Like others new to the Blackberry community as well as to this forum and with the goal of implementing a great solution for our users I have spent time reading posts and RIM documentation. While I have learned much more by reading your posts than simply what the sales and RIM documentation can provide I still feel a little lost in the woods and I am hoping for some general direction from some of you experienced Blackberry/BES/Verizon users. So here goes.
Our company is going to use the Blackberry device for mobile e-mail and hopefully Internet and corporate data services for our mobile users. Most users are not familar with push technology nor should they really have too however this statement is a way of saying that we want to keep things as easy and straight foward for our users. The IT configuration and management is another issue.
Our service needs are:
1. e-mail delivered to their devices through our MS Exchange Server 2003 system.
2. The user's e-mail receiving and sending address is the same as their MS Exchange address - i.e.,
.
3. Full and timely access to their Outlook 2003 schedules, contacts etc.
4. Blackberry and Outlook 2003 are always in sync without redundant updating of data.
5. Internet accessability from their Blackberry for businss related public web sites as well as our companies internal web sites.
Equipment and Services To Be Used:
1. Verizon will be our data service providers using the Unlimited Data Usage service plan.
2. BlackBerry 7250 or 7750 device. We will also be using these devices as cell phones as well through Verizon.
3. BES
Our Corporate IT Infastructure Is:
1. MS Windows 2003 Server
2. MS Exchange Server 2003
3. All Clients use MS XP Pro with MS Office 2003 including Outlook 2003
4. Dedicated T1 line protected by firewall (hardware) and Symantec Enterprise Security products.
So my questions are - based on the company running BES in-house:
1. Will the user be able to send and receive e-mail from their BlackBerry using their corporate e-mail address?
2. Will their e-mails be received within a short period of time - like the native carrier.blackberry.com e-mail or will it be the delayed type that I have been reading about?
3. Along with question 2 will the users MS Outlook data - contacts, appointments etc. also be updated within a short period of time?
4. Will the users be able to access the public Internet without our company having to purchase any other services from Verizon? If they can will this be through capabilities through the BES and will this web access time still be considered Data Access to Verizon?
5. BES seems to be the key for most of the questions that I have posted here - am I on the right track?
I realize that a number of these question pertain more towards the BES thread but I thought that after reading the threads on this forum one of you might have more specific insight and/or advise for us.
Grateful for anyone's assistance.