Help with BES Express setup

[charlie.birkett]

Hi,

I currently manage the IT for my fathers new business. It is currently just him so just 1 blackberry for the moment!

Over the past 6 months I have set up a website along with a standard MS Exchange e-mail server. Which just syncs mail and nothing else to his BB.

We would like to go a step further and set up a BESX. As he (and I'm sure future employees) would like to have their calendar, contacts and Inbox subfolders synced to their BB.

I am completely new to this ball game and, have hit a brick wall and need some help!

I run all the IT from my desktop computer, and have (possibly naiively) gone and installed BESX on my PC, which, in turn has installed MS SQL 2005 server as it has detected that it's not a server!

That's as far as I have got! Should I carry on or do I need to invest in a real server? Does the server (in this case my personal PC) need to be on 24/7 for this to work?

I can't find any info on-line that explains simply what hardware I need for a tiny business.

Many thanks to anyone who can give me any pointers in the right direction! I am a faster learner and keen to get this working

Charlie

[RTakacs]

The computer will need to be on 24/7 and can be a desktop or a server.
You will need an active directory domain with an exchange server setup aswell.
Easiest thing for you to get would be a Small Business Server 2008 or 2010 and install BES Express on that.

List of things;
Small Business Server
Static External IP (idealy)
Allow traffic through the firewall
BES Express installation package

If you need anything else then holla!

[charlie.birkett]

That is very helpful thank you!

[RTakacs]

I'm in the same situation as you for a private job next month.
SBS 2010 ordered, BES Express download ready but instead of using MX records for their emails, they're using a POP3 connector

Have you looked into getting a BIS account setup with your mobile carrier as it might end up cheaper in your case?