[BBrickk]

Doable? Why not

[Bla1ze]

Security for starters. WhatsApp already has ways to siphon off contact info through their webapp - http://www.labnol.org/internet/whatsapp-contacts/28789/ and given Blend is being essentially bundled with Enterprise features they don't really want to have consumer issues with it.

It's part of the same reason Blend isn't on the PlayBook.... security. PlayBook doesn't support the 512bit Elliptic curve encryption for it. Could they make it a web app? Sure. It's actually built using web standards anyway. But it possibly opens unnecc. doors and if that happens then people assoc. their Enterprise offerings with being compromised even though it was being used in a consumer manner.

[RedCelt]

What about running on Linux? Or perhaps we need BlackBerry to be legally forced to do it, following the arguments recently vented by the CEO.

One of the most frustrating parts of having a BlackBerry is that the community sometimes feels like out of the early 90's and somehow think that Windows and Outlook are a) good and b) all that is needed. Sometimes I'm surprised that AOL keywords aren't touted as something to aspire.

Posted via CB10

[BBrickk]

Security for starters. WhatsApp already has ways to siphon off contact info through their webapp - http://www.labnol.org/internet/whatsapp-contacts/28789/ and given Blend is being essentially bundled with Enterprise features they don't really want to have consumer issues with it.

It's part of the same reason Blend isn't on the PlayBook.... security. PlayBook doesn't support the 512bit Elliptic curve encryption for it. Could they make it a web app? Sure. It's actually built using web standards anyway. But it possibly opens unnecc. doors and if that happens then people assoc. their Enterprise offerings with being compromised even though it was being used in a consumer manner.

Did you say Blend is going to be bundled for enterprise and not consumer?

[Bla1ze]

Did you say Blend is going to be bundled for enterprise and not consumer?

Yes but what I meant was at the core it's an Enterprise offering. It just so happens to have a consumer use. Blend was never truly designed with consumer use in mind, it's totally built on Enterprise with the security it offers, the cost savings it can amount to and reduction of IT administration needed. Bringing it to the web for example how WhatsApp has potentially reduces the level of security it offers. They could do it but why? Unless of course they wanted to create a specific consumer version but that just might cause confusion.

http://ca.blackberry.com/enterprise/...nterprise.html

[AnimalPak200]

No, I said at the core it's an Enterprise offering. It just so happens to have a consumer use. Blend was never truly designed with consumer use in mind, it's totally built on Enterprise with the security it offers, the cost savings it can amount to and reduction of IT administration needed.

http://ca.blackberry.com/enterprise/...nterprise.html

So you're saying BlackBerry couldn't make a secure web client that is loaded from a BlackBerry server using an up-to-date Browser, and then connects to the BlackBerry device either directly or via said server?

If they think a browser client is secure enough for protect.blackberry.com, which allows you track, lock, set a device password and WIPE the thing .... then I'm pretty sure that's just one big pile of BS.

They just don't have the developer skill (or time) to do it.

Posted via CB10

[Bla1ze]

So you're saying BlackBerry couldn't make a secure web client that is loaded from a BlackBerry server using an up-to-date Browser, and then connects to the BlackBerry device either directly or via said server?

Nowhere did I say they couldn't. I said security would be one issue as to why they don't want to and said twice now they could.... if they wanted to.

Could they make it a web app? Sure. It's actually built using web standards anyway.

They could do it but why? Unless of course they wanted to create a specific consumer version but that just might cause confusion.

I just don't believe they want to. As for skill, well it wouldn't take much. Rip apart the code and look at it for yourself. It could easily be pushed to the web, again, if they wanted to.

[BanffMoose]

So you're saying BlackBerry couldn't make a secure web client that is loaded from a BlackBerry server using an up-to-date Browser, and then connects to the BlackBerry device either directly or via said server?

If they think a browser client is secure enough for protect.blackberry.com, which allows you track, lock, set a device password and WIPE the thing .... then I'm pretty sure that's just one big pile of BS.

They just don't have the developer skill (or time) to do it.

You're being a bit condescending aren't you?

The point of Blend is that it offers a direct link between your computer/tablet and your phone. It gives you a "personal cloud" in that you can transfer whatever you want between your computer and phone without involving a third party provider. It's all about YOUR privacy and the security of YOUR data.

If BlackBerry has to serve it to you from a BlackBerry server then that means BlackBerry has access to your data. That makes it susceptible to unauthorized eavesdropping or data theft.


You note what BlackBerry Protect can do. You didn't note what it doesn't have access to...YOUR DATA!

I personally prefer BlackBerry's way of doing things.

[AnimalPak200]

You're being a bit condescending aren't you?

The point of Blend is that it offers a direct link between your computer/tablet and your phone. It gives you a "personal cloud" in that you can transfer whatever you want between your computer and phone without involving a third party provider. It's all about YOUR privacy and the security of YOUR data.

