The Hosted BES FAQ - Cheap BES/MDS - Wireless Outlook sync!

[Mark Rejhon]

The Hosted Blackberry Enterprise Server Thread
aka "How To Make Your BlackBerry Better, Faster & More Reliable"

[Original: Feb 13th, 2004]
[Edited: July 4th, 2006]
Important Note: If You Only Want Internet On Access BlackBerry
.....You can finally get Internet access on a BlackBerry without BES/MDS now!
.....Please see: Configuring Internet On BlackBerry (http://www.blackberryforums.com/showthread.php?t=2185) instead....Your carrier or BlackBerryOS does not support TCP/IP?
...Want Wireless PIM Synchronization?
...Want Better Attachment Viewing?
...Want faster web access on a Blackberry?
...Want online web banking on a Blackberry?
...Get 100+ MB email space, breaking the 10 MB barrier?
...Be able to download software Over-The-Air?

Target audience Self employed indivudals.
Individual users who just want to use a Blackberry to its fullest potential.
Small corporations
Deaf users who need the best wireless communicator
People who want to bypass a slow BWC/BIS email serverBlackberry Attraction? What's The Big Deal?

First-time readers may be wondering what the hoopla is about. Blackberry phones have such good thumb keyboards and very good reliability. Email on Blackberry is generally vastly superior to everything else including other cellphones, other smartphones, PocketPC, PalmOS handhelds. Some invidual non-business users are starting to buy Blackberry because they really love its email; even if not as good for things like videogames. While not the Blackberry keyboard is much lauded to have an extremely good feel allowing some people to type as fast as 70 words per minute on a device that is smaller than a wallet. If Blackberry is so great for email, why shouldn't I also run other Internet applications on it like I can do on a PalmOS and PocketPC? An interesting piece of Blackberry history is that USA goverment prevented a USA company from shutting down the Blackberry network with a lawsuit [WashingtonPost.com link (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A3417-2003Jan16&notFound=true)] -- despite that Blackberry is a Canadian technology. This is surprising, considering relations between USA and Canada since 9/11 -- it does underscore how good and addictive Blackberries are. According to news articles, Blackberries were deployed throughout the federal government shortly after 9/11 and the anthrax evacuations, to improve communiations during crisis.

Why Is MDS Required?

MDS means Mobile Data Services, which is explained on this web page (http://www.blackberry.com/products/software/server/exchange/mds.shtml) at Research In Motion. MDS is a feature of BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES). The simplest english to the layman is that MDS essentially makes full Internet access possible on your Blackberry. Without access to MDS, it is almost as if you are behind "The Great Firewall" that blocks all ports except for email and WAP, limiting your ability to use your Blackberry. The original market for Blackberries are corporations, and this is why a server solution is marketed. A medium and larger size corporation generally has no problem getting a Blackberry Enterprise Server solution set up. However, these days, the Blackberry market is diversifying and there are now more and more individual and self-employed users of Blackberries, and do not need all of BES features.

How do I get MDS?

If you're a big enough corporation, it's not a problem. You just need to buy a Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=Blackberry+Enterprise+Server). However, they are generally too expensive for sole individuals because they start at $995 for a 5-user license. Some discounts can be found through a reseller, but this still burns a huge hole in an individual's pocket. Not to mention, you will need a dedicated Internet connection at your home to run BES at home. Sometimes, a small group of people are so desparate that they have pooled their money and actually purchased BES to share amongst themselves. Today, now an easier option has cropped up: a hosting service! Just like buying inexpensive web hosting instead of having an expensive T1/T3 to your home, you can finally now get BES hosting today. Surprise! Preliminary checks on pricing like a very manageable monthly fee that's actually is less than an average telephone or cable bill.

Oh No, Not Another Monthly Fee!

Unfortunately, it's a lot more appealing for individuals and self-employed consultants than paying several hundreds of dollars and running a dedicated server at home. Blackberries are like Crackberries - they are the most addictive wireless Internet devices around - and you'll pay a premium to get the best mobile Internet experience.

Do I need MDS for realtime email?

No. You don't need MDS for realtime email; you can already use your blackberry.net / blackberry.com email address and you'll receive emails on it nearly instantly (about 4 seconds after clicking send on desktop). This does not apply to POP mailboxes you add to your Blackberry, which are on a 15-minute poll.

I only need email and don't care about MDS.

True, most people only need the great email feature of Blackberry and is happy to stick with it. But some of us want to be able to chat on instant messaging networks such as AIM, ICQ, and MSN. Others of us want remote access to our home computer for retrieving files, or want SSH access to their own Linux box. Some of us are gladly willing to pay tens of dollars extra per month to gain access to such features, but the service provider won't provide the feature.

Any Other Benefits of Hosted BES/MDS?

For one, you get wireless Outlook/PIM synchronization. If you like the thought of being able to add new addresses and calendar entries to your Microsoft Outlook, and have them automatically show up on your BlackBerry seconds later, you'll love having access to BES/MDS. Even your Inbox folder structure will be synchronized. You can even view image attachments too (Requires both OS 4.0 and BES 4.0). Another benefit is that your email Inbox will be much bigger than the one provided with BWC/BIS. Your email will likely show up faster, since BWC/BIS can be very slow sometimes when cell carrier servers get overloaded. And MDS Internet access is usually much more reliable than the TCP/IP stack built into BlackBerryOS4.

I can just use Rogers, T-Mobile, AT&T, NexTel, Telus Instead, they give me full Blackberry Internet access.

Great, if you're one of the lucky ones! For instructions on how to setup TCP/IP on a BlackBerry, see this thread (http://www.blackberryforums.com/showthread.php?t=2185). Recent Blackberry models such as 7100 and 7290 on these carriers are known to have full access to the Internet. Older BlackBerries upgraded to BlackBerryOS 4.0 also have full access to the Internet now. These carriers are great if you are in one of their great coverage areas. However, not everybody of us are in their good coverage areas and some of us need a Blackberry that can roam. For example, there is now GSM/GPRS coverage in Canada driving along inter-city highways between major Canadian cities, with certain providers in Canada. Other people want to still be able to receive email while travelling aboard.

How do I do Over-The-Air Downloads?

You launch the Blackberry Browser (or WAP browser) and click on any link that connects to a .jad file. These are tiny Java applications called Midlets. In technical terms, these are J2ME applications (MIDP 1.0). By having access to MDS, you can easily do Over-The-Air downloads of software directly to your Blackberry, just like downloading software to a modern Java powered cellphone. (Blackberry actually uses the same Java language). That means software designed for a Nokia or Motorola cellphone can work on your BlackBerry! Two of the most popular Over-The-Air download websites are Midlet.org (http://midlet.org/index2.jsp) and J2ME-Software.com (http://www.j2me-software.com). On some midlet download sites, sometimes you may have to masquerade as another cellphone or select "All Devices" in order to get access to a clickable .jad link on your Blackberry.

