[KalvinCline]

Web desktop is good but like most software, in the hands of the peons it may cause confusion unless you prepare easy-to-follow documentation on the 2 or 3 reasons they may use it. There are advantages to Web Desktop manager for the end user i.e. Change BB/PIN, wired EA, GUI provides easy to change signature, send SB's etc....all these are a pain for IT departments. So don't be lazy! Make GOOD documentation, create a shourtcut for the users and let them have access to it.

[aygriffith]

Originally Posted by TargetIT

Wireless activation - that's a deal breaker for me. In a single office environment, it's probably not that big of a deal, but for remote workers, it's a pain to get them up and running.

We've been doing wireless activations on all our devices using BESx 5.0.2. The corporate liable devices (9630's and 9650's) all have BES plans. I've done a few user liable devices (9550's and 9700's) with BIS by connecting them to my PC while using the BAS.

We're happy with the results and the free cost is great. We're running it on a virtual box separate from the mail server.

[KOR]

Hey everyone, thanks for the feedback. After discussing with the head of our IT department, we've decided that the 75 user limit when installed on the same box as Exchange is a deal killer for us. Thanks for the info, though; I learned a lot.

[TargetIT]

Originally Posted by KalvinCline

Web desktop is good but like most software, in the hands of the peons it may cause confusion unless you prepare easy-to-follow documentation on the 2 or 3 reasons they may use it. There are advantages to Web Desktop manager for the end user i.e. Change BB/PIN, wired EA, GUI provides easy to change signature, send SB's etc....all these are a pain for IT departments. So don't be lazy! Make GOOD documentation, create a shourtcut for the users and let them have access to it.

You're talking to the same group of people who complained that we started blocking web sites AFTER we told them what we were doing, why we were doing and how to get around ones that were simply unrated (and thus were blocked). Believe me, I'm a big believer in the help-yourself mentality, it simply doesn't work for some industries.

[TargetIT]

Originally Posted by aygriffith

We've been doing wireless activations on all our devices using BESx 5.0.2. The corporate liable devices (9630's and 9650's) all have BES plans. I've done a few user liable devices (9550's and 9700's) with BIS by connecting them to my PC while using the BAS.

Like I said, out of one office, it's not that big of a deal as you have access to the devices - it simply can't be done with remote offices without a LOT of hand holding. Added to the fact that we already own the CALs, there's no savings if you stick with a BES data plan.

[aygriffith]

Originally Posted by TargetIT

Like I said, out of one office, it's not that big of a deal as you have access to the devices - it simply can't be done with remote offices without a LOT of hand holding. Added to the fact that we already own the CALs, there's no savings if you stick with a BES data plan.

We have a handful of remote employees in California and Las Vegas and having them go to Enterprise activation and enter their email and whatever password we tell them to has't been an issue. And we are by no means a technology savvy company.

If you have CAL's I get where its not a measurable savings. I was brought in from another company to my current one and it took BESx's free license to get a go ahead to transition all of our users from WinMo 6.x devices to a BES ecosystem. BESx has been a life saver, the cost to license the full BES just was hard to justify for 50 users to a company who had been on an essentially free WinMo platform for years (even though it was agreed it was a nightmare).

[TargetIT]

Originally Posted by aygriffith

We have a handful of remote employees in California and Las Vegas and having them go to Enterprise activation and enter their email and whatever password we tell them to has't been an issue. And we are by no means a technology savvy company.

Exactly, which you can't do with BESX without a BES data plan.

[CanuckBB]

Originally Posted by KOR

Hey everyone, thanks for the feedback. After discussing with the head of our IT department, we've decided that the 75 user limit when installed on the same box as Exchange is a deal killer for us. Thanks for the info, though; I learned a lot.

OK, in your original message you stated you were considering switching to BESX. From what?

How many mobile devices do you have?

[KOR]

Originally Posted by CanuckBB

OK, in your original message you stated you were considering switching to BESX. From what?

How many mobile devices do you have?

From BES 5.0.2 and we've got 76 users, but the number of users fluctuates with business. This is the fewest we've had in a few years & we've been up to 90 or so. We have users jump ship, but they're in the office. Once business picks up again and our field force grows, we'll probably jump back up to 85 or so, as field users don't have a choice as to the phone we issue them.

[CanuckBB]

Originally Posted by KOR

From BES 5.0.2 and we've got 76 users, but the number of users fluctuates with business. This is the fewest we've had in a few years & we've been up to 90 or so. We have users jump ship, but they're in the office. Once business picks up again and our field force grows, we'll probably jump back up to 85 or so, as field users don't have a choice as to the phone we issue them.

