I guess this is one way to put RIM out of business

[TheMarco]

So I went to my IT department to get hooked up to our BES server. I was all excited about having my work email on the PlayBook and all. They set me up and... it didn't work.

So I called Sprint and it turns out I have to give them $20 per month to be able to have corporate email on my blackberry... WTF????? Obviously I told them to shove it.

iPhone / Android / Palm users have their work email on their phones as well through ActiveSync. They don't have to pay any extra fees to their carriers for this.

Seriously, who is going to pay $240 a year to do something users of other platforms can do for free? Not a very interesting proposition for BB I'd say.

No work email for me on my PlayBook while iPadders and Android tabbers are happily doing it. Bah.

[brendonlee]

This has always been an issue, service providers take advantage of the situation by not sending out the BES activation service books unless you pay the extra $$ per month. I remember reading and CB recently though that RIM released an app in appworld that does the activation without the service books (i'm pretty sure). You may want to look into that, assuming your IT dept is ok with it.

[1canuck2]

First of all, that issue is Sprint, not RIM, so make sure to blame the correct person here. The issue is squarely with your carrier. Your thread subject is horribly misinformed and not really descriptive of your problem...

Second of all, what do you mean it doesn't work? If you have a BB, just use BB bridge and you'll see your email. Am I missing something that you are trying to do, because Bridge is not a carrier thing its a device to device thing (providing you can get the bridge software on your BB).

[TheMarco]

Hmmm that sounds interesting. What would I need to search for in AppWorld? There's absolutely no way I'm going to pay for this. Not this much anyway. I'd be ok with some one-time activation fee but with three smartphones in the family with full data already I'm not ready to pay a dime more than I already do.

[TheMarco]

Originally Posted by 1canuck2

First of all, that issue is Sprint, not RIM, so make sure to blame the correct person here. The issue is squarely with your carrier. Your thread subject is horribly misinformed and not really descriptive of your problem...

Second of all, what do you mean it doesn't work? If you have a BB, just use BB bridge and you'll see your email. Am I missing something that you are trying to do, because Bridge is not a carrier thing its a device to device thing (providing you can get the bridge software on your BB).

You didn't read. I wasn't blaming anything on RIM. I was suggesting that carriers charging money for something on BB devices that's free on other devices is 'one way to put RIM out of business'.

You're missing things, yes. Pretty much the whole point.

[brendonlee]

Originally Posted by TheMarco

Hmmm that sounds interesting. What would I need to search for in AppWorld? There's absolutely no way I'm going to pay for this. Not this much anyway. I'd be ok with some one-time activation fee but with three smartphones in the family with full data already I'm not ready to pay a dime more than I already do.

I think this may be it:

BlackBerry App World - Enterprise Activation

[brendonlee]

Originally Posted by 1canuck2

Second of all, what do you mean it doesn't work? If you have a BB, just use BB bridge and you'll see your email. Am I missing something that you are trying to do, because Bridge is not a carrier thing its a device to device thing (providing you can get the bridge software on your BB).

I think what he meant was he couldn't activate his blackberry phone on BES because of the carrier restriction. After he connects to BES, then yes he can use bridge to access his work email.

[mooda]

k lets break this down for the op. if you place of work uses a bes then all bbs connected to ir need to be on a bes data plan simple as that. now some companies like mine also have a bes express this allows for users to be on bis and still get their corporate data. if your company has not adopted this well then yes you end up having to pay extra to your carrier if they have then you still have hope. ask your ot department about it.

[brendonlee]

Originally Posted by mooda

k lets break this down for the op. if you place of work uses a bes then all bbs connected to ir need to be on a bes data plan simple as that. now some companies like mine also have a bes express this allows for users to be on bis and still get their corporate data. if your company has not adopted this well then yes you end up having to pay extra to your carrier if they have then you still have hope. ask your ot department about it.

True, thats how it is supposed to work. However, some companies (I believe Verizon is one - not sure about sprint) still require bes express users to be on a bes data plan to use the bes express. That was the initial point of the app i listed above from what i understand. Of course, those carriers can probably still block that app from appworld as well.

I think the only way to get around that is to use the bes express web admin console to add the device to the bes using a usb cable.

[gkl]

I am on BESX and do not need the more expensive data plan. As brendonlee noted above, simply download Enterprise Activation app from App World and you can connect without a problem.

Having the more expensive data plan does nothing more than put a service book on your device that allows wireless activation. Downloading Enterprise Activation does the exact same thing. Launch the app once installed instead of going through the Options route, and you will be all set.

This is the same reason so many people used to hook up the more expensive data plan, activate on BES, and then reduce the data plan to the cheaper one. Once you are hooked up, you didn't need the extra service book.

[agault]

If you already have your email on your Blackberry then you don't need any ohter data plans in order to bridge to a Playbook. In fact, you don't even need to have the IT department do anything (unless they specially have a policy to prevent bridging).

If you don't have your work email on your Blackberry now, then the issue has nothing to do with Playbook. It's a BES/Carrier issue to resolve. This is nothing new.

[Zizzzzy]

Yep, the "BES Tax" that carriers lvoe to rip people off for. So glad they released an app to dump the service book to phones.

[sf18443]

the BES activation app for BIS customers was put out specifically to counter this extra carrier charge. how did it not work?

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Boots4283]

Originally Posted by brendonlee

I think this may be it:

BlackBerry App World - Enterprise Activation

This is exactly what the OP needs.

[lnichols]

Originally Posted by TheMarco

Joe 'New Customer' walks into a Sprint store and looks at both Android and BB phones. He asks, 'can I read my work email on this one?', pointing at the Android phone. The rep says: 'Yep! You can simply hook up through ActiveSync on your data plan and you're good to go!'. Then the customer eyes a nice BlackBerry phone and says: "How about that one? I think I like that one better! Can I do the same with that one?" to which the rep answers: "Yep! Same thing! Except we'll slap a $20 premium onto your contract for no good reason. But then you're good to go!".

Which phone do you think looks more attractive to the customer now?

The problem is your assuming that anyone can use a iPhone or Android with EAS with any company. The issue with this is EAS is not as secure as BES, and many company's that have stricter security standards (like Government Contractors or the Government itself) can only use BES. Carriers know this so they decide that charging a BES fee is a way to make additional income for them doing nothing. It sucks, but they know they have some customers by the sack. RIM should work to change this as it will only hurt them.