I heard my carrier is going to provide a public MDS/MDG service for free.

Yes, that's right. For more information, please see Configuring Internet On BlackBerry (http://www.blackberryforums.com/showthread.php?t=2185), which may be all you need, unless you want the extra features of a BES. Several carriers including Rogers, T-Mobile, AT&T, Nextel, and Telus now provide TCP/IP capabilities on BlackBerries! This is also called "Blackberry Internet Connection Service" internally at some carriers. Service books are often called "BlackBerry Internet Browsing Service". Additional carriers are already beta-testing this. Even with a public MDS, there are still the advantages of bigger email space and potential better performance using a separate BES/MDS hosting service. In the meantime, most hosting services are month-by-month, so you can cancel once your carrier provides Public MDS service. To help accelerate your carrier's deployment of Public MDS, call your carrier's Blackberry department and request support for Public MDS and tell them Rogers, T-Mobile, AT&T, Nextel and Telus now support it. As an example, tell your carrier about Verichat and WebMessenger instant messaging, and how it will improve Blackberry sales if users could easily install Internet applications on Blackberry. Point your carrier's support department to this thread, to help educate even more people at the carrier understand the need for Public MDS.

Is MDS/MDG Specific To Blackberries?

Not quite. All modern cellphones with access to the Internet, require a gateway of some kind. You may have heard of these in different naming conventions such as GGSN, APN, MDG, etc. In simple terms, they essentially make connections possible between a carrier network and an external network, such as the Internet on your mobile device (or even just a simple connection to a BES server). If you have heard of GGSN (APN) on a cellphone, then that's a network component similiar to MDG. More information about various gateway services is provided on this SourceO2 page (http://www.sourceo2.com/O2_Developers/O2_technologies/GPRS/Technical_overview/default.htm) and on this Motorola iDEN (https://idenonline.motorola.com/ideveloper/pdf/techover.pdf) page. Only MDS is Blackberry specific, while MDG and GGSN (APN) is not Blackberry specific. In fact, MDS still uses MDG in order to connect between a Blackberry and a BES server, and then from there, mobile Internet connections are made through your company's Internet connection. Credit given to a forum member (Deefer) who recently gave an excellent explanation that made this paragraph possible.

Finding Cheap Access To MDS

A cheaper way of getting access to MDS for individuals. Individual self-employed people like me can't always justify paying $595 or $995 for a Blackberry Enterprise Server just to get access to web, chat, IM, telnet/ssh and other utilities that require MDS There is huge demand out there by self-employed individuals (like me) who want their Blackberry to be able to do full HTML, telnet/ssh, AIM/ICQ/MSN messaging, and other sysadmin utilities, perhaps to connect to their home computer, etc. People like me are willing to pay an additional monthly fee to gain access to additional applications such as instant messaging and being able to do HTML web browsing with color graphics. As long as it is not a large one-time fee such as $595 or $995, considering that a few Blackberry carriers and most non-Blackberry carriers already include full Internet service at no extra charge.

Blackberry Internet Applications For Consumers/Prosumers:

Here's a partial listing of BlackBerry Internet software available for BlackBerries: BlackBerry Web Browser FAQ (http://www.blackberryforums.com/showthread.php?t=3921)
BlackBerry Instant Messaging FAQ (http://www.blackberryforums.com/showthread.php?t=2973)
Blackberry Killer Software Thread (http://www.blackberryforums.com/showthread.php?t=316)
Methods Of Email On BlackBerry (http://www.blackberryforums.com/showthread.php?t=680)
Midlets On BlackBerry: Nokia/Motorola/Sony/Samsung Software (http://www.blackberryforums.com/showthread.php?t=52)

Optional Hosted BES/MDS Services

This is a small sampling of various popular BES hosting services. There are many others on the Internet that are not listed here. This list should give you a starting point for researching the best BES hosting service.
Exchange My Mail (http://www.exchangemymail.com/blackberryfeatures.html)
Platinum Sponsor of BlackBerryForums!
.
Link2Exchange (http://www.link2exchange.com/blackberry.htm)
Platinum Sponsor of BlackBerryFOrums!
.
CityNet MyBlueberry.com (http://www.citynt.com)
Mailstreet.com (http://www.mailstreet.net/ms/pricing.aspx)
eOutlook (http://www.eoutlook.com)
Lanlogic (http://www.lanlogic.net/)
MI8 Corporation (http://www.mi8.com)
Bell Canada Hosted Exchange (http://www.hostedmail.bell.ca/products.html)
Intermedia (http://www.intermedia.net/)


This is a "Mark Rejhon BlackBerry FAQ" article.
Copyright (C) 2005 by Mark Rejhon, All Rights Reserved. Some portions may be Copyright (C) by respective forum members.
Mark Rejhon grants permission to use this article only for private use. For all other uses, please ask Mark Rejhon at www.marky.com to ask for permission to use this article. If any content of this article also contains content by other forum members, please ask them for permission too as well. This includes commercial use, public use, reposting in full/part anywhere on the Internet, publication in magazine/book or any other media, or any other use than private use. This copyright notice may not be edited or removed in any manner. Mark Rejhon reserves exclusive right to edit, remove, or restore this article, and this article may not be edited, removed, or restored by any other individual or organizations.

[Tom]

Oh boy, this post will be uneccassary once 4.0 BWC comes out :D

I cant wait.

[Mark Rejhon]

List of Advantages for BES/MDS (despite 4.0 TCP/IP) was posted in this post. This post has now been moved to a separate thread:

BES/MDS Hosting Advantages even after Blackberry 4.0 (http://www.blackberryforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=1474)

[sthong]

What does this mean exactly... what is BWC 4.0? (assuming BlackBerry Webclient 4.0).. does this apply to Verizon?

Is this big change being rolled out to all carriers? Does this mean that we no longer need BES/MDS to truly browse the Internet, use Instant Messenging, Etc. ?

[Mark Rejhon]

sthong,

Correct. A big deployment among almost all carriers will be happening over the next few months (as early as this fall for some of the carriers such as Rogers). This will allow Internet access on all Blackberries without the need for BES/MDS.

[Mark Rejhon]

Another good reason for BES/MDS is to allow using your Blackberry on cellphone networks that do not support the Blackberry. Such as Fido Canada.
Blackberry working on non-Blackberry cell networks (http://www.blackberryclub.com/viewtopic.php?t=206)

[Edit: Fido appears to be a special exception in this case. This would not work on most other carriers]

[mo-bile]

for some reason, my corporate bes does not have mds turned "on." Is this normal? why would they disable this? I'm going to send an email asking for mds, we'll see.

