a wider release was given.

According to McDowell, Balance is expected to be available on all BlackBerry devices in the future, including the company's as-yet unreleased PlayBook tablet, due for release in the US before the end of the first quarter.

The first generation PlayBook is a Wi-Fi only affair, meaning that users will be unable to use BES services unless they are connected to a BlackBerry smartphone using BlackBerry Bridge.

In August, India asked RIM to provide encryption keys for its BES services as officials were unable to easily intercept communications sent over BES. Following this, in January RIM escaped a ban of its services in India after it said that it would provide access to data sent using its BlackBerry Messenger and BlackBerry Internet Service but not BES.