IT wants to wipe our BBs / Switch to Outlook?

[speede541]

This doesn't sound quite right to me, looking for some feedback.

At work we each own our own BlackBerries and are given a credit each month to pay for our cell & data plans, and connect to our company's BES server.

Our company is switching our PC email services to Outlook, and we're in a transition period with no email being pushed to our devices.

We're being told now that we'll have to turn our phones in to IT to wipe and reload in order to get our email restored.

This sounds, well... not right. I'm not implying there's any conspiracy to load some corporate spyware on our devices, but I'm concerned because I've got a leaked OS on my Storm and IT would likely reload Verizon's buggy official OS.

I've never heard of IT having to wipe and reload. Why does switching to Outlook make the difference?

[blueyestm]

that doesn't sound right to me either. you essentially just have to reload the email box with the appropriate servers to the phone.

if the phones yours personally I wouldn't had it over to them at all. that just ain't gonna happen.

[speede541]

Thanks for confirming my doubts.

Just thinking that they recently upgraded to newer BES server software. Would that entail updating the OS's on older devices?

[John.P]

Originally Posted by speede541

Thanks for confirming my doubts.

Just thinking that they recently upgraded to newer BES server software. Would that entail updating the OS's on older devices?

It shouldn't, though did you sign anything when your Employer said they'd start giving you a credit towards data/etc? See what you signed.

This is why I personally hate adding personal BlackBerry phones to our BESX. I've gotten it down to just one personal phone and I don't think we'll be adding anymore.

Also, I know that when I add a new device to the BESX/work with a BlackBerry I usually make sure it has latest OS on it, but I do it through Desktop Manager.

I don't feel as though a full wipe would be needed, but they might be saying that in case something goes entirely wrong.

Either way check what you signed/agreed to - make a full backup of your device, and hang out at IT while they work on it.

[speede541]

I read through the application and company policy and the only applicable section reads like this:

"Phones in the allowance program are no longer company property. Participating employees are completely responsible for all aspects including paying all bills and obtaining support directly from the vendor."

Seems pretty cut and dry to me. And this hadn't been an issue previously: to call up the IT guy after acquiring a new device or upgrading an OS; he'd give a password & activation window and I'd re-sync. Not a problem with newer devices or some 8300 Curves and older devices we have floating around.

Another oddity is that the guys on BES who lost their connection recently also lost internet on their phones, but things like FaceBook apps are still working. I was already off BES when it went down due to the new OS I just loaded, and haven't been having any loss of those services, i.e. FB, Tether, Opera, WeatherBug, GMaps...

IT's message to us (shortened for brevity):

The BB activation process has significantly changed. Bring your phone to IT. We will back up all data, perform a 'wipe', activate your BB on the BES and then restore your data. We will need your phone for 60 minutes.

[CanuckBB]

Speede,

Your switching to Outlook from what?

Also, if they have a new BES, it sounds like they are not migrating users over, but recreating them. If that is the case, then the BB needs to be security wiped. That does not remove the OS.

[speede541]

We're coming off of Groupwise.

I don't think the new BES came about at the same time -- I think they switched a few weeks ago. But I could be wrong. Maybe they just got it up and running and were running two concurrently, anticipating this switchover?

Dunno. I'm going to try to talk to IT today. I'm sure they'll be overwhelmed with BlackBerries needing their services.

[John.P]

I wonder if they've switched to BESX rather than a full BES? BESX (unless you have BES Data) requires a wire activation, so it has to be plugged in.

Here are my thoughts, but again, they're just my thoughts/feelings on the matter - could be way off base.

They've moved from BES to BESX for cost savings. Rather than do a migration from the BES to BESX they're just removing the BES profiles/policies from the phones and doing a clean fresh activation.

They're doing a standard wipe using the BlackBerry's built in feature to wipe. Then they're doing a wire activation on the BESX.

I guess I'd ask for more details. Tell them you're concerned with the wipe because you have 3rd party apps/customizations and don't want to lose them. See what they say in response to that. If some of the other employees had lost features when the BES was taken offline, maybe they had some goofy policies pushed to those phones and they want to be sure that all of that stuff is cleared. Maybe because yours didn't suffer the same fate a wipe wouldn't be required for you.

Edit: Missed where you talked about Groupwise...

[nojok3]

What I would pay to get off of Groupwise at the job I'm at right now. Every single person refers to an e-mail as a 'Groupwise'. Like "hey send me a Groupwise and I'll look at it." /vent

[eBoyDog]

Groupwise isn't THAT bad, from a admin point of view you lose a features downgrading to Exchange, the big thing that's driving the move from GW to Exchange is that Novell is ending their tranditional Netware support with pushing everyone to Linux.

Back on topic, It's very possible to re-activate to a different BES without wiping, from a support point of view the admin is prefering a clean start with Exchange BES or with BESx they are doing a wired activation.

If the OP's admin are using full blown BES with Exchange, they might want to look at BES Transporter; it's a utility to move users from one BES to another which I use with moving users in between my GW BES 4.1 to my beta GW 5.0 BES. It handles changing the service books and IT Policies very well. Not sure if it works with BESx however.

[speede541]

I'm going to give it a couple days to cool down then will approach IT with my questions. I can't tell from the dumbed-down language in the memo what they really intend, but from all your comments this sounds like a security wipe.

FYI, re: GW from a user's perspective, a bunch of us hate it -- especially those of us previously on Outlook. Slow searches, cumbersome file management, poor web interface, ugh. Happy to be rid of it.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[CanuckBB]

From IT's perspective, it makes sense to start fresh with a new BES on a new email platform. So they backup the device, security wipe it, EA, restore. You shouldn't lose anything.

You could always choose to not be on the BES.

It always irks me when companies deem it critical enough that you have a BB on BES, but refuse to supply you with one. Would they ask you to supply your own PC?

[CanuckBB]

Originally Posted by eBoyDog

If the OP's admin are using full blown BES with Exchange, they might want to look at BES Transporter; it's a utility to move users from one BES to another which I use with moving users in between my GW BES 4.1 to my beta GW 5.0 BES. It handles changing the service books and IT Policies very well. Not sure if it works with BESx however.

But does it work when changing both BES version and email platform?

[speede541]

With respect to not being on BES, I've *could* use auto-forwarding to an outside Gmail account to give me better search capability and unlimited archival. But that would be against company policy, wouldn't it?!?

Re: the cell phone ownership thing -- my understanding is there is a tax implication. Previously, with company phones, we would have to account for any personal calls and write a check to the company, despite being on generous voice plans (or sign a form stating "no personal calls on this bill"). The problem is that any personal calls must be assigned a monetary value and taxed accordingly as a benefit / income, or else face IRS scrutiny. This was too much overhead for a company with dozens of cell phones out in the field, so hence this arrangements, which is quite nice for me -- the monthly allotment pays my Verizon bill plus most of my wife's Pre.

[CanuckBB]

WADR, the tax thing, while it may be technically correct, is horse manure. The IRS has a lot better things to do than audit the minutes used on cell phone plans. And it is the job of the phone administrator to audit bills. Been there, done that. And it takes about 30 seconds per bill. Look for overage, make sure it's company business, make note for a pattern, maybe the plan needs to be adjusted, then move on.

Unless you're talking about thousands of dollars on personnal calls, nobody cares.