Once 4.0 comes out, if I install it but they don't upgrade the bes to 4.0, will I still be able to use the companies bes but now have mds as well?

[Mark Rejhon]

MDS may have been turned off because the admins may not be familiar with it. It's a rule of policy for a good security admin to turn off unnecessary features;

Yes, you will still be able to use BlackberryOS 4 with older BES servers. I'm using my OS 4.0 with Mailstreet right now, for example. They only have the older BES.

[guinda35]

List of Advantages for BES/MDS (despite 4.0 TCP/IP) was posted in this post. This post has now been moved to a separate thread:

BES/MDS Hosting Advantages even after Blackberry 4.0 (http://www.blackberryclub.com/viewtopic.php?p=1474)

Mark
The link seems to be broken. Would you please lead me to the thread? This is exactly the information I'm looking for.
Thanks

[Tom]

Here you are..

http://www.blackberryforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=1474

[Mark Rejhon]

Linked fixed.

This FAQ is overdue for an update. Eventually it will be updated. But I have so many things going on in my life now (personal, work, etc).

[sash]

I can just use NexTel or Telus Instead, they give me full Blackberry Internet access.

Great, if you're one of the lucky ones! Nextel and Telus Blackberries are known to have full access to the Internet.

Why do I keep reading this everywhere? Is this true??

[Mark Rejhon]

[BassKozz]

How come there is no mention in this FAQ of MyBlueBerry hosted by CityNet Computing :http://www.citynt.com/?

Can someone comment on this service. Also I am curious about one of there features:
Channel-On-Demand:
MyBlueBerry's greatest feature is our ability to provide multi-channel internet access to your wireless device. Other providers only support a single data channel to your device at a max speed of about 19k-57k per second, this includes most phone service carriers.

MyBlueBerry allows channel-on-demand for those speed intensive internet applications and browsing which require more bandwidth. Channel-On-Demand currently allows multiple channels at approx 128k-150k per second giving you a broadband link to the internet from your wireless device.

MyBlueBerry is currently the only provider which allows this service mainly because we don't need to supply internet to thousands of customers, thus drastically slowing down your internet performance. Our low-overhead allows us to provide you the fastest internet and email service currently available in the world.

Any opinions or comments on "Channel-On-Demand" ?

[dacphilly]

BassKozz,

I've had the service for more than a month. I haven't had any problems to speak of and the speed seems to be on par with the other hosted bes/mds services. Some of my colleagues have 7510's and the browsers retrieve data at about the same rate. My take on MyBlueberry's comments are that since they don't have a ton of customers, the bandwidth is pooled and they don't have backups or lag time. If you equate it to Cable vs DSL, it makes perfect sense. Ultimately, your performance will depend on the carrier. I'm on Verizon and although many back end features other carriers offer aren't available through Verizon, the coverage is excellent.

dacphilly

[BassKozz]

dacphilly,

I am looking for an actual speed comparison… I am currently on a blackberry 7750 VZW using MobileWeb4u (which I love, the service and support is awesome). But I am interested in this “Channel-On-Demand” to get faster access to my berry’s browser.

I ran a speed test using CNET’s (http://www.cnet.com/) Bandwidth meter, on my berry and it came to 57k exactly.

Is there any chance you could run that for me on your berry to see what you come up with ?

Thanks,
-BassKozz

[dacphilly]

BassKozz,

Loading those cnet pages on a handheld was worse than getting my wisdom teeth pulled! I came in at 38.3k, much slower than you.

dacphilly

[BassKozz]

ok, Thanks for doing that for me dacphilly.
I appreciate it.


:idea: Looks like MyBlueBerry's "Channel-On-Demand" has no effect on the speed of the MDS for VZW phones
-BassKozz

[jpg71]

I'm sure speed will depend on the quality of the GPRS signal as well, so I don't know if there's much value in having your BES provider piping data two you faster than you'd see from your wireless provider in everyday situations.

For grins, I performed the test on my AT&T 7290 without any BES. Located in Manhattan with 3 bars of signal and that site pegs me at 193.6 kbps

Hmm, interesting results. Perhaps AT&T has Channel-on-Demand++

;)

Also - MyBlueBerry *IS* listed in the FAQ. They're also known as MyBlackBerry.us

[BassKozz]

Maybe I should switch to AT&T to do my BB browsing....
Otherwise, my connection is gawdoffle

-BassKozz

[y2kelvin]

Hi,

Does anyone here use citynt.com MyBlueBerry MDS+ service? I am a Hong Kong user and use that with Hong Kong CSL. However, I can't connect to internet through their MDS. I am still solving this problem.

Could someone share their experience on the setting or comment on citynt.com?

y2kelvin

[y2kelvin]

Hi,

Does anyone here use citynt.com MyBlueBerry MDS+ service? I am a Hong Kong user and use that with Hong Kong CSL. However, I can't connect to internet through their MDS. I am still solving this problem.

Could someone share their experience on the setting or comment on citynt.com?

y2kelvin

Hi, my problem has been solved after several days of conversation.

My carrier told me that I must subscribe a "Enterprise Service" before I can do the BES activation. That service charge me around USD40/month.
Since I am a Hong Kong user, could anyone tell me is that "Enterprise Service" a must before we activation the BES on other place such as in US?

By the way, support from citynt.com is great! They used both email and MSN to answer my answers. They also used VNC to connect my pc and tried to solve my problem.

Thanks for sharing.

Kelvin

[Mark Rejhon]

Yes, you need Enterprise connectivity, unfortunately. You'll have to sign up for that.

Many North American carriers include Enterprise connectivity at no extra charge, but your carrier requires an extra charge for it.

[hagen21]

My company currently runs Outlook 2000. Its seems that all the services listed require Outlook 2003. Are there any services I can use if I am stuck with Outlook 2000?

[BassKozz]

hagen21,

All the services sign you up for a separate exchange server/host. Unless your work is planning on getting BES for there 2000 exchange you'll need to create a new e-mail address for a new exchange account, you can then forward all of your e-mails from your works 2000 server to your new 2003 exchange account, if you decide to get hosting.

Hope this makes sense, maybe some one can explain it better. As I am a Newb also.

-BassKozz

[CyberJack]

At the risk of asking an issue that has been asked, but I missed in searching, is MDS available automatically with BES. I called a new advertiser on this forum, Link2 Exchange, and they were knowledgeable about the Exchange component but were not conversant regarding MDS, other than the person I spoke with said he used a Yahoo Chat program with no problem. I do not want to find myself unable to use MDS apps.
Thanks in advance

[mpalis]

Question about the new BWC - I have heard that the claims are almost full BES features with the new BWC. I find this hard to believe. The key features of BES 4.0 are that you can synch wirelessly all your outlook data - contacts/calendar/notes/tasks. Anyone have any insight on how they are looking to structure the BWC to do this without exchange/notes/groupwise. Will people actaully store all their data on the website like yahoo accounts do? Of course this still does not offer the outlook integration.. Very curious on peoples take on this.

