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I am a single user with a hosted Exchange - BES package from my hosting provider. I have the BES data plan from my carrier. I would love to save $10 a month by using BIS from the carrier with a BESX setup from RIM if it operates the same on my phone with my hosting plan.
Can I do this and what do I need to look out for? What will I lose/gain?
I use and it works great. The average user doesn't notice a difference. Your problem is does the hosted server offer BESX. It is a separate software package that is downloaded by IT and runs along side or separate from the BES server. You need to check with your hosting company and see if they offer it. If so jump on it. It works, you can't beat the price, and installs easily.
Not alongside the BES server, separately or ON the exchange server. We run it on the exchange server. We're only 20 some odd BESX users. BESX can run no exchange for up to 75 users, then you have to go with a separate server.
@ the OP...dos your exchange provider have BESX? Unlikley, since it may not be used for resale, I'm not sure. If not, you'd have to host the exchange server and BESX yourself. Not worth it if you just want to eliminate $10.00/month...
If you're resourceful and you're willing to host exchange - there are very inexpensive ways using legal registered copies of exchange to do this, but if you're not an IT guy...forget it and stick with the current setup.
We run both BES and BESX...and for most small organizations, there's no difference between the two. BEX is free, BES is $$. We're moving away from BES to BESX only.
EDIT - I can see that BESX does indeed exist at hosted providers! Go for it!
I did what you did, went from BES to BESX with a hosted provider (ExchangeMyMail) to save $10/mo on my data plan.
Everything is perfect, except:
Be aware that if you're using OS5 or OS6 on a 9700 or 9780, the Facebook (version 1.9 or lower) application will not sync contacts with the hosted address book and the Facebook application. It's a bug that is documented in BESX but RIM has yet to correct. I spent weeks with RIM and my BES(X) hosting provider figuring this out.
My switch to OS7 on a 9930 with Facebook 2.0.0.45 fixed this....
Facebook doesn't deserve to by synced anyway - :D
What's Facebook?
We actually use Dovecot with IMAP and FastMail - works like a charm for BB instant email but you lack the calendar syncing etc.
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
This was an issue with BESX 5.0.2.
This has been fixed in the latest release. Was all devices not just 97x0.
BESX blocked syncing with any social app. This has been resolved.
Todd
Facebook also known as A-s-s-book is a place where people try to keep the gangs together using online connections. If you know what I mean.... LOL
Having said that, I would like to know more about what benefits are there in BES/BESx to a regular customer like me who use the phone as a personal phone?
Thanks.
BlackBerry Protect also doesn't work with BESX... at least last I knew.
Wow...it is pretty surprising to visit the site tonight and see this post/thread listed on the front page!
Well, my current hosting provider does not offer BESX so I guess until I switch that is not an option. Thanks fire6 for the tip.
No need for it too either, since BB protect is a feature set derived from the BES anyway. BES has had forever and it works perfectly! That's why it ISN'T supported with a BES client.
BESX does everything the BB protect software does and more - and better too!
This one command "Delete all device data and remove device " on BES/BESX kills the device by removing all data.
Wireless backups are automatically done continuously on all BB's on the BES/BESX.
There you have it!
I like the GPS Tracking of a lost phone and Make a loud sound that BB Protect offers.
I don't think so. I use BESXX 5.0.3 with a 9900 and neither calendar option nor contacts option in facebook.
With BESXX you get OTA backup yes but few databases aren't available. You won't have neither your SMS nor PIN messages. Because the IT Policies to do so are not available on BESXX. But it is available on the full BES. I think this sucks and I hope RIM will put it back as it was available with BPS 4.X. So you need to use the Desktop Manager to fully backup. Anyway I'd rather backup on my own BESXX server or desktop than on the cloud.
I wasn't aware that SMS and PIN's don't repopulate. Does everything else? I have done a few restores and most other things seem to repopulate.
So they do re-populate on BES but not on BESX? I was surprised at how much restored to my phone after over a year not using BES. Maybe it is worth the extra cost if it really is effectively a full backup of my device. An extra $120 a year might be a little steep but I don't ever have to bother plugging in to a computer.
When you activate after a wipe you will see the databases repopulate. From my experience SMS and PIN are the only one that I miss. E-mails not from the BESX are not recovered like gmail or hotmail. And E-mails from the BESX are only repopulated according to the settings of the BESX. This means 14 days backward or 750 messages if you set it up.
Whoa, what Exchange hosts support BESX? I looked into this when BESX launched, and no host had the option at that time. I'm currently with GoDaddy paying about $12/year for a domain & $10 for my full Exchange service with BES access. Then I usually use their 30% off coupons, which brings it down to about $7.70 a month for my hosted service. Then another $10 to my carrier for the BES service books. I'd love to remove the need for the BES service books if possible. I'm interested to know what you guys have found out there.
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
These guys -
Hosted Exchange | Premium Exchange Hosting
Right on the home page!
The one thing you don't get with BESx is high availability and RIM business support (not EU support).
We have 300+ BB users and I would not be without HA. I have two HA servers, one at our main site and one at our DR site. They function together perfectly.
RIM business support (TSupport), is good support and yes you have to pay for, but for an admin well worth it.
You get neither with BESx.
However I am not putting BESx down. It is a fantastic product and gets people buying blackberry devices = market share.
I am trying/paying for BESX with my Google Apps.
I am having a hard time seeing the advantage, the folder sync is about the same, I still can't access all folders and with BESX and GAPPS, I don't have archive anymore, just delete.
Am I doing something wrong, is it just me or something inbetween
To get the full advantages of BESX, you NEED to run it with MS Exchange, not Google Apps, which is pretty useless with BESX. There are HUGE differences between IMAP (Google mail) and Exchange server mail...way too many to list here. You have all the feature sets from Exchange, which will give you archiving. While you can't archive on the BB, once you do it on an Exchange client, it's off your BB. When you move mail on the BB (out of the inbox to a selected folder, it does the same in your Exchange client and vice versa, with way more flexibility than the Google IMAP mail client....
Exchange/BESX is much more than mail...it's calendar, it's tasks, it's memo's plus wireless backup of most of the BB, including your Password Keeper app and much much more...