[1magine]

If you are presently on BES - and your firm went to Exchange, would you stay BB or move?

My firm just announced the start of our move to exchange server. Several thousand attorneys, legal assistants and staff will now have the option of BB or IOS or Android (subject to some limitations) devices once the change is complete. Literally heard people clapping and chearing on my floor as the emails were opened. I wonder how many other firms are migrating over, and if the new devices will arrive in time to hold users. Most of the partners and associates I know already have 2 devices and are just planning to sell their BBs.

For me it's a footrace, if Monaco is here first, I'm on it, if conversion is done first (complete by May/June) then its Thunderbird.

[Gawain]

I'm missing something here...in order for BES to work, don't you either need to have an Exchange or Domino server to begin with?

I'm on BES with an Exchange server and it works flawlessly. iPhone set-up on an Exchange server is easy. Don't know about Android, and while I know it's compatible, I've read many stories of...um..."challenges" in getting to work correctly.

So, if your firm is dumping BES and allowing access to the Exchange server via OWA and setting up your BB that way, I'd drop the BB and go with a device that has ActiveSync capability (like iPhone or a WP7 device).

[_StephenBB81]

I'm missing something here...in order for BES to work, don't you either need to have an Exchange or Domino server to begin with?

I'm on BES with an Exchange server and it works flawlessly. iPhone set-up on an Exchange server is easy. Don't know about Android, and while I know it's compatible, I've read many stories of...um..."challenges" in getting to work correctly.

So, if your firm is dumping BES and allowing access to the Exchange server via OWA and setting up your BB that way, I'd drop the BB and go with a device that has ActiveSync capability (like iPhone or a WP7 device).

I'd assume if the company gave them the option to keep blackberry's they are keeping a BES, but possibly moving to a BESX,


Now to the OP, my work and personal phones are BB, so regardless of the email server I would stick with my Blackberry unless a Nice form factor for Windows 7 phone came out.

[1magine]

BESX for those staying on BB. Our IT did a survey a while back and less than 20% wanted to continue on BB. So I guess BESX can handle what they want to do.

You can use a BES server and run Exchange or Domino e-mail. I was speaking of moving from a BES server to Active Synch. They have been testing with I-Pad WP7 and IOS and not having any issues thus far. My understanding is Android is problematic. But hoping the next release will be out before this summer and will cure the issue.

[Gawain]

BESX for those staying on BB. Our IT did a survey a while back and less than 20% wanted to continue on BB. So I guess BESX can handle what they want to do.

You can use a BES server and run Exchange or Domino e-mail. I was speaking of moving from a BES server to Active Synch. They have been testing with I-Pad WP7 and IOS and not having any issues thus far. My understanding is Android is problematic. But hoping the next release will be out before this summer and will cure the issue.

I've seen ActiveSync work on Windows Mobile phones and iPhones and it seems to work without issue at all. However, if BES is still available (BESX is BES for 75 or less seats), I'd keep the BB. Now, if the IT department has pushed a lot of restrictive IT policies to the BB, I might look elsewhere, but I don't have to worry about restrictive IT policies in my case...

[1magine]

75 or less? Hmm, I don't think that will be near enough. I wonder if they will just keep a legacy BES running.

PS what is Astra Synch?

[_StephenBB81]

75 or less? Hmm, I don't think that will be near enough. I wonder if they will just keep a legacy BES running.

PS what is Astra Synch?

it is 75 users if installed on the same hardware as the Mail server
But since your company already has a BES, chances are they will just turn the BES into a BESX server, giving you 2000 users.



Warning PDF
http://us.blackberry.com/apps-softwa...ison_Chart.pdf

[Gawain]

it is 75 users if installed on the same hardware as the Mail server
But since your company already has a BES, chances are they will just turn the BES into a BESX server, giving you 2000 users.



Warning PDF
http://us.blackberry.com/apps-softwa...ison_Chart.pdf

Thanks for clarifying that...I know just enough to be dangerous...

[howarmat]

both android and iOS handles exchange and activesync very nicely. Not sure how it would compare to BES on BB but i would say closely

[_StephenBB81]

both android and iOS handles exchange and activesync very nicely. Not sure how it would compare to BES on BB but i would say closely

For email handling, Yes closely
for Control over the device, full BES has far more control features than Exchange over the devices.

[howarmat]

right, i would take it he is looking from the end user standpoint.

[_StephenBB81]

I would love to be on a group chat. Please add me. My name is Bridgett
205-561-1959 Talk to you soon.

WTF?

one! group chat would be done via Pin and BBM not your phone number
two! why not just get involved on the forum?
three! welcome to crackberry.com

[1magine]

I would love to be on a group chat. Please add me. My name is Bridgett
205-561-1959. Talk to you soon.