[Mark Rejhon]

There appears to be some form of wireless addressbook synchronization already with BWC 4.0 at least on Rogers. I don't know how you export to your PC, but this competes against the Sidekick wireless addressbook sync.

However, it's not as automatic as BES 4.0 realtime wireless sync with Outlook...

[CyberJack]

I have had lots of support issues with T-Mobile and difficulties with other 3rd party BES providers. So I just want to say that I have had superior service from Link2Exchange. No, I have no incentive from them or any relationship but they have been extremely helpful to me. T-Mobile managed to screw things up on their end that required Link2Exchange to reset on their end and they did so without any grumbling. Just my 2 cents.... for anyone looking for a good BES provider.

[buttbutt]

Do any of these providers have BES/MDS only? I've got my own exchange and a review of their web offerings imply a pre-req of an exchange account with them which I don't really want/want to pay for since it makes the home exchange rather worthless. I'm the only bb user, not the only mail user.

[dulcamara]

MyBlueberry.com seems to do that.

[Mark Rejhon]

Even MyBlueberry comes with Exchange. You can just ignore the Exchange mailbox, but you lose the wireless PIM synchronization benefits.

[SchmutzBerry]

MyBlueberry.com seems to do that.
I would be very very careful with myblueberry. You're getting what you get for and you may waste your set up fee. It is likely a one man operation with few business ethics. Search for my post to see my experience and my opinion.

[SchmutzBerry]

p.s. I would highly recommend Mailstreet. and the other ones have had good reviews as well.

[dulcamara]

Thanks, I need all the opinions I can get.

I've seen your posts and others that made me nervous about these guys. I'm leaning toward either mailstreet or link2exchange. I'm a MAC/Linux person, and like the mailstreet web interface to their exchange server. Does link2exchange have anything like that.

The prices, after configuring it the way I want, seem to be about the same.

I travel some, I've read that a hosted BES/MDS can work when BWC can't in some out-of-US locations. Why is that? Is it the difference between gprs and GPRS?

Millie grazie,

[witcher]

Hi anyone,
I have lot research around and I want get own Blackberry Enterprise Server and my question Blackberry Enterprise Server will work access email receiver and send on wireless?

I hope someone would help me to clear.

Thanks...

[SchmutzBerry]

Hi anyone,
I have lot research around and I want get own Blackberry Enterprise Server and my question Blackberry Enterprise Server will work access email receiver and send on wireless?

I hope someone would help me to clear.

Thanks...

huh?
i'm not sure I understand your question, but judging from it, do you know how much a Enterprise Server costs and the technical know how required?

[Tim Koltek]

I would be very very careful with myblueberry. You're getting what you get for and you may waste your set up fee. It is likely a one man operation with few business ethics. Search for my post to see my experience and my opinion.

From another provider on Myblueberry.com:

----- Original Message -----
From: <pete.mcphedran@<hidden>>
Sent: Tuesday, May 03, 2005 9:21 AM
Subject: Re: coreFusion BlackBerry hosting...


> As far as I know, myblueberry.com is not a RIM business partner. They are
> not liste din the Partner directory and they are most likely not legally
> entitled to provide BlackBerry hosting services. Paying them for BlackBerry
> hosting would be comparable to taking an illegal cab at an airport, they
> are not licensed and you have no protection.
>
> We are a BlackBerry Alliance Member, we are the only organization (that I
> am aware of) that has exemption from the BES licensing that allows us to
> provide hosting services. The BES license explicitly prohibits hosting of a
> BES. We provide the same levels of service to individual users as we do the
> large corporations that we host for. If you would like some references to
> that effect, I would be happy to provide some for you.


Another provider that offer hosted services is http://www.itrezzo.com and http://www.sessionware.com

[dulcamara]

I've been studying the FAQs, and am still not sure what to do. I may have
missed something obvious.

I've been completely frustrated by Cingular and have just about given up on wap.cingular as an apn. I need to ssh to my desktop rarely, but when I need it, I need it bad. Cingular has done little but waste a lot of my time:

http://www.blackberryforums.com/showthread.php?t=7645

So, I have some questions about the FAQs. I'm not sure what has changed
since 4.0 and BWC became options.

1. If I sign up for BES/MDS, can I forget about wap.cingular for
things like

ssh, PocketDay weather/stocks, IM, ...

and get them to work with MDS?

2. Is there anything that I'll need an apn for at all? Can I cancel the
media net $5/month plan cingular is making me use for the apn?
Do any of you BES people care about apn? The FAQ says that MDS
is like TCP/IP. Is the set up the same? Do I do this in
options->tcp?

3. The FAQs talk about roaming. Is this a problem in urban areas in
Europe and Asia? International service is a big deal for me.

Have I missed something about BWC? I'll be in Frankfurt and
Stockholm in two weeks, and email needs to work for me.
If the cingular BWC won't work in major cities in Europe, please warn me.


4. I'm a MAC/Linux person, and use my windows partition as little as
possible. It seems some of the hosted services let me run outlook
via the web. Is that right? Which are the most MAC-friendly? I use
yahoo for my calendar now, so switching to a hosted outlook won't
hurt too much. All my contacts live on the 7100g, so having them on
the web where they're easy to edit wouldn't hurt either.

It seems that for $25/month from mailstreet, for example, I can get
BES/MDS + web outlook + spam filtering. That seems to be the best
option for me, and some of the FAQs recommend it for MACs.

5. I'll probably need good tech support (and I'm NOT getting it from
Cingular). Which of these guys has that?

6. The FAQ talks about improved browser speed. Will I get a new browser
with BES/MDS or will the speed of the BB browser simply improve?

7. Will I need to reinstall the desktop if I don't plan to sync the BB with the
laptop where my windows partition lives?

Thanks in advance.

[Active_Matrix]

Hope u guys are ready for this. I did the speed test on cnet and i got 160.5kbps. Im usin a BB7520 on BoostMobile(Nextel)

[Tim Koltek]

These guys seem to have the cheapest service, but the numerous typos (not to mention the cheesy music and flash) on their site really make me wonder how professional they are.

[ijg0]

Does this mean then that I can have applications push messages to my t-mobile BB through the t-mobile MDG? Or is this just outbound?

[GenghisKhent]

I am considering Link2Exchange or another hosted BES. While I have T-Mobile, the idea of having Exchange functionality, and wireless sync, is very attractive. The question I have is whether I still would be able to send email from my other mail accounts to my BB. Right now I do that through BWC, albeit with the 15 minute wait. If I go through a hosted BEC, could I still use BWC for this purpose, or would I have to implement this functionality another way? Hope this makes sense. Jeff

[dulcamara]

Yes, you can use BWC and BES simultaneously to receive, but must chose one or the other for sending. Mail sent you your BWC and BES addresses will get to you device with no problems. I did that for a bit, doing most of my receiving from BWC and all my sending from BES.

