BlackBerry server blacklisted by SpamCop

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BlackBerry users in the UK suffered a huge headache yesterday when many found they were unable to send email due to at least one of Research in Motion's (RIM) mail servers being blacklisted by anti-spam guardian SpamCop.

The issue has now been rectified but some are worried that it may happen again.

Yesterday afternoon, several of IT PRO's readers received bounce back messages when they tried to send email from their devices to certain contacts. The reply stated that RIM's Smtp02.bis.eu.blackberry.com server had been blacklisted.

When IT PRO entered the server's details into SpamCop's database, it confirmed that the mail server in question was indeed blocked.

When approached about the problem, RIM's spokespeople claimed they believed the issue was being investigated but were unable to provide further comment or clarity as to when the problem might be resolved.

Additionally, RIM was unable to provide any details on why the situation had arisen or reassure frustrated business users that this issue would not become a regular occurrence.

Following further investigation today, the server has been removed from the SpamCop blocking list (SCBL).

"The SCBL is a list of IP addresses which have transmitted reported email to SpamCop users, which in turn is used to block and filter unwanted email," according to SpamCop's site.

"The SCBL is a fast and automatic list of sites sending reported mail, with a number of report sources, including automated reports and SpamCop user submissions. The SCBL also quickly and automatically delists these sites when reports stop."

A large number of businesses use SpamCop to weed out unwanted junk mail from their communications infrastructure. An equally large number of business users rely on their BlackBerry, resulting in a serious conflict of interests.

Last month, research from YouGov and T-Mobile found that 40 per cent of BlackBerry users felt that their ability to rapidly respond to emails enhanced customer relationships.

Nine out of 10 users also cited the devices as a saviour when they found themselves in potentially awkward business situations.

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