[rpalumbo]

I am sure this is somewhere buried on the forums.

Here is the deal I work for a semi large Real Estate/Mortgage Company and my boss has given me this assignment so I am hoping to get a little help. The use of Blackberry and IPhone is split down the middle and he of course wants uniformity now within the company since everyone is driving the IT crazy with questions and concerns. I have been on both: crackberry & iphoneblog and have read the top 10 things why the bold is better than the iphone and vise verse.

Here is where the hang up seems to be happening is one the blackberry email client is great since we use a web based email system, on the other hand, contracts, appraisals and other PDF files look like great on the IPhone and crap on the blackberry. It would also not like to have to install any additional software for either phone i.e. BES (not sure, if there is one for IPhone). I personally like my Curve and I use my laptop to view PDF files, and my Curve has a camera, which the IPhone lacks.

Lastly which ever is decided the company will pick up the tab to switch and those with those with that style phone; a cash equivalent will be given. Therefore, I ask the community to help my company decide on what to use. Thanks

[bmcclure937]

Honestly, Real Estate is tricky!

iPhones nor BlackBerries have support for the third party software to open the electronic lock boxes. I know some Palm devices have this support.

I am going to be open-minded here, no need to be biased and give you a one-sided opinion. Both platforms would have their advantages.

The nice, wide screen on the iPhone would allow an agent to showcase their properties nicely and actually use the device as an aid when selling a home.

They could show a slideshow of pictures from the real estate office's website or they could personally take pictures on a digital camera and load them to the iPhone (for better quality) and then flick through them with their finger!

A BlackBerry may be more practical if your company uses a BES email server. I honestly am not 100% sure on how the iPhone implements this into MobileMe! I know the push mail got far better in the iPhone 3G, but I am not sure all of the details!

Each device would probably be able to get the tasks done that need be, but it is all about personal choice! It will need to be a corporate decision because all of the users will have a different opinion. It should mainly come down to what IT can support for the lowest cost, if you are concerned about making money! (that is what business if for, isn't it?!)

Or take a vote among your agents to see what they feel is best! Some would not be able to function efficiently on a touch-based keyboard!

[Shao128]

A BlackBerry may be more practical if your company uses a BES email server. I honestly am not 100% sure on how the iPhone implements this into MobileMe! I know the push mail got far better in the iPhone 3G, but I am not sure all of the details!

I don't have a lot to add to the discussion, but I will make a couple points about mobile me. Apple marketed mobile me as a "push" solution. After a day of it being released to the public and being busted on their claims they have now changed their wording. The iPhone does not have push email it has "sync" if I remember correctly you can get it to sync every 15, 30, or 60 minutes. It is not instant like the Blackberry. As well there have been some major issues with mail getting lost, caldendars not syncing etc...

Now Im not saying don't go with the iPhone, but if ultimately that is the route that you decide you might want to wait until Applie is able to iron out the major bugs, especially if you your business is going to be dependant on it.

[rpalumbo]

Thanks for your input, here is where it gets tricky. The company staffs Real Estate Agents and Mortgage Consultants together. I am a MC myself and I prefer my Curve, but this is going to get scary I think!!

[bmcclure937]

Thanks for your input, here is where it gets tricky. The company staffs Real Estate Agents and Mortgage Consultants together. I am a MC myself and I prefer my Curve, but this is going to get scary I think!!

Exactly!

The thing that gets tricky is that the iPhone is a media device attempting to try the business world! It is their first try at this, so they have not perfected it... at all! They need some time to iron things out!

For a business, the BlackBerry is definitely a more solid solution (especially in a Real Estate business where you need BES email, instant!). Once the iPhone fixes its bugs, then we can talk... but that might be when the next iPhone rolls around, who knows!

All I am saying is that for a big company to adopt the iPhone as their primary business communication tool is a big step

Some independany realtors I know that work for small firms would be great on the iPhone. It it flashy, able to organize their listings, show pictures, grab personal email (not from an enterprise server)... you get the idea!

But for an entire corporation, such as yours, to undergo such a change... that is a bit scary!

[rpalumbo]

Thanks for the input here. I too thought it would be big step to adapt the IPhone for our company since it really doesn't hold the track record like Blackberry does. I personally think blackberry is the way to go for business, since we operate in 8 states though out the midwest and now in California and Florida. Sometimes it only takes a matter of minutes in order to send data from one office to another and that could mean a deal or not. Plus in this market we are in, any deal is worth latching onto for the most part.