I have link2exchange and have switched entirely to the BES side with its 100mb storage. I was able to do that because our shop has enabled serverside filtering with webmail on our IMAP server.

[GenghisKhent]

Thanks dulcamara. I do have one further question. Your message states: "I was able to do that because our shop has enabled serverside filtering with webmail on our IMAP server." As I understand server-side filtering, it enables you to, among other things, filter to specific subfolders. What puzzles me is what the implementation of server-side filtering on your IMAP server has to do with using BES and link2exchange. Are you forwarding email from other non-BES accounts to your exchange account so all your email is under one roof? I would appreciate if you could clarify. Thanks. Jeff

[Cyclops]

I also tried the speed test on www.cnet.com. Using my :bb: 7250 with Bell Mobility, my speed test result: 455 kbps :smile:

[dulcamara]

TWhat puzzles me is what the implementation of server-side filtering on your IMAP server has to do with using BES and link2exchange. Are you forwarding email from other non-BES accounts to your exchange account so all your email is under one roof? I would appreciate if you could clarify. Thanks. Jeff

Our serverside filtering lest me forward to a 3rd party (ie my link2exchange address) and keep a copy of the message on our IMAP server. This is push email! On top of that, I can apply my usual suite of spam filters before the message goes out to the BB.

I don't want my only copy of something to be on the link2exchance account, but I could do that by not keeping copies on the server at work.

[GenghisKhent]

dulcamara, thanks again. (y) Just to make sure I got this, you get instant push for your link2exchange and bb accounts, plus any accounts you can push to your link2exchange account, such as your other IMAP account (on which you still keep a copy to be safe). For all other accounts, you use BWC, and wait at most 15 minutes. Do I got this right?

Assuming I do, 2 questions for anyone who has T-Mobile:

1. Just to make sure, since the FAQ says not all hosted BES services work with all ISPs, Link2Exchange does work with T-Mobile, right?

2. Right now I have the BlackBerry Unlimited Add-on for $19.95/month. There also is a BlackBerry Unlimited w/Enterprise Email Add-on for $29.95, and if memory serves me correct, something else for $39.95. The TMo rep told me the latter two are if you have BES. Do I need to switch to the $29.95 (or $39.95) if I go with Link2Exchange? If so, what is the advantage (if any) of the $39.95 plan. Unfortunately the TMo website really does not explain this as far as I could find with my search.

TIA. Jeff

[dulcamara]

I have Cingular, but I hear that all the providers are equally bad. One reason I got link2exchange was the fun I had convincing Cingular to get the wap.cingular apn both working and billed correctly. See

http://www.blackberryforums.com/showthread.php?t=7645

for the entire sad story.

I use squirrelmail for my webmail interface. It's terrible as a reader, but great as a configuration tool. In squirrelmail 1.4.4 I can login to my account, and under options is a new line "server side message filters". These things act before you see your mail, using ANY reader from anywhere. Clink on that, add a new rule, and one of the options is

Redirect to the following email address:

which you can set to anything. An option below that is "keep mail on server".
We just got this version of squirrelmail. You may not have it where you are.

I'm amazed at how good this is.

[jpoohbear]

Does anyone know how to compose an email address with the underscore sign using the Blackberry 7520 model? I can't seem to find anyone else with that model and the same problem that I have. If anyone can help I would really appreciate it. Thanks so much.

[jpoohbear]

Does anyone know how to compose an email address with the underscore sign using the Blackberry 7520 model? I can't seem to find anyone else with that model and the same problem that I have. If anyone can help I would really appreciate it. Thanks so much.

[Aroc]

Does anyone know how to compose an email address with the underscore sign using the Blackberry 7520 model? The 7520 works the same as the 7510 I have. Press the :sym: and the U key. The 'U' key is normally the dash, but on the sym menu, it's the underscore character.

Aaron

[jwinterton]

I have the 7250, and my company has the BES. However, I am NOT on the BES, my handheld operates from the WebClient.

I am with Bell Mobility and am trying to configure my "BerryVine" Application for use, as I always recieve, "connection NOT available." I have no TCP/IP option under the Options icon... so is it my unit or my Service Provider? Is there a way to make this Application run without having to fork out "millions" to get another BES account? ( We only had 5 initially )

If anyone knows, please feel free to fill me in ;) TY!

[buttbutt]

Latest email from myblueberry.net says no more outlook access. They are forcing everyone to use owa for all connections. Prior to going through looking for other providers, are all of them making this move, or just blueberry?

[GadgetJunkie]

Whatever happened to MyBlueberry.com??? (or MyBlackberry.com)

[exchangemymail]

Latest email from myblueberry.net says no more outlook access. They are forcing everyone to use owa for all connections. Prior to going through looking for other providers, are all of them making this move, or just blueberry?

buttbutt -

Not all of us are doing that. We ( www.exchangemymail.com ) offer full access thought the MAPI client using Outlook 2003, as well as OWA..

We have made a public offer to all members of this forum of a 10% discount.
Please see the thread here:

http://blackberryforums.com/showthread.php?t=14034

as you can see we have extremely good customer support, and hope we can help you get connected to a BES 4.0

Thanks -

P.S - We would like to be included in the list of providers if anybody is updating that list..

[kennyschiff]

We currently outsource both Exchange/BES to a hosting company who is not specifically Exchange/BES oriented. They also host all of our other applications (Office, Accounting, File services, etc...). We are in the process of bringing these applications in-house (about 40 users), but are debating on whether to also bring Exchange/BES inhouse too.

We don't have much of an internal IT staff, so I'm considering hosting Exchange and BES, but will only do so if I can find a provider who is nearly bullet proof (technically), and highly customer service oriented.

Can anyone speak to their experiences with a hosted provider when hosting over 30 mailboxes and BBerrys? If I go down the hosted road, it needs to be someone who is in it for the long haul.

Any opinions are appreciated.

[abz123]

so when 4.0 BWC comes out

ill have free internet on my bell blackberry 7250?

im completly lost....lol

[exchangemymail]

can we get listed on this list too? we are Platinum Sponsors and offer Hosted BES4.0

Exchange My Mail
www.exchangemymail.com
888-608-MAIL

Thanks -

The Hosted Blackberry Enterprise Server Thread
aka "How To Make Your BlackBerry Better, Faster & More Reliable"

[Original: Feb 13th, 2004]
[Edited: May 14th, 2005]
...Your carrier or BlackBerryOS does not support TCP/IP?
...Want Wireless PIM Synchronization?
...Want Better Attachment Viewing?
...Want faster web access on a Blackberry?
...Want online web banking on a Blackberry?
...Get 100+ MB email space, breaking the 10 MB barrier?
...Be able to download software Over-The-Air?

