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For those that don't know this already, you can set up a BES environment free (free for just one user and you need to have the required hardware) with Blackberry Professional Software Express. It will support up to 30 users, so good for small business too. This software can be hard to find if you don't know about it and you don't really hear about it that much.
BlackBerry.
I'm already setup on the BES through my company to get my company email. Would this even be appropriate for me? Or would it offer any other advantages? Thanks!
You have your corp email and calendar syncing to your BB through BES, which is controlled by your corp, so you probably wouldn't want to use this. Although, if you have OWA to your work Outlook you could use BPSE on your home computer and set BB up to receieve work mail via OWA, but you would loose work calendar sync. This would, however, keep your SMS/MMS/BBM/Personal Email away from the prying eyes of BES admins. This is more of an option for personal use or if you run a small business or work at a business that can afford BES and has less than 30 BB users. Plus if your corp owns the BB I wouldn't go pulling it off the BES network unless you know they wouldn't care.
cool, thanks
Yeah, I actually run one of these in my environment. It works really well. Only issue I had was that I had to install the exchange management tools on the BPS server, which really isn't an issue at all, activations and everything just work well. I was able to do it at a time when verizon was giving away a free BES license with every new curve, so, I grabbed 5 curves for my users and 5 BES licenses (which, of course, work on BPS). It comes with 1 free license, I used it to get used to the blackberry thing on my 8703e, after I finally tossed my Q. Then, when the storm was available I was able to upgrade to it and move the free license over to it.
It was definitely a win all around
Anyone know if I would need an Exchange server to use this and what the extra CAL would cost?
I love my blackberry but having been a BES user, now a BIS user, I miss the email sync. I really wish Blackberry would enhance the Unite product to be a BES for family use including email sync. Oh and while I am dreaming, make it run on a Windows Home Server.
You could use desktop redirector to sync email (not calendar). You would need outlook exchange and I think an extra license is $99.
You need an exchange server for the BES server. This is not for a home user to re-direct your emails, this is for a small company that that have the need to have 30 or less blackberry's connected to their Exchange server. If you don't have an Exchange server (or Lotus email server) don't bother with this server.
Those that have an Exchange server, this is a great piece of software. The extra CAL's are about $99.00 each.
Ok thanks. That is what I figured but the system requirements showed to lines of which one did not mention exchange server.
Is the offer still valid? Is Express still FREE for 1 user?
Its actually more then free for 1 user...
It appears that every phone can get a FREE BPS cal...
I have 2 storms (my wife and I) running off of it. I simply went to the site, entered in each one, and got 2 cals..
Yes but i mean how many can be on the same server.. I think it is 1 or 2 for free to connect to the same server.. Has anyone tried it?
Is it i convenient to install it on the same server as MS Exchange?