RIM Announces Multi-Platform BES for Smartphones and Tablets

[Alone]

i know of companies with blackberries and BES, and no restrictions. BES is there only for push email and easy configuration. nothing bad has happened in years. there's HIPAA and other environments where security is needed due to trade secrets, but for a lot of companies it's not that big a deal to dump BES and BB's for iphones and android. the benefits outweigh the features you lose

Please let me know which companies you're speaking of so I can choose if I want to avoid them. I would assume that anyone who deals with some form of customer would need to keep their information protected.

 

[DivideBYZero]

i know of companies with blackberries and BES, and no restrictions. BES is there only for push email and easy configuration. nothing bad has happened in years. there's HIPAA and other environments where security is needed due to trade secrets, but for a lot of companies it's not that big a deal to dump BES and BB's for iphones and android. the benefits outweigh the features you lose

What benefits are those?

 

[sjwaste]

What benefits are those?

I probably accuse DBZ of trolling more than I agree with him, but seriously, what benefits are those?

Knock RIM and their handsets all you want, but BES is that company's bread and butter for a reason. There's nothing close to it on the market.

 

[alent1234]

The tens of thousands of apps available on ios and android and easy access to all kinds of data

 

[Alone]

The tens of thousands of apps available on ios and android and easy access to all kinds of data

Employers don't care if you can play Angry Birds or wield lightsabers.

 

[alent1234]

All the crackberry fans will be thinking that right into RIM's bankruptcy or sale to private equity. Between ios, android and my blackberry I try to use the latter as less as possible. I can do a lot more work easier on my ipad and inspire.

I already see a lot of people who would never get anything other than a bb 2 years ago buy android and iPhone for work.

 

[DivideBYZero]

All the crackberry fans will be thinking that right into RIM's bankruptcy or sale to private equity. Between ios, android and my blackberry I try to use the latter as less as possible. I can do a lot more work easier on my ipad and inspire.

I already see a lot of people who would never get anything other than a bb 2 years ago buy android and iPhone for work.

Sorry man, that's just flat out BS. Firstly, lets ignore the iPad, what's that got to do with smartphones, but please tell me what allows you to do more work on your Inspire, and what work are you doing on it, 'easier'?

 

[alent1234]

i used to have a 3gs before my inspire

my blackberry i can check email and bring up simple web sites.

iphone/android i get my email in folders just like outlook. iphone is a lot better at this

the entire email downloads at once so if try to read a large email out of signal i don't get an error like i do on the blackberry

the screens are larger making reading easier. the touch interface makes it easy to zoom to parts of large emails

i can use iOS/android to access HP server iLO ports. the BB browser is crap and won't work. means i can push the power button on a server remotely

lots of IT apps in iOS/android to manage vmware, citrix, troubleshooting issues, database access, etc. AppWorld is crappola. $40 for a RDP client? i bet it rocks on the tiny screens

ActiveSync means any device can access email with no license cost or third party server

haven't used appworld in a long time but a lot of apps were just bookmarks to a website making them useless if you don't have a signal

thousands of apps in iOS and android for mobile professionals in almost every category. law, medicine, etc. to give you access to data anywhere. a lot of professional databases have iOS apps

the unified inbox is better on BB, but if you get a lot of email it's a complete mess to find emails from say a day or two ago

android market is flaky, but the app store is a lot more secure with no chance of spyware. no need for BES to control app installation

the migration from blackberries to iOS/Android is like people dumping dumb terminals for PC's a few decades ago. some control freak IT people protested and predicted the end of the world but in the end usability and power at the user trumps security and central control

 

[gsaldivar]

Sorry man, that's just flat out BS. Firstly, lets ignore the iPad, what's that got to do with smartphones, but please tell me what allows you to do more work on your Inspire, and what work are you doing on it, 'easier'?

Everyone has a preference.

Why is alent1234's preference for non-BB platform "BS"?

 

[DivideBYZero]

i used to have a 3gs before my inspire

my blackberry i can check email and bring up simple web sites.

iphone/android i get my email in folders just like outlook. iphone is a lot better at this

You have full Exchange folder support on BB.

the entire email downloads at once so if try to read a large email out of signal i don't get an error like i do on the blackberry

You're confusing a benefit with a failure. BBs reduce the load on your capped data plan.

the screens are larger making reading easier. the touch interface makes it easy to zoom to parts of large emails

Meh, get some glasses, most people can read email on 2.8-3.25 inch screens just fine.

i can use iOS/android to access HP server iLO ports. the BB browser is crap and won't work. means i can push the power button on a server remotely

You tested this on BB OS 6? I would bet you haven't. Anyhow, iLO != business, iLO is for the IT grunts, and IT is a cost. Business != geeking out with your phone when you should just be a good boy and just get it done.

lots of IT apps in iOS/android to manage vmware, citrix, troubleshooting issues, database access, etc. AppWorld is crappola. $40 for a RDP client? i bet it rocks on the tiny screens

Again, IT is a cost. It's used to aid a business get stuff done that actually pays the bills. App world is pretty good, you clearly admit to not using it for ages, so please... As for Idokorro, I've used it on a PEARL and actually it was very impressive.