Target audience Self employed indivudals.
Individual users who just want to use a Blackberry to its fullest potential.
Small corporations
Deaf users who need the best wireless communicator
People who want to bypass a slow BWC/BIS email serverBlackberry Attraction? What's The Big Deal?

First-time readers may be wondering what the hoopla is about. Blackberry phones have such good thumb keyboards and very good reliability. Email on Blackberry is generally vastly superior to everything else including other cellphones, other smartphones, PocketPC, PalmOS handhelds. Some invidual non-business users are starting to buy Blackberry because they really love its email; even if not as good for things like videogames. While not the Blackberry keyboard is much lauded to have an extremely good feel allowing some people to type as fast as 70 words per minute on a device that is smaller than a wallet. If Blackberry is so great for email, why shouldn't I also run other Internet applications on it like I can do on a PalmOS and PocketPC? An interesting piece of Blackberry history is that USA goverment prevented a USA company from shutting down the Blackberry network with a lawsuit [WashingtonPost.com link (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A3417-2003Jan16&notFound=true)] -- despite that Blackberry is a Canadian technology. This is surprising, considering relations between USA and Canada since 9/11 -- it does underscore how good and addictive Blackberries are. According to news articles, Blackberries were deployed throughout the federal government shortly after 9/11 and the anthrax evacuations, to improve communiations during crisis.

Why Is MDS Required?

MDS means Mobile Data Services, which is explained on this web page (http://www.blackberry.com/products/software/server/exchange/mds.shtml) at Research In Motion. MDS is a feature of BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES). The simplest english to the layman is that MDS essentially makes full Internet access possible on your Blackberry. Without access to MDS, it is almost as if you are behind "The Great Firewall" that blocks all ports except for email and WAP, limiting your ability to use your Blackberry. The original market for Blackberries are corporations, and this is why a server solution is marketed. A medium and larger size corporation generally has no problem getting a Blackberry Enterprise Server solution set up. However, these days, the Blackberry market is diversifying and there are now more and more individual and self-employed users of Blackberries, and do not need all of BES features.

How do I get MDS?

If you're a big enough corporation, it's not a problem. You just need to buy a Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=Blackberry+Enterprise+Server). However, they are generally too expensive for sole individuals because they start at $995 for a 5-user license. Some discounts can be found through a reseller, but this still burns a huge hole in an individual's pocket. Not to mention, you will need a dedicated Internet connection at your home to run BES at home. Sometimes, a small group of people are so desparate that they have pooled their money and actually purchased BES to share amongst themselves. Today, now an easier option has cropped up: a hosting service! Just like buying inexpensive web hosting instead of having an expensive T1/T3 to your home, you can finally now get BES hosting today. Surprise! Preliminary checks on pricing like a very manageable monthly fee that's actually is less than an average telephone or cable bill.

Oh No, Not Another Monthly Fee!

Unfortunately, it's a lot more appealing for individuals and self-employed consultants than paying several hundreds of dollars and running a dedicated server at home. Blackberries are like Crackberries - they are the most addictive wireless Internet devices around - and you'll pay a premium to get the best mobile Internet experience.

Do I need MDS for realtime email?

No. You don't need MDS for realtime email; you can already use your blackberry.net / blackberry.com email address and you'll receive emails on it nearly instantly (about 4 seconds after clicking send on desktop). This does not apply to POP mailboxes you add to your Blackberry, which are on a 15-minute poll.

I only need email and don't care about MDS.

True, most people only need the great email feature of Blackberry and is happy to stick with it. But some of us want to be able to chat on instant messaging networks such as AIM, ICQ, and MSN. Others of us want remote access to our home computer for retrieving files, or want SSH access to their own Linux box. Some of us are gladly willing to pay tens of dollars extra per month to gain access to such features, but the service provider won't provide the feature.

Any Other Benefits of Hosted BES/MDS?

For one, you get wireless Outlook/PIM synchronization. If you like the thought of being able to add new addresses and calendar entries to your Microsoft Outlook, and have them automatically show up on your BlackBerry seconds later, you'll love having access to BES/MDS. Even your Inbox folder structure will be synchronized. You can even view image attachments too (Requires both OS 4.0 and BES 4.0). Another benefit is that your email Inbox will be much bigger than the one provided with BWC/BIS. Your email will likely show up faster, since BWC/BIS can be very slow sometimes when cell carrier servers get overloaded. And MDS Internet access is usually much more reliable than the TCP/IP stack built into BlackBerryOS4.

I can just use Rogers, T-Mobile, AT&T, NexTel, Telus Instead, they give me full Blackberry Internet access.

Great, if you're one of the lucky ones! For instructions on how to setup TCP/IP on a BlackBerry, see this thread (http://www.blackberryforums.com/showthread.php?t=2185). Recent Blackberry models such as 7100 and 7290 on these carriers are known to have full access to the Internet. Older BlackBerries upgraded to BlackBerryOS 4.0 also have full access to the Internet now. These carriers are great if you are in one of their great coverage areas. However, not everybody of us are in their good coverage areas and some of us need a Blackberry that can roam. For example, there is now GSM/GPRS coverage in Canada driving along inter-city highways between major Canadian cities, with certain providers in Canada. Other people want to still be able to receive email while travelling aboard.

How do I do Over-The-Air Downloads?

You launch the Blackberry Browser (or WAP browser) and click on any link that connects to a .jad file. These are tiny Java applications called Midlets. In technical terms, these are J2ME applications (MIDP 1.0). By having access to MDS, you can easily do Over-The-Air downloads of software directly to your Blackberry, just like downloading software to a modern Java powered cellphone. (Blackberry actually uses the same Java language). That means software designed for a Nokia or Motorola cellphone can work on your BlackBerry! Two of the most popular Over-The-Air download websites are Midlet.org (http://midlet.org/index2.jsp) and J2ME-Software.com (http://www.j2me-software.com). On some midlet download sites, sometimes you may have to masquerade as another cellphone or select "All Devices" in order to get access to a clickable .jad link on your Blackberry.

I heard my carrier is going to provide a public MDS/MDG service for free.

