BES on personal Blackberry?

[trick91]

Hey

I have a personal Blackberry and my work has their own BES server. I was added to my works BES server by our IT department. But in my options or advanced options the Enterprise Activation isnt there. I called Telus and they say I have to pay an extra 10 a month to add the enterprise activation feature.

Does this sound right? I thought since its my works BES server Telus wouldnt have to be involved....

[JeffH]

If BES Activation isn't there, your IT department hasn't added you yet. Be sure you want to do this. When you go on the Enterprise, you are giving your employer total control and total access to your BlackBerry. For all practical purposes, it no longer belongs to you. You'll have an IT Policy that enforces company IT Security rules on your BlackBerry. The company can monitor all your email, log your phone calls, and in general control every aspect of your phone: whether you can install apps, use the Media Card or Bluetooth, or access the internet, for example.

IT Policies can be very strict to benign. Mine, for example, only requires me to use a password and Content Protection and sets the max timeout to 30 minutes.

Find out exactly what you are signing up to, before you do.

[trick91]

Originally Posted by JeffH

If BES Activation isn't there, your IT department hasn't added you yet. Be sure you want to do this. When you go on the Enterprise, you are giving your employer total control and total access to your BlackBerry. For all practical purposes, it no longer belongs to you. You'll have an IT Policy that enforces company IT Security rules on your BlackBerry. The company can monitor all your email, log your phone calls, and in general control every aspect of your phone: whether you can install apps, use the Media Card or Bluetooth, or access the internet, for example.

IT Policies can be very strict to benign. Mine, for example, only requires me to use a password and Content Protection and sets the max timeout to 30 minutes.

Find out exactly what you are signing up to, before you do.

oh thats good to know, is it possible to connect to the BES server when I want to recieve work emails and disconnect from it when I want to use it personally?

[JeffH]

Originally Posted by trick91

oh thats good to know, is it possible to connect to the BES server when I want to recieve work emails and disconnect from it when I want to use it personally?

No. Once the IT Policy is on, you can't disconnect from it without being detected. Depending on your employer, removing your IT policy could be a firing offense. It's also not trivial to do, and definitely not something you want to do on a daily basis, in the unlikely event your employer would permit it.

[trick91]

Originally Posted by JeffH

No. Once the IT Policy is on, you can't disconnect from it without being detected. Depending on your employer, removing your IT policy could be a firing offense. It's also not trivial to do, and definitely not something you want to do on a daily basis, in the unlikely event your employer would permit it.

thanks!! good things to know, suprising they didnt tell me any of this.

[Krypto]

As a heads up as well, you have a BIS plan on your phone and BIS is not the same as BES, so you may very well need to pay extra for access to the BES at work. You should also check to see that your employer is willing to pay for any extra charges you may incur.

The use of personal devices in corporate environments is a complicated issue, and it can complicate things for the employer, but it can also complicate things for you. Be sure that before you do get everything set up that you have things written out. For example, ensure that there is something that makes it very clear that your BlackBerry is your personal device and set it up so that you can ensure you can take it with you if/when you leave that job. In addition, like JeffH stated, make sure you are aware of the IT policies. If you don't like them, and if the company wants you to use a BlackBerry, then let them buy you one. I know it can suck to carry two devices, but it's sometimes better than the alternative.

Just make sure you go in with open eyes and that you understand everything. (I'll be doing the same thing shortly - debating whether to use my personal BlackBerry on the BES network at my new job or not - I'll be having a conversation with the IT admin to see what IT policies are in place (if any) and then I'll have to decide if I want to bother or if I will just check emails when I'm at my computer. The company will also have to pay any extra costs and some of the current bill (if they don't help with the bill, why should I give myself more work)).