Could support for HTML email have been removed from the upcoming BlackBerry Enterprise Server 4.1 SP5?  That’s the suspicion at the moment; rendering HTML and rich-text messages has become one of the most keenly anticipated features of the update, but the official RIM “What’s New” page for SP5 has been edited to remove any mention of the feature.  RIM are yet to announce any alteration of the release, though the shipping date has been pushed back from February 29th to March 11th. 

It’s possible that RIM have delayed the functionality for stability reasons, and instead intend to ship it as part of the SP6 release which has been pegged for June 2008.  That update will also include support for Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007.

The news of HTML omission was met by disappointment among users; RIM subscriber figures have grown ahead of predictions this quarter, despite a number of issues with network stability.