1. Skyeclad's Avatar
    I purchase my BB Storm about 2 weeks ago and had it provision on my corporate BES within a couple of days. After that I installed some 3rd party apps like Weatherbug and Opera Mini. Both of these apps never quite worked perfectly for my. Some of Weatherbug's features were bounced by the corporate Websense policy and Opera Mini never connected via socket so I had to rely on the slower HTTP connection.

    Well last night I returned my Storm for a new model due to hardware issues and I have not yet had my Storm provisioned for BES yet. Wouldn't you know it though both Weatherbug and Opera Mini are working fine now. I expected Weatherbug to be ok but I didn't know that BES was the reason why I couldn't get a socket connection for Opera Mini. So it got me thinking, are most apps configured for BIS?
    01-06-09 09:03 AM
  2. raylol16's Avatar
    BIS is better for a personal use device. BES policies are controlled by your jobs IT and they can choose to block whatever they want. It sounds like you're using your device for work though so you are going to get provisioned on BES anyway. It's not a matter of BIS/BES configuration of apps it's a matter of how your BES is configured.
    01-06-09 09:06 AM
  3. kcberrymom's Avatar
    I agree. I had to be removed from the BES for that very reason.It isn't just 3rd party apps. I was unable to use BBM. What isn't often realized is that IT doesn't so much block content as they neglect to allow it. They need to go into the settings of the BES and set to allow. Good luck!

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    01-06-09 09:13 AM
  4. Skyeclad's Avatar
    BIS is better for a personal use device. BES policies are controlled by your jobs IT and they can choose to block whatever they want. It sounds like you're using your device for work though so you are going to get provisioned on BES anyway. It's not a matter of BIS/BES configuration of apps it's a matter of how your BES is configured.
    Yes, it my own device but in order to plug in to work, I seem to be losing access which can be frustrating if the app doesn't have a way around it.
    01-06-09 10:28 AM
  5. Skyeclad's Avatar
    I agree. I had to be removed from the BES for that very reason.It isn't just 3rd party apps. I was unable to use BBM. What isn't often realized is that IT doesn't so much block content as they neglect to allow it. They need to go into the settings of the BES and set to allow. Good luck!

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    My BES IT policy allows BBM but I'm learning that it seems to not allow socket connections. I also chafe whenever I see that the owner is locked to my company even though I bought the device. Doesn't help that I have the only personally-owned BB in my company.
    01-06-09 10:33 AM
  6. mike240se's Avatar
    I wouldn't want my personal phone on there because they can see evetthing you do.

    Every call you make and every text you send. I would request a company unit if everyone else has one.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    01-06-09 01:41 PM
  7. dhendriksen's Avatar
    My BES admin gives us the option. If we have a company issue we play by company rules. If I buy my phone and just let the company pay the monthly service bill, I get an open IT policy. Everyone says they can see everything, but who is going to go in and analyze activity on 20,000 phones.

    I am sure they would allow us to do anything that could be harmful to the network, but I have never ran accross a website I can't open, even ones I can't open on my computer I can open on my BB. They don't lock any features down if it is our own device. Talk to your BES admin. He CAN make seperate IT policies for each phone, it just is getting him to take the time to do it that is tough.
    01-06-09 01:45 PM
  8. Revolutionary's Avatar
    Wait, I'm a neophyte. How can they see calls and such just from being on BES if they don't get the bill? Don't they just see activity on their MDS network?
    01-06-09 02:41 PM
  9. raylol16's Avatar
    They see anything done on the BES if you're provisioned to their BES. You really shouldn't be using a personal device if you are using it on a corporate exchange server. They can audit anything you do on the phone in case of IT audits.
    01-06-09 02:43 PM
  10. Revolutionary's Avatar
    I'm sorry, I don't mean to be an i.dio.t (funny, I can't insult myself on Crackberry!), I'm just failing to understand why things like phone calls and SMS messages that don't traverse their MDS network (unlike, say, email messages and inter/intranet content) would be visible on the BES?
    01-06-09 02:54 PM
  11. lvumlow's Avatar
    Can someone verify something for me?

