[jaba]

I just got an account with a company called TheMessageCenter.com and the experience has revolutionized the way I organize myself and has eliminated the problems I believe most users of BlackBerrys and other PDA devices encounter - Syncing of calendar, to-dos etc between different machines can be a downright nightmare. With TMC I purchased a hosted MS Exchange account for $9 per month plus a Blackberry integration feature - another $9 - so that I could use Outlook as a web based application.

I have always used Outlook locally on several different machines and now I just point them to the Exchange server for TMC that hosts my domain and the music is beautiful. From any computer I can add a calendar item and within seconds the entry is on my Blackberry. In other words, no syncing! This instantaneous syncing will occur regardless of weather you added the entry on your BB or your PC. Those of you who do not own Outlook should fear not. Through the OWA feature (Outlook Web Access), users can access their Outlook anywhere and enjoy this mind-blowingly wonderful solution to sync technology. Everything is in sync always without having to do anything. Life is good.

For those of you who are all too familiar with this solution, I accept your DUHS! but I do sincerely hope that there is at least one person out there whose life will be bettered by that which has enlightened me so!

[JSanders]

Wirelessly posted (8700g: BlackBerry8700/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

That just sorta makes me want to stand up and cheer for you now! Glad you found out about BES!

[jwerges]

So you pay $18/month correct? And you can use your existing e-mail addresses?

[whsbuss]

Originally Posted by jwerges

So you pay $18/month correct? And you can use your existing e-mail addresses?

Yes and Yes. I went with them a month ago and they're great. One of the best solutions for the Blackberry.

[Ghostlymagi]

The only problem with that is with Nextel you cannot use DTM to sync with OWA unless 4.2sp1 fixed that problem and I'm not aware of it.

Could you verify this at all? If so I'll make a mental note about this since it's a great find.

[takeshi]

That's irrelevant, actually. With BES there's no need to sync using OWA or DM. AFAIK, OWA is only of use with BIS and that's just for email forwarding. Anyway, with BES you sync OTA (wirelessly) via BES though you can choose to sync via DM if you want or need to.

In a BES/Exchange setting OWA just gives you an interface to your Exchange account from any web-connected PC. It's something that people rarely mention as a benefit of BES/Exchange but I use OWA all the time except when I'm on one of my home machines with a full blown copy of Outlook installed and configured to connect to my hosted Exchange account.

If you have several other users on the same hosting account you can, of course, take advantage of other Exchange features like meeting scheduling, meeting requests, shared folders, etc... My wife and I actually use meeting requests a LOT to stick things on each other's calendars.

Originally Posted by whsbuss

Yes and Yes. I went with them a month ago and they're great. One of the best solutions for the Blackberry.

There are actually quite a few good BES hosting providers out there.

[fkjr2]

would this work with BIS on cingular?

I use Outlook 2007.

thanks

[joginder]

now if I take the account with them and then when I get a calendar appointment from my office will I be able to accept it on my calendar?
because right now I can not because I dont have BES

[whsbuss]

Originally Posted by joginder

now if I take the account with them and then when I get a calendar appointment from my office will I be able to accept it on my calendar?
because right now I can not because I dont have BES

Yes you can accept and invite tasks and calendar entries with them or any other BES on your blackberry.

[takeshi]

Originally Posted by fkjr2

would this work with BIS on cingular?

It will work alongside BIS. I wouldn't say that it works "with" BIS because the two don't really interact.

Originally Posted by joginder

now if I take the account with them and then when I get a calendar appointment from my office will I be able to accept it on my calendar?
because right now I can not because I dont have BES

Definitely -- this is what my wife and I use to schedule items for each other.