ActiveSync means any device can access email with no license cost or third party server

You don't need to pay an extra license or have a third party server unless you want BES, and even then you can get BES for free.

haven't used appworld in a long time but a lot of apps were just bookmarks to a website making them useless if you don't have a signal

Wow, seriously?

thousands of apps in iOS and android for mobile professionals in almost every category. law, medicine, etc. to give you access to data anywhere. a lot of professional databases have iOS apps

Just as there is for BB, nice they caught up.

the unified inbox is better on BB, but if you get a lot of email it's a complete mess to find emails from say a day or two ago

Er, it's been an option for years to show them separately, and there is an excellent search function, and keyboard shortcuts for jumping days, etc.

android market is flaky, but the app store is a lot more secure with no chance of spyware. no need for BES to control app installation

What epic bull spit. There has been PLENTY of rouge apps on Android, even an App that became spyware if you pirated it, which plenty did. There is no Spyware on BB to my knowledge.

the migration from blackberries to iOS/Android is like people dumping dumb terminals for PC's a few decades ago. some control freak IT people protested and predicted the end of the world but in the end usability and power at the user trumps security and central control

You are aware that the latest 'innovation' is returning to the centralised IT model, right? Heard anyone talk 'Cloud'? Ever seen a datacenter?

 

[DivideBYZero]

Everyone has a preference.

Why is alent1234's preference for non-BB platform "BS"?

That's not what I said.

 

[gsaldivar]

You don't need to pay an extra license or have a third party server unless you want BES, and even then you can get BES for free.

Assuming you do want BES, that "free" software is only one part of the cost...

You must add the cost of the people to install and maintain it, or have it hosted for you. Then you have to add the per-user premium fees that you pay to the carrier for using BES on their network.

Compare that to ActiveSync on iPhone or Android: there are no recurring carrier fees for ActiveSync. And if you aren't on Exchange, your organization can still do real-time push E-mail, Contacts and Calendar on Android devices using Google Apps or Gmail.

 

[gsaldivar]

What epic bull spit. There has been PLENTY of rouge apps on Android, even an App that became spyware if you pirated it, which plenty did. There is no Spyware on BB to my knowledge.

The pirated rogue app you refer to was something that someone created and posted OUTSIDE of the Android market. The only similarity was that it was named identically to an actual paid app inside of the market.

A pirate would have to:

1. Search for a "free" copy of that paid app outside of the Market.
2. Enable non-Market apps to be installed on their phone (default is OFF for all Android devices, and not all carriers even allow you to change that)
3. Manually install the "free" paid software to their device.

And no platform is "immune" to malicious software. Not even Blackberry devices...

http://articles.economictimes.india...2684_1_blackberry-users-amit-nath-zeus-trojan

Abhijit Limaye, director, development at Symantec, said: "BlackBerry has a reputation as being a secure platform. However, it is still susceptible to malware threats and has issued advice documentation for customers to minimise risks. They have also released software applications to help customers protect their data."

...the most important [preventative step you can take] is don't allow BlackBerry users to install code on the BlackBerry device.

The same warning applies to all platforms - iOS, Android, and BB... as long as you stick to their respective Market apps you're fine. There is occasionally an app that gets through their screening, but they are quickly removed and can be killed by remote.

But if you start loading pirate software from 3rd party sites... beware.

 

[alent1234]

About the time the iPhone 3g came out I realized RIM was done and on a downward spiral. In the last 3 years all the flagship smartphones became either iPhone or android, c level officers are dumping blackberries for ActiveSync phones. Our rank and file people who get an allowance to buy their own phone for work are not buying blackberries like they did a few years ago. And the only thing keeping RIM afloat are the bogo and free phone promotions when a few years ago their crappy phones cost $200 or more.

In a few years they are going to be like novell. Make some product that most people don't care about and have a few IT grunts still say how they were so much better than apple and android

in a growing market RIM lost market share by a lot and is now shipping less units that apple and google. not a good sign

 

[DivideBYZero]

Assuming you do want BES, that "free" software is only one part of the cost...

You must add the cost of the people to install and maintain it, or have it hosted for you. Then you have to add the per-user premium fees that you pay to the carrier for using BES on their network.

Compare that to ActiveSync on iPhone or Android: there are no recurring carrier fees for ActiveSync. And if you aren't on Exchange, your organization can still do real-time push E-mail, Contacts and Calendar on Android devices using Google Apps or Gmail.

Who's administering Exchange? Most BB plans now come with BIS included at no extra cost for realtime push if you're not on Exchange.

 

[USNavyPilot]

This has to be a response to what the federal government has been wanting. There are tons of BB devices used by the government and being able to use iOS devices soon will make enforcing security policies much easier.