    I was told that all of your browser/data features are not controlled via BES? Once the device is provisioned on BES I get another (company) browser that uses MDS and I still have my regular Internet Browser. I was told that it depends on how your browser is configured (which browser to use) that will dictate the governing IT policy? Does this mean that only data through the company (MDS) browser is controlled while my regular Internet browser is unrestricted. I'm confused?
    01-06-09 06:11 PM
  12. Skyeclad's Avatar
    Interesting discussion and food for thought. I was provisioned by my company for 2 weeks and I used the "Internet Browser" after I started seeing Websense authentication requests using the "Blackberry Browser".

    I believed the only thing that my company sees is the corporate emails and maybe BB Messages. Is it true that they see "everything"!
    01-06-09 06:58 PM
  13. Shao128's Avatar
    I'm sorry, I don't mean to be an i.dio.t (funny, I can't insult myself on Crackberry!), I'm just failing to understand why things like phone calls and SMS messages that don't traverse their MDS network (unlike, say, email messages and inter/intranet content) would be visible on the BES?
    Because the phone reports back to the BES and send that information. So even though the phone call doesnt go through the BES then phone reports back the details of the call, time, length, number and contact name if it is in your address book.
    01-06-09 07:45 PM
  14. cray1000's Avatar
    yep the phone reports everything back to the BES. no way to stop it.

    they can see

    phone calls made, to who, from who, how long, time and date they were placed, etc.

    sms messages sent and received, to who, from who, time and date AND THE CONTENT OF THE MESSAGE

    pin messages sent and recevied, to who, from who, time and date, and the content of the pin message

    they can also see all the websites you browse using the blackberry browser. I am not sure if they get a log of the internet browser, i will have to check my server.

    just because it doesnt go through MDS/BES doesnt mean the phoen doesnt report the websites visited. just like sms doesnt go through bes, but bes still gets a reporty.

    this is why i tell people u dont want your personal phone on bes.
    01-06-09 07:53 PM
  15. Shao128's Avatar
    they can also see all the websites you browse using the blackberry browser. I am not sure if they get a log of the internet browser, i will have to check my server.
    I was going to check that and then realized we had that logging turned off on our server, and I didn't want to turn it on for this test. But I did find this in one of the logs after I switched the browser type

    [40005] (01/06 20:25:29.337):{0xBD8} {Name, Removed.3} Update request received. Target=Browser Options, UID=1, CmdID=-7010, status=200
    Maybe that will help people realize the detail of information BES admins have access to.
    01-06-09 08:30 PM
  16. Abigfish3's Avatar
    Yes, it my own device but in order to plug in to work, I seem to be losing access which can be frustrating if the app doesn't have a way around it.
    I have a similar issue I asked them to pull off the blocking software and they did since it is my own phone. I think they woorry that people will have porn stuff on school system phones. They are very touchy about the computers teachers and admins use as well. I was supprised they were so good about allowing me add anything I wanted. I would just ask them and you might be supprised.

    Abigfish
    01-06-09 09:25 PM
  17. Skyeclad's Avatar
    I've made a decision, I'm going to avoid the BES and just forward my e-mail/invitations to my handset. I'll get nearly the same functionality and none of the BES restrictions. Plus, I get to downgrade my plan to the $30 BIS correct?
    01-07-09 01:17 PM
  18. cray1000's Avatar
    yes you can downgrade your plan.

    i am my own bes admin so i have myself on the lowest it policy which allows everything. but if i wasnt and i had to use one of the more restrictive it policies, i would dump bes on my personal phone then for sure.

    to be honest, if that was the case, i personally would switch back to winmo. i need my push e-mail, my ota contact syncs, etc. i wouldnt be able to go without it.

    as far as the logging, i think its a little extreme, you should be able to turn it off for certain devices. like my boss would never get a blackberry if he knew i could read all his sms messages.
    01-07-09 05:17 PM
  19. Skyeclad's Avatar
    to be honest, if that was the case, i personally would switch back to winmo. i need my push e-mail, my ota contact syncs, etc. i wouldnt be able to go without it.
    I'm finding that with Lotus Notes e-mail forwarding to my blackberry account, I'm getting e-mail just as fast as before. No doubt this would be a problem for IT but there's no explicit policy or restriction on our clients so...

    The only downside is that no OTA contact sync or e-mail lookup and I have to add an extra invite to all my meetings so that I can accept it on my calendar. Definitely a drawback BUT the upside seems to outweigh those minor issues.
    01-08-09 08:22 AM
LINK TO POST COPIED TO CLIPBOARD