Me thinks the MRS is looking for love in all the wrong places, or more likely looking for $$ in the wrong places.

[lnichols]

My firm just announced the start of our move to exchange server. Several thousand attorneys, legal assistants and staff will now have the option of BB or IOS or Android (subject to some limitations) devices once the change is complete. Literally heard people clapping and chearing on my floor as the emails were opened.

The bolded part is priceless and I think shows where RIM is at currently. A lot of people are or have been using BB because they had to. RIM needs to get their asses in gear and get something on the market that people want to use over the competition when given a choice because more and more companies are going to be looking at ways to reduce costs.

[iN8ter]

If you are presently on BES - and your firm went to Exchange, would you stay BB or move?

My firm just announced the start of our move to exchange server. Several thousand attorneys, legal assistants and staff will now have the option of BB or IOS or Android (subject to some limitations) devices once the change is complete. Literally heard people clapping and chearing on my floor as the emails were opened. I wonder how many other firms are migrating over, and if the new devices will arrive in time to hold users. Most of the partners and associates I know already have 2 devices and are just planning to sell their BBs.

For me it's a footrace, if Monaco is here first, I'm on it, if conversion is done first (complete by May/June) then its Thunderbird.

BES is middleware. It runs on top of Exchange, Domino, or Groupwise.

You can still use other phones if they support the ActiveSync policies needed even if BES is deployed.

BES is never a reason to go with BB over a WM/Symbian/Android/iOS phones. Policy support and corporate mandates are...

I perfer vanilla exchange because it does not tie you into one smartphone platform. Blackberries not having an ActiveSync/Exchange client is quite a problem for many people who work for businesses that do not want to deploy BES and have more users than BESX supports.

[iN8ter]

I'd assume if the company gave them the option to keep blackberry's they are keeping a BES, but possibly moving to a BESX,


Now to the OP, my work and personal phones are BB, so regardless of the email server I would stick with my Blackberry unless a Nice form factor for Windows 7 phone came out.

Windows Phone 7 has bad Exchange Policy support. It's a consumer-oriented smartphone OS and if you work for a serious business chances are your phone won't support necessary policies and thus it will not be allowed. Windows Mobile supports practically all of the policies, though, and Symbian is a close second.

BBs need middleware (BES).

iOS and Android Support basic policies (Remote Wipe, etc.), but not many of them...

[iN8ter]

it is 75 users if installed on the same hardware as the Mail server
But since your company already has a BES, chances are they will just turn the BES into a BESX server, giving you 2000 users.



Warning PDF
http://us.blackberry.com/apps-softwa...ison_Chart.pdf

I'm wondering why third party Exchange hosts charge so much for BES if they can use BESX and host so many accounts, then...

[_StephenBB81]

Windows Phone 7 has bad Exchange Policy support. It's a consumer-oriented smartphone OS and if you work for a serious business chances are your phone won't support necessary policies and thus it will not be allowed. Windows Mobile supports practically all of the policies, though, and Symbian is a close second.

BBs need middleware (BES).

iOS and Android Support basic policies (Remote Wipe, etc.), but not many of them...

Windows 7 Would be my Personal phone, I don't see my company leaving Blackberry any time in the near future, everything is extremely locked down, and we are a Lotus environment,

[_StephenBB81]

I'm wondering why third party Exchange hosts charge so much for BES if they can use BESX and host so many accounts, then...

BESX isn't that old, they probably set up in advance,
Also BESX only offers 75 or so features.

Also 2000 is really really not a big amount if you are going to be a host, "small companys" in terms of the US government are company's with fewer than 500 employee's so it wouldn't be hard for a Hosting company to exhaust the 2000 clients just dealing with Small businesses.

[iN8ter]

BESX isn't that old, they probably set up in advance,
Also BESX only offers 75 or so features.

Also 2000 is really really not a big amount if you are going to be a host, "small companys" in terms of the US government are company's with fewer than 500 employee's so it wouldn't be hard for a Hosting company to exhaust the 2000 clients just dealing with Small businesses.

Indeed, but me and the countless others like me who outsource Exchange accounts for just outselves and/or few others could really benefit from not having to pay more for BES than the mailboxes themselves.

[_StephenBB81]

Indeed, but me and the countless others like me who outsource Exchange accounts for just outselves and/or few others could really benefit from not having to pay more for BES than the mailboxes themselves.

Then I suggest building a group and having a small company do your exchange hosting,

When I was in University we did this for web hosting because average pricing was still around 30/month + getting a database and we were all kids, but 20 of us got together, and paid for a Server to have LAMP installed, and poof we all got what we needed and it worked out to about $7/month each with twice the control.
There has to be small ISP's or data service company's who never thought they could have a client base for hosted Exchange with BES