Yes, that's right. For more information, please see Configuring Internet On BlackBerry (http://www.blackberryforums.com/showthread.php?t=2185), which may be all you need, unless you want the extra features of a BES. Several carriers including Rogers, T-Mobile, AT&T, Nextel, and Telus now provide TCP/IP capabilities on BlackBerries! This is also called "Blackberry Internet Connection Service" internally at some carriers. Service books are often called "BlackBerry Internet Browsing Service". Additional carriers are already beta-testing this. Even with a public MDS, there are still the advantages of bigger email space and potential better performance using a separate BES/MDS hosting service. In the meantime, most hosting services are month-by-month, so you can cancel once your carrier provides Public MDS service. To help accelerate your carrier's deployment of Public MDS, call your carrier's Blackberry department and request support for Public MDS and tell them Rogers, T-Mobile, AT&T, Nextel and Telus now support it. As an example, tell your carrier about Verichat and WebMessenger instant messaging, and how it will improve Blackberry sales if users could easily install Internet applications on Blackberry. Point your carrier's support department to this thread, to help educate even more people at the carrier understand the need for Public MDS.

Is MDS/MDG Specific To Blackberries?

Not quite. All modern cellphones with access to the Internet, require a gateway of some kind. You may have heard of these in different naming conventions such as GGSN, APN, MDG, etc. In simple terms, they essentially make connections possible between a carrier network and an external network, such as the Internet on your mobile device (or even just a simple connection to a BES server). If you have heard of GGSN (APN) on a cellphone, then that's a network component similiar to MDG. More information about various gateway services is provided on this SourceO2 page (http://www.sourceo2.com/O2_Developers/O2_technologies/GPRS/Technical_overview/default.htm) and on this Motorola iDEN (https://idenonline.motorola.com/ideveloper/pdf/techover.pdf) page. Only MDS is Blackberry specific, while MDG and GGSN (APN) is not Blackberry specific. In fact, MDS still uses MDG in order to connect between a Blackberry and a BES server, and then from there, mobile Internet connections are made through your company's Internet connection. Credit given to a forum member (Deefer) who recently gave an excellent explanation that made this paragraph possible.

Finding Cheap Access To MDS

A cheaper way of getting access to MDS for individuals. Individual self-employed people like me can't always justify paying $595 or $995 for a Blackberry Enterprise Server just to get access to web, chat, IM, telnet/ssh and other utilities that require MDS There is huge demand out there by self-employed individuals (like me) who want their Blackberry to be able to do full HTML, telnet/ssh, AIM/ICQ/MSN messaging, and other sysadmin utilities, perhaps to connect to their home computer, etc. People like me are willing to pay an additional monthly fee to gain access to additional applications such as instant messaging and being able to do HTML web browsing with color graphics. As long as it is not a large one-time fee such as $595 or $995, considering that a few Blackberry carriers and most non-Blackberry carriers already include full Internet service at no extra charge.

Blackberry Internet Applications For Consumers/Prosumers:

Here's a partial listing of BlackBerry Internet software available for BlackBerries: BlackBerry Web Browser FAQ (http://www.blackberryforums.com/showthread.php?t=3921)
BlackBerry Instant Messaging FAQ (http://www.blackberryforums.com/showthread.php?t=2973)
Blackberry Killer Software Thread (http://www.blackberryforums.com/showthread.php?t=316)
Methods Of Email On BlackBerry (http://www.blackberryforums.com/showthread.php?t=680)
Midlets On BlackBerry: Nokia/Motorola/Sony/Samsung Software (http://www.blackberryforums.com/showthread.php?t=52)

Optional Hosted BES/MDS Services
Link2Exchange (http://www.link2exchange.com/blackberry.htm)Platinum Sponsor
Best BES/Exchange Host, 24/7 North American Support, Stride to exceed your expectations. $19.90 per month. (BES4 Upgraded!)


MyBlueberry.com (http://www.myblueberry.us)
Cheapest MDS service available. Also called MyBlackberry. More barebones than the average BES/MDS provider, there is traditionally a large emphasis on MDS rather than providing Exchange email, although you get an Exchange email box too. Appears to be a good choice if you just want to keep using your existing BWC/BIS email. $10 per month. (BES4 Upgraded!)


Link2Exchange (http://www.link2exchange.com/blackberry.htm)
They are one of the more established WAP gateway providers normally providing web browser gateway services for regular cellphones. They have recently entered the BES/MDS hosting business. $19.95 per month. (BES4 Upgraded!)


Mailstreet.com (http://www.mailstreet.net/ms/pricing.aspx)
This seems to be the most popular choice, especially for small corporations. I use this, and it works with all Blackberry apps I've tried. They are a hosted Exchange server provider with a Blackberry Enterprise Server option. $23 per month total costs, it is reportedly possible to get access to BES/MDS. (BES4 Upgraded!)


eOutlook (http://www.eoutlook.com)
This service is cheaper, and some people have mixed reports about this. $16.90 per month. Back in early 2004, it was reported slow technical support and may not be as reliable as Mailstreet. (No updates as of 2005).


Lanlogic (http://www.lanlogic.net/)
They now provide BES Hosting. About $25 per month. This is an old favourite among some corporations, as they have been around since 1995.


MI8 Corporation (http://www.mi8.com)
They cater to bigger groups, supposed to support MDS. Need to contact them for a price quote, normally cater to at least 10 people but reportedly catered to a single individual.


Bell Canada Hosted Exchange (http://www.hostedmail.bell.ca/products.html)
This is great if you are a Bell Canada BlackBerry user, since that's their own in-house MDS hosting service.


Intermedia (http://www.intermedia.net/)
Another popular recommended BES/MDS service, used by many corporate users. Not as commonly used by self employed people and consumers as Mailstreet or MyBlackberry.

[pescamilla]

I just signed up for Exchange My Mail hosted service and it is great! The customer support is the best I have ever delt with. I highly recommend them.

[alaskin]

Another good reason for BES/MDS is to allow using your Blackberry on cellphone networks that do not support the Blackberry. Such as Fido Canada.
Blackberry working on non-Blackberry cell networks (http://www.blackberryclub.com/viewtopic.php?t=206)

[Edit: Fido appears to be a special exception in this case. This would not work on most other carriers]

Mark,

I've been trying to solve this problem of getting the Blackberry to work on the Fido network. If there is a sollution what is it, and how do I go about solving the delema.

[scootermcq]

:razz: Hi, I have a BB 6210 running on FIDO... all I have is voice and SMS. This is killing me, as I would like some data. I have called FIDO to make sure data is enabled and entered the TCP in ala Mark's FAQ. My gprs is all in lower case and I can not use the browser or any data like Gmail. Can anyone out there shed some light, I would really, REALLY appreciate it. End of day, all I want is to remain on Fido and do email, even if that involves a 3rd party.

[W-N]

We currently outsource both Exchange/BES to a hosting company who is not specifically Exchange/BES oriented. They also host all of our other applications (Office, Accounting, File services, etc...). We are in the process of bringing these applications in-house (about 40 users), but are debating on whether to also bring Exchange/BES inhouse too.

We don't have much of an internal IT staff, so I'm considering hosting Exchange and BES, but will only do so if I can find a provider who is nearly bullet proof (technically), and highly customer service oriented.

