[jg70124]

I am an independent consultant; all my IT infrastructure is outsourced. I'm currently using a Palm Treo 650 on ATT, with Exchange ActiveSync against a hosted 3rd party Exchange 2007 server for calendar and contacts, and IMAP for my email. My monthly tab for data & hosting is about US$40.

I'm considering switching to RIM for improved reliability and more robust OTA syncing (including Tasks). To get that, I believe I would need BES and hosted BB Exchange, and my monthly data & hosting tab would be about $65. Is this correct?

If it is, that's a pretty significant increase. I understand that I can use GSYNC with just BIS, in which case my monthly tab would be just $30. But is the Google solution robust enough to replace BES for email, calendar, contacts and tasks?

Thanks.

[dualsub2006]

For me, Google is robust enough for email, calendar and contacts. Currently Google Sync does not sync tasks. I use ReQall for tasks and they have a BlackBerry application that works very well for me.

[mas90guru]

I use AT&T with BIS and sync to Google Apps for Domain using the free Google Sync.

The only part that I don't have synced is To Do items and Notes -- but I am also carrying an iPhone for many of those things.

[Dubdub]

I use ATT BIS with my BB. I have about 7 email accounts (my company and 4 client accounts and one personal account) all set up under BIS and POP3. The delays on receipt is anywhere from 1 minute to 15 minutes and I find that perfectly acceptable. I have never seen or had the need for near real time email.

I use Desktop Manager to sync my contacts, tasks and memos. I use Google Calendar Sync to keep calendars in sync - laptop, office desktop, BB, home desktop and wife's desktop.

Unless you really need the hosted Exchange and wireless sync, then I think BIS is the way to go. Saves a few bucks a month also. ATT BIS is $30 a month. If I were to go to a hosted BES, then BB data would be $45 and the hosted BES/Exhcnage anywhere from $10 to $40 a month depending upon what services you have and which provider yo use.

[mgerbasio]

I kicked around the idea of going with BIS/Google or BES and decided for me BES wasn't worth the additional cost. The email does work better with BES but it really wouldn't be getting me anything I need and I'd have to switch from Google to another email provider.

Google doesn't sync categories with Contacts. Tasks have just been added so I'm sure at some point we'll see Task sync but as noted above it doesn't sync now, nor do notes. I use todoMatrix and ideaMatrix so that isn't an issue for me. You can also use the Gmail application and get just about all the features from desktop gmail on your BB.

It is worth trying it for a month or two as you can always easily make the switch to BES if you decide Google isn't working for you.

Regards-Michael G.

[Dubdub]

Originally Posted by mgerbasio

I kicked around the idea of going with BIS/Google or BES and decided for me BES wasn't worth the additional cost. The email does work better with BES but it really wouldn't be getting me anything I need and I'd have to switch from Google to another email provider.

Google doesn't sync categories with Contacts. Tasks have just been added so I'm sure at some point we'll see Task sync but as noted above it doesn't sync now, nor do notes. I use todoMatrix and ideaMatrix so that isn't an issue for me. You can also use the Gmail application and get just about all the features from desktop gmail on your BB.

It is worth trying it for a month or two as you can always easily make the switch to BES if you decide Google isn't working for you.

Regards-Michael G.

As I see GMail, it isn't very professional when replying to a message that is work related from an "@gmail.com" account.

[djm2]

I may very well get accused of having the tin foil hat screwed on too tightly, but I would get nervous of gmail simply because they could harvest too much data about me from my work-related emails. To the OP: What guarantees of confidentiality must you give your clients?

[CO_BBTechie]

Originally Posted by Dubdub

As I see GMail, it isn't very professional when replying to a message that is work related from an "@gmail.com" account.

This really shouldn't be an issue, since, with the BlackBerry you can change the "reply to" address to anything, to appear as if the email came directly from your work address.

[audit]

Originally Posted by CO_BBTechie

This really shouldn't be an issue, since, with the BlackBerry you can change the "reply to" address to anything, to appear as if the email came directly from your work address.

Some versions of outlook will still show that it's coming from a @gmail account on behalf of @domain.tld

[mgerbasio]

Originally Posted by CO_BBTechie

This really shouldn't be an issue, since, with the BlackBerry you can change the "reply to" address to anything, to appear as if the email came directly from your work address.

I splurged and have google host my email for $50/year.

Regards-Michael G.

[jg70124]

Thanks all for the replies. Based on what I've read here, and from my other research, it would seem that the Google solution is just not good enough:
- no syncing tasks
- no offline component for my laptop
- no syncing of contacts with my laptop
- unknown issues around confidentiality
- issues about return addresses on emails to clients

So now I'll have to decide whether a Blackberry with BES and hosting is worth $300-500/year more than a WinMo phone and hosted exchange.

[Dubdub]

Google can sync contacts. They have just started doing this. Not sure how well it works as I do not use it however.

[CO_BBTechie]

Originally Posted by audit

Some versions of outlook will still show that it's coming from a @gmail account on behalf of @domain.tld

gotcha, thanks

[dualsub2006]

Originally Posted by djm2

I may very well get accused of having the tin foil hat screwed on too tightly, but I would get nervous of gmail simply because they could harvest too much data about me from my work-related emails. To the OP: What guarantees of confidentiality must you give your clients?

