Blackberry OS 6.0 – what’s next?

Its no secret that we love the blackberry here at Corneredge simply because it can keep up with the pace of our business.   I can truly CRANK out emails and manage my world while mobile.

Blackberry has always had some catching up to do with the iPhones and Droid’s of this world when it comes to the “fun” side of mobility… well, looks like they are getting there.

Check out these videos for the next blackberry operating system, version 6.0:

• New user interface
• Better social media integration
• App world re-vamp

The Durability of a iPhone and iPod Touch

My poor iPod fell down the shaft

While on vacation in Charleston South Carolina I had a traumatic experience. I was taking the elevator down from the third floor where our room was in the Marriott Courtyard hotel in North Charleston, when the doors opened I walked out, not looking up but checking my email on my iPod Touch. When I did look up I saw I was only on the second floor. Looking back down at my ipod I turned back to the elevator, took one step and was bumped by the closing door. The bump knocked the ipod from my hand and sent it tumbling 2 stories down the elevator shaft. I didn’t realize what had happened at first, then while scanning the floor I noticed the familiar glow of the screen shinning up at me. I was relived to see it was still on. The extremely helpful staff at the hotel was able to retrieve it for me in short order. I never invested in a case, cover or any kind of protection for the ipod, and as it turns out I didn’t need to. Other than a few nicks, a couple of scratched and a bit of a dent the thing is fine and in perfect working order. I think I will reward it with a iPhone 3.1 software upgrade.

why don’t I have an iPhone?

I’ve been struggling with this question from customers constantly since its introduction, and I still might have get one just to prove myself wrong, but I just do not see the BUSINESS benefit to an iPhone vs. a simple blackberry curve.  I can crank through contacts, calendar and messges fast on the blackberry.   Don’t see that happening on the iPhone.

Looks like I’m not alone:

http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/editorial-taking-the-iphone-3gs-off-the-job-market/

I agree with that article.

-Russ

Lets hear it from you:

BES enterprise activation fails – Contact Administrator – Simple Fix

We host email for several small business customers.  After a recent Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) update, I’ve had a lot of trouble with the enterprise activation of new phones.  The user enters the correct information on the blackberry, and it comes back with an error to contact the system administrator.

In 3 separate cases last week, with both a storm and a pearl, I had this problem.  We are running the LATEST BES OS (v4.7) which was realased in the last few days, and even after I wiped the phones, it would NOT do the enterprise activation.   Again it gave me a “contact system administrator” error on the blackberry.

Finally I installed the blackberry messenger software on the clients computer.  Just by installing the software and connecting the phone, the enterprise activation worked.

For verizon customers you can get the software here:

http://vzw.smithmicro.com/blackberry/download.aspx?ct=corporate

For Sprint customers: (Pearl selected in this case)

http://www.nextel.com/en/software_downloads/pda_smartphone/blackberry_8130.shtml

download the “BlackBerry Desktop Manager Version 4.7”

http://www.nextel.com/en/software_downloads/pda_smartphone/blackberry_8130.shtml

download the “BlackBerry Desktop Manager Version 4.7”

Blackberry easier than you think

Blackberry Software Setup

Setting up Blackberry Professional Software for your Exchange environment may seem daunting- you get your arms into SQL, Exchange permissions, MAPI profiles… but the task is actually very simple, and with these four video guides from Blackberry the task couldn’t be simpler.

One strong recommendation we would make is to install SQL 2008 Express BEFORE installing BPS; it makes the install go much easier than if you use the SQL 2005 Express packaged with BPS.

http://www.blackberry.com/select/professional/installation_toolkit/module_1/

http://www.blackberry.com/select/professional/installation_toolkit/module_2/

http://www.blackberry.com/select/professional/installation_toolkit/module_3/

http://www.blackberry.com/select/professional/installation_toolkit/module_4/

Migrating a Blackberry from one hosted server to another

At Corneredge we support all PDA’s to ensure full sync with all customer email services.  Blackberry’s are great for this, and typically very easy to setup.

I recently had to set up a Blackberry on a BES server on a new network we were supporting.  Despite repeated efforts, the Blackberry consistently made contact with the BES Server, and then failed on the IT Policy.

The issue was this: even if your bringing a blackberry from a domain (domain.com) in Site A into a same-named domain (domain.com) in Site B, you must break the connection that the Blackberry’s PIN has over the Blackberry network.  Until then, the Enterprise Activation will not work.  This type of situation would come up when you change your MX record, for example.

You basically have two options here:

1. Contact the old BES host in the old site and ask them to remove the PIN; or
2. Go to the Blackberry Device / Options /Advanced / Service Book, and blow away the value “”Desktop [CMIME]”.

Once that happens, the Blackberry brings you through the mail setup routine as if it were brand new out of the box, and will sync fine with your BES server in the new environment.