If BlackBerry has to serve it to you from a BlackBerry server then that means BlackBerry has access to your data. That makes it susceptible to unauthorized eavesdropping or data theft.


You note what BlackBerry Protect can do. You didn't note what it doesn't have access to...YOUR DATA!

I personally prefer BlackBerry's way of doing things.

Lol... you're still not getting it.


What I want is a Web client (a front end if you will) that BlackBerry houses and updates on their server. Once the client is loaded on my Browser, it makes a direct connection to the blend service that's running on my device,.. as it does now. BlackBerry doesn't do anything (more than what the current Blend implementation does) with my data.

The difference is I didn't have download a 100Mb installation package, have admin rights to install it, and deal with all the firewall exceptions it requests.

What amazing processing is the Blend installation doing on my computer? It runs like crap as it is,.. I've seen pure html5 sites perform much better than Blend (regardless of whether on a USB or Wifi connection).

Engineering isn't about just getting something done. It's about finding the best way to do it. BlackBerry hasn't been doing that since their devices required more than an AA battery to run (now that's impressive).

It comes down to the lack of engineering skill left in those offices.

Posted via CB10

[BanffMoose]

What I want is a Web client (a front end if you will) that BlackBerry houses and updates on their server. Once the client is loaded on my Browser, it makes a direct connection to the blend service that's running on my device,.. as it does now. BlackBerry doesn't do anything (more than what the current Blend implementation does) with my data.

The difference is I didn't have download a 100Mb installation package, have admin rights to install it, and deal with all the firewall exceptions it requests.

Ahhhh. Yeah, I didn't catch that drift the first time. LOL

You made me go look too. Seems the install package for Windows is almost twice the size of the installed program (based on the size of the program directory. Surely they can do it a bit more efficiently.

BUT, even if they fixed the install package, I don't think that would fix whatever firewall issues you were having.

[BBrickk]

The difference is I didn't have download a 100Mb installation package, have admin rights to install it, and deal with all the firewall exceptions it requests.

Posted via CB10

That's exactly why I think they should work on a Web app. It's more appealing than going through an installation process which you might not get Admin rights for depending on your organisation

[BBrickk]

Yes but what I meant was at the core it's an Enterprise offering. It just so happens to have a consumer use.

Yes but what I'm asking is, does this mean it's going to be part of the bundle that they will sell? Which includes BBM features (timed messages and Retract)

[Bla1ze]

Yes but what I'm asking is, does this mean it's going to be part of the bundle that they will sell? Which includes BBM features (timed messages and Retract)

Not that exact package but as noted on the link I posted, it's part of an Enterprise package. It will still work as is for consumers but the consumer side of Blend is just a small portion of what it's capable of what it was meant for.

BBM Protected
VPN Authentication
BlackBerry Blend

$81.60 CAD / $72.00 USD.

[BanffMoose]

Yes but what I'm asking is, does this mean it's going to be part of the bundle that they will sell? Which includes BBM features (timed messages and Retract)

BBM features such as timed messages and message retraction appear to be considered "table stakes" by BlackBerry and are free to all. Haven't seen any public announcements or comments indicating an intent to charge for these features.

For now, it looks like BlackBerry is using a Freemium model for Blend. All users (including BES enterprise users) can use Blend for everything that resides in the personal partition. Access to a BES-controlled enterprise user's work partition is locked inside Blend unless the BES Admin granted the right to use Blend via an IT policy. If that's the case, the enterprise is supposed to pay an annual license fee (something equivalent to $2-$3 per month) for each BES user allowed to use Blend to access the work partition.

[johnnyuk]

For now, it looks like BlackBerry is using a Freemium model for Blend. All users (including BES enterprise users) can use Blend for everything that resides in the personal partition. Access to a BES-controlled enterprise user's work partition is locked inside Blend unless the BES Admin granted the right to use Blend via an IT policy. If that's the case, the enterprise is supposed to pay an annual license fee (something equivalent to $2-$3 per month) for each BES user allowed to use Blend to access the work partition.

The weird thing about this is that right now, since all devices running BB10.3 were allowed to use Blend, BlackBerry aren't requiring the purchase of special licence for accessing work data in Blend though a BES10 activated phone.

I can access my configured Work Drives for my documents on file servers at work as well as my work mailbox just fine in Blend and I haven't bought any Blend licences. Is this just a honeymoon period for those features? Are they going to stop working one day and require the purchase of licences? Who knows?!

The lack of information on that is frustrating for a BES Admin like me. I need to know if it's going to cost for the work Blend features in future and what a Blend licence gives me that I'm not already getting because right now it looks like I'd be paying for nothing as it all already works.

Posted from the CB10 app on my BlackBerry Z30 STA100-2/10.3.1.2267 on O2 UK - Activated on BES10.2.4