With the paid version of Google hosted apps there are not ads so they aren't harvesting any information about you. It becomes the same as Yahoo hosted business mail or even your own hosted mail from your domain or your ISP.

Originally Posted by audit

Some versions of outlook will still show that it's coming from a @gmail account on behalf of @domain.tld

Not if you are hosting your own domain mail with Google Apps. There is no Gmail account associated with it. All mail in all versions of Outlook show as it should, meaning @yourdomain.com.

If you are collecting your domain mail with a regular Gmail account then yes, some versions of Outlook as well as Thunderbird and Groupwise show the Gmail account as the sender.

Originally Posted by jg70124

- no offline component for my laptop

It's called Outlook, just like the offline component for any email account. You can access through POP or the more robust IMAP.

Originally Posted by jg70124

- no syncing of contacts with my laptop

Using Google Sync to sync with your BlackBerry and then use Desktop Manager to sync those contacts and changes to Outlook. I have been doing it this way and am totally happy with it. Not everyone likes or appreciates the two step process.

Originally Posted by jg70124

- unknown issues around confidentiality

There aren't any issues. Mail is safe, secure and confidential. Your mail is no more at risk than it is with your hosted Exchange provider or with RIM.

Originally Posted by jg70124

- issues about return addresses on emails to clients

Again, no issues here at all. If you host your own domain with Google Apps then only your address shows. If you collect mail with a Gmail account and respond through that, well, that's pretty low rent.

If it isn't for you it isn't for you. It is not currently (and may never be) as robust a solution as Exchange, but there are some misconceptions in both your response as well as others.

[djm2]

Originally Posted by dualsub2006

With the paid version of Google hosted apps there are not ads so they aren't harvesting any information about you. It becomes the same as Yahoo hosted business mail or even your own hosted mail from your domain or your ISP.

This sentence is a non-sequiter; the first portion of your assertion does not necessarily imply the latter portion. I would like to believe that what you have said is true, but I frankly doubt that it is.

[dualsub2006]

Originally Posted by djm2

This sentence is a non-sequiter; the first portion of your assertion does not necessarily imply the latter portion. I would like to believe that what you have said is true, but I frankly doubt that it is.

The entire basis that you have for doubting the privacy and security of data in Google's hands is based on nothing more than conjecture. While it may make you uncomfortable to use Google services that in no way makes these services unsafe, insecure or less confidential.

If you use Yahoo for hosting, they have your data. If you use a hosted Exchange provider, they have your data. If you use your web host email, they have your data. If you use your ISP mail, they have your data. If you use a BalckBerry, RIM has your data. Some of these hosts (if not all) are scanning your mail for various reasons including virus or malware infection, spam, phishing, search indexing and so on. Is this data harvesting? If it is in your mind data harvesting how can you trust anyone with any of your information at any time?

[djm2]

Originally Posted by dualsub2006

The entire basis that you have for doubting the privacy and security of data in Google's hands is based on nothing more than conjecture. While it may make you uncomfortable to use Google services that in no way makes these services unsafe, insecure or less confidential.

If you use Yahoo for hosting, they have your data. If you use a hosted Exchange provider, they have your data. If you use your web host email, they have your data. If you use your ISP mail, they have your data. If you use a BalckBerry, RIM has your data. Some of these hosts (if not all) are scanning your mail for various reasons including virus or malware infection, spam, phishing, search indexing and so on. Is this data harvesting? If it is in your mind data harvesting how can you trust anyone with any of your information at any time?

Well, we are moving well beyond the OP's question; let's agree that you are comfortable with the integrity of Google and I am not. BTW the only one of your listed options that I go with is the use of the BB. As for trusting people with my information: No, I don't trust ANYONE with my information. Ever hear of identity theft??

[dualsub2006]

Originally Posted by djm2

Well, we are moving well beyond the OP's question; let's agree that you are comfortable with the integrity of Google and I am not. BTW the only one of your listed options that I go with is the use of the BB. As for trusting people with my information: No, I don't trust ANYONE with my information. Ever hear of identity theft??

We can agree to disagree. No problem at all.

Yes, I actually have heard of identity theft and even though I use Gmail it has never happened to me. In fact, if you managed to access all 4 of my Gmail accounts you wouldn't come up with enough information about me to steal anything more than my beer recipes.

[jg70124]

Originally Posted by dualsub2006

It's called Outlook, just like the offline component for any email account. You can access through POP or the more robust IMAP.

Right - I see that I can sync my outlook calendar with Google's calendar using their sync solution. It's usable, but actually a step backwards from where I am now (no multiple calendar support, not real time).

Originally Posted by dualsub2006

Using Google Sync to sync with your BlackBerry and then use Desktop Manager to sync those contacts and changes to Outlook. I have been doing it this way and am totally happy with it. Not everyone likes or appreciates the two step process.

Wouldn't work for me - I often go days without a USB sync, so my Outlook contacts and my BB contacts would constantly be out-of-sync.