Web Signals API

[Aiwa]

i need one phone to send some stream of information to other phones using their number, and cannot be the e-mail.

this stream of data would be only like one line of text, and all the other phones would have some app that would know how to read this text when received, and do "something" with the text


i heard about web signals API.


does anyone knows more about it that and know if i can use it for my program or not?

also if anyone has anything else i can read about Web Signals API or some basic intro?

[MBW]

If you're in the BlackBerry Alliance program, the API info is available through them.

(And if you're not, you should be)

[hrbuckley]

From what I've learned from RIM, Web Signals is essentially a push protocol. If this is correct it wouldn't solve the problem directly. The originating phone would have to send the data through some process on the server. I've done this exact thing using both BES and Unite servers (which seem to run the same MDS server).

Other options that aren't Email are PIN to PIN messages, or SMS.

[Aiwa]

uhn...about BES...does it work with any BB phone or does it has to be with some kind of special server?

[Dougsg38p]

Have you looked at SMS? You should be able send up to 160 characters via SMS to a particular phone number, programmatically.

On the receiver side, implement an SMS listener and snag the message, based on some known text string value inside the body text.

[Aiwa]

uhmnmm
yea yea, that should work...i'm gonna look into it...thank you :]

[Aiwa]

do i use a fold listener too?

[holy3daps]

BES = BlackBerry Enterprise Server, most often directly connected with an email server (MS Exchange, Lotus Notes, etc.)

Basically, a BES is purchased by an Enterprise organization (e.g., Ford, IBM, Microsoft, etc.) - a place with lots of employees, many of whom have BlackBerries and wish to access their corporate email (among other things).

A BES will work with any BB phone that executes an Enterprise Activation to it. The BES must be set up to allow a particular phone to connect, so it's not like you could Enterprise Activate to Microsoft's BES if you don't actually work there.

Due to the BES's high price and rather large amount of maintenance (it's a Jaguar of the server world - you kind of have to hire someone to manage it full-time), RIM also offers something called "BIS" - BlackBerry Internet Service. This is managed by RIM, and permits email access through a carrier-specific host (e.g., att.blackberry.net, sprint.blackberry.net). Push technology does not work through a BIS, however.

Rumor has it that RIM also offers a "Personal" BES - no support, but meant for the married couple who both own BlackBerries and want to keep their calendars in synch regarding who's supposed to pick up the kids and when.

[Aiwa]

yea yea i got it now...my business has it so i could use it for the software they want...but as Dougsg38p said, SMS seems like a better way, but i'll keep the BES as my backup plan