OK, So I assume that BES5 is already running on it's own server, right? Then I simpy can't see IT's reluctance to replace the BES server with BESX.

[KOR]

Originally Posted by CanuckBB

OK, So I assume that BES5 is already running on it's own server, right? Then I simpy can't see IT's reluctance to replace the BES server with BESX.

I think what the boss is really shooting for is to retire a server and its associated costs.

[aygriffith]

Originally Posted by TargetIT

Exactly, which you can't do with BESX without a BES data plan.

Correct.

So with the full BES product you can do OTA with BIS plans? I guess I don't see how this is a negative as indicated in one of your previous posts. BESx is my first jump into the waters of managing a Blackberry environment so its possible i'm missing something

[penguin3107]

Originally Posted by aygriffith

So with the full BES product you can do OTA with BIS plans?

No. Wireless EA always requires a BES data plan.

[CanuckBB]

Originally Posted by KOR

I think what the boss is really shooting for is to retire a server and its associated costs.

You own the hardware and the OS. What costs?

Besides, does anybody know if 70 users on the Exchange server is a hard limit or a guideline? Given a sufficiently powerful Exchange server you may be able to host a 85 user BESX on it.

And keep in mind that 85 devices using EAS will also tax the Exchange server

[penguin3107]

Originally Posted by CanuckBB

does anybody know if 70 users on the Exchange server is a hard limit or a guideline?

It's a guideline.

[KOR]

Originally Posted by CanuckBB

You own the hardware and the OS. What costs?

Besides, does anybody know if 70 users on the Exchange server is a hard limit or a guideline? Given a sufficiently powerful Exchange server you may be able to host a 85 user BESX on it.

And keep in mind that 85 devices using EAS will also tax the Exchange server

All the sources I checked said that RIM supports up to 75 which tells me, as pointed out by penguin (below your post), that it's not a hard limit. But, if the president's phone needs support, I don't want the hassle of some tech telling me that I've got too many users on the box.

As far as costs go, I think he's referring to his ongoing support costs on the hardware and software, unrelated directly to running BES. I know that doesn't trump the savings, but to be honest, I didn't want to switch anyway. I'm not a network/server admin, I'm a developer - our company is small, so IT wears many hats. I'd rather be coding apps that our staff need/want, rather than porting BB users from one system to another.

[CanuckBB]

Originally Posted by KOR

All the sources I checked said that RIM supports up to 75 which tells me, as pointed out by penguin (below your post), that it's not a hard limit. But, if the president's phone needs support, I don't want the hassle of some tech telling me that I've got too many users on the box.

They would support you unless you call for serious performance problems.

[KOR]

Originally Posted by CanuckBB

They would support you unless you call for serious performance problems.

I don't doubt that, I think RIM tech support is about the best I've dealt with. But, you know how it is. Sometimes you call in, you get someone who'll go the extra mile, sometimes you don't.

[rmd0311]

I just read this whole thread in amazement... This is free software. I have a very small BES environment, which gets smaller everyday. I just upgraded from 4.1 Pro with 15 CALs to BES 5x. Why, just cause. I moved the BES 5X to a virtual box, and it gives the users more goodies. It's win win. Only thing I am bum about is the monitoring service. But, I guess the logs are just as good. When there is a real problem, you always have to resort to them anyway.

I used the transporting tool to move 5 users yesterday to test. It's running smooth and if I have no issues. I will roll out and make available to everyone on Monday.

I hate the web interface though... But everything is moving that way anyway.

Win2k3, Exch2k3 with Bes 5X...

[KOR]

Originally Posted by rmd0311

I just read this whole thread in amazement... This is free software. I have a very small BES environment, which gets smaller everyday. I just upgraded from 4.1 Pro with 15 CALs to BES 5x. Why, just cause. I moved the BES 5X to a virtual box, and it gives the users more goodies. It's win win. Only thing I am bum about is the monitoring service. But, I guess the logs are just as good. When there is a real problem, you always have to resort to them anyway.

I used the transporting tool to move 5 users yesterday to test. It's running smooth and if I have no issues. I will roll out and make available to everyone on Monday.

I hate the web interface though... But everything is moving that way anyway.

Win2k3, Exch2k3 with Bes 5X...

I'm glad it worked out for you, but just because it's free doesn't make it the correct choice for everyone. Every company has different needs and considerations.