After 2 weeks of calling around to find out if I could upgrade from 4.0 to 4.1 free of charge (especially since I had not installed 4.0 yet), RIM told me this morning that I can get BES 4.1 for free including 1 small business license for a device! Actually, it is Blackberry Enterprise Server EXPRESS 4.1 (apparently, Express allows only up to 15 devices, but that is fine for us as we are a 7 user shop at this point).

Maybe this is common knowledge but I though I'd share the information. Here is the website to sign up:
blackberry.com/go/express
(sorry, this forum would not allow me to post the actual hot link yet)

I filled out the form, and I guess they are going to mail a CD because there is nowhere for me to download 4.1. I'll advise how and when I receive the installation files.

Yes this is common knowledge. You will get a link to a download site, write down your SRPID, SRP auth key and CAL auth keys.

With Express you can go to 15 and then buy the unlock key which sends you to 20 user Enterprise server and you can go to 2000 from there.

Your best option to upgrade to 4.1 though is to get a Tsupport contract which includes all software updates and is cheaper then any other pay for upgrade.

How long has this free deal been going on?

May 3, 2006

BlackBerry

If you take the SRP Identifier, Authentication Key and Client License away from BES 4.1 Express you are left with BES 4.1.

If you already have BES 4.0 then:

1. Download BES 4.1 Express
2. Throw away the licensing information that came with BES 4.1 Express (or at least don't use it)
3. Backup your BES 4.0 system
4. Install the BES 4.1 onto your BES 4.0 server and it will upgrade your BES 4.0 to BES 4.1 using the existing BES 4.0 SRP Identifier, Authentication Key and Client License.

You now have a free upgrade from BES 4.0 to 4.1 with no client licensing limit (except your pre-existing limit).

I am still running v3.5 of BES; can I upgrade to 4.1 Express as well or do I need to get 4.0 first?

Also, I can't find a link to download this software...any help?

closing this thread. work within the system, not around it. contrary to popular belief, companies do need money from their products, including one-time upgrade fees, in order to stay around...