Can anyone speak to their experiences with a hosted provider when hosting over 30 mailboxes and BBerrys? If I go down the hosted road, it needs to be someone who is in it for the long haul.

Any opinions are appreciated.

I'd like to know the same thing. Who is a rock solid provider of BES/Exchange? Which providers have the proper redundancy, security, backup (with copies provided on a regular basis to the customer) and long-term reliability as well as SLA's?

[W-N]

I'd like to know the same thing. Who is a rock solid provider of BES/Exchange? Which providers have the proper redundancy, security, backup (with copies provided on a regular basis to the customer) and long-term reliability as well as SLA's?

Additionally, the BES/Exchange provider must have Anti-Virus and Anti-Spam protection. We host our own email now and scan inbound messages with two different AV scanners as well as anti-spam scanning. Approximately 56% of inbound messages on our server are determined to be spam and are deleted automatically, without bothering the user. We also prohibit inbound potentially dangerous executable/script files including those in regular and encrypted zip files. We stop many viruses before definitions are available because of this. If they only made BES with IMail compatibility, I'd be happy. I dont want the hassle of running an Exchange server.

[dyzs]

I just ran the cnet test using a 7105t roaming on Roger's Wireless and I get 267kbps. This doesn't seem too accurate to me.

[floripaolo]

I have a 7130e with bell mobility. I need full internet access. Especially for internet banking. What do I need?
-additional mds hosting?
-do I still need it with 4.0?
-ive read somewher bell Canada provides bes hosting for an additional fee (isn't that nice?). Link?
-will browsing be faster with mds?

Thanks for help!

Paolo

[Larry Elliott]

I am considering subsribing to a Hosted BES system but I am in New Zealand. Are there any companies that will allow international users - note I am also a mac user so would prefer someone who has worked with Entourage <> Exchange.
Thanks
Larry Elliott

[Weasy2k]

I'm also looking for MDS hosting...i went to both link exchange and eoutlook but both don't mention MDS. I don't wanna get something that wont get me where I want :P

And that is IM importantly...


EDIT: Spelling issues :)

[kyrojin]

just saw this on the net and thought i'd let you know as i know it was your hard work to make this FAQ...

http://www.skycomp.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=28

[southwestcomm]

Sprint now offers the "Easy Office" solution. Sprint is offering hosted Exhange and BES for $20.00 monthly per unit.

[ina-nyminute]

I've been on Mailstreet for a couple of years with multiple accounts.

Before the merger I highly recommended Mailstreet to anybody, now I'm looking for another Hosted Bes provider.

When I call tech support before noon (e.s.t.) I get the outsouced tech (sounds like India, maybe not though).
I have not been able to login to my account (reseller) for about 4 months and when I call it's been a hassle, where as before the merger, the techs where great.
I'll post more as time goes by.

I'm an IT contractor who has been considering offering Hosted Exchange to my clients, but now I think I keep that idea on the back burner for a little longer.
This merger/ acquistion crap really is causing alot of troubles.
If only we could make a company sign a contract promising they will not sell my account to somebody else.

Pissed off in NYC...
in a new york minute

[mas90guru]

I believe eOutlook is now part of Mailstreet as well.

[Tastypeppers]

New here -- new to Blackberry, left a Treo 650 behind and test-drove Pocket PCs but it was all just too fussy for what I wanted to do.

One BB user. Own Exchange 2003 server. Too small for my own BES of course. Thus hosted BES seems like a good idea.

Has anyone seen something like the Colibri Mobile Office Premium service at gpxs DOT net (silly blackberryforums won't let me post a URL since I'm brand new here), where the hosted BES appears to talk to my Exchange server via OWA? This would truly be The Best Of All Possible Worlds. My own Exchange Server would always be up to date, but someone else would absorb the headache of running the BES for me.

[phrider]

When I call tech support before noon (e.s.t.) I get the outsouced tech (sounds like India, maybe not though).That has not been my experience -- same Mailstreet techs as before, just as helpful as before. They've grown 25% since October, so they may have some growing pains, however.

[Rushisawesome88]

I was just looking at RIM's developer info, and I really like the browser-push stuff, but they say I need a BES. Can I do this with a hosted BES, or do I need to get my own?

Thanks

[dazh]

Hi, does anyone know of any BES Hosting in the UK or one that could accomodate us.


Thanks

[ronedwards]

Hi, does anyone know of any BES Hosting in Australia or one that could accomodate us.


Thanks

[awdawg]

what exactly is the difference between some of these hosts and say what my service provider has available for me to use I know the email and web service from US Cellular runs 40 a month, and to me that is by far a rip off.... heck I can get a 56k service thats faster for 10 a month... and I see online here at most of these places it is a 50 dollar setup and a 10-13 dollar a month fee, to me that looks very peasable... can someone shed some light as to whether they work with every service provider? and whether I need to have anything in particular already setup on my bb? thanks much

[carlogero]

Oh boy, this post will be uneccassary once 4.0 BWC comes out :D

I cant wait.
hi guess,8-)
i have a slide problem w BB 4.0 OS when i try to install it on too my BB 6210 its says "Syntax Error in 1 line of XML"

what can it be,
any suggestions tips very welcome

carlogero:razz:

[carlogero]

hi there,
I got a Blackberry 6210 from Ebay and got myself a FIDO card for it.
And now it comes i tried to get a Blackberry Email Acc. which is allmost impossible with FIDO...
Though if you invest some time,that's what i did went to BlackberryForums.com so a Site for Rogers AT&T wireless click on it and it rerouts me to cingular....!!!!

No comes the best i tipe my PIN & EMEI in the proper fields and voila i got myself a Blackberry email ...

How is that possible?With a FIDO card to get a Cingular Blackberry Email Acc.?

Any Suggestions apresiated...

Carmelo

[blackbelt]

that's excellent input that sprint offers that service.... I'll sign up now, it works out cheaper than the other providers

[blue212]

Thanks in advance

I've been researching MDS/BES hosting services. Forgive me, I'm a long time palm user (now using Treo 700P with Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync for push email/contacts). I'm looking for a much more reliable device which can push with my Microsoft Exchange server as well as with a couple of pop accounts.

I work for a small company with a Microsoft Exchange server. We do not have a BES. I was therefore looking into the hosted BEs options. But from what I can tell, I have to also use their Exchange server as well. Is there a way to use my current in-house MS Exchange server with a hosted BES? If not, how would I make the connection between my MS Exchange server and a hosted MS Exchange server/BES server? Also -- would I be able to check my email on my MS Exchange server with a Blackberry if I chose not to set up with a hosted BES server?

Thanks again -- I'm trying hard to get myself up to speed with BB technology

BTW -- is there any difference in setup if I chose Cingular vs Verizon vs T-Mobile?