BES 5.0 + Small Business Concerns
 

Hey all -

Most of my clients were using the "Blackberry Express" or whatever it was called when you type in BES Free on google (file name was bpsx_414B.exe) where you got the software and 1 cal for free. For some of our clients we bought more CAL ($99/piece) to use more Blackberry on the setup.

Few Questions
1 - Do they plan to have the same Free BES 5.0 + 1 Call for Small Business?
2 - Can you use the CALS from the previous BES Express on BES 5.0?
3 - If you are running BES Express (bpsx_414B.exe) can you just upgrade using the Trial BES 5.0 and would it just see the CAL and work or would it be limited?

Thanks,
Dan

I'm also interested to hear what is going on with Blackberry & Small Biz. I feel like they're abandoning us.

I'll let you know in about an hour or so. I am running through a new install of BES 5.0 using a BES 4.x Professional SRP and CAL now. Wish me luck


UPDATE: Install works fine with BB Professional SRP and CALs I'm up and running on BES 5 now

so i can install 4.1 on my sbs box and upgrade to 5.0 with the trial using the same CAL and we should be fine?

installing 5.0 trial using SRP and CAL from the 4.1

Do you think it will run after 20 days?

Should be fine since it is all driven by the SRP key(trial keys all start with a T). The install code for the trial is the same as the purchased/tsupport version, and the BAS shows it as a registered key and not a trial key

i am installing now, i tried to create a SQL 2000 database like I have always done with teh Instanename=Blackberry sapwd=password but when running BES it wouldn't connect to the database so I selected Create Database trying that out.

Almost done installing. Will let you know shortly =)

So if I understand correctly, you can use the BES 5 trial license to upgrade the BES 4 Professional server?
Even if you are using the 1 free license?

You do realize that you are talking about illegally installing BES software. The upgrade is only free to TSupport, and only for BES not BPS. Upgrading without a upgrade key is a violation of the licensing agreement, and if RIM's lawyers are browsing this forurm, you guys just admitted to upgrading illegally, so they can have a field day with you if they want.

Just my two cents.

I'm just saying it is possible to do it, I didn't say that anyone should do it. And I was only doing it to test to see if it was even possible as there are many questions about it. In essense what I was looking to see is if the SRP key would be valid on the new version, which it is, so if one does have TSupport for BB Professional(if it is even possible) then they could upgrade to BES 5. I myself have 2 BB Profession SRPs that I use strictly for testing purposes and to lean the new versions.

well not much luck gettting BES 5.0 on SBS 03. seems like IIS and Tomcat dont play together tried changing ports but no go.

So you are saying that upgrade of free bes to a free bes is license violation?

Yeah, so any news about any sort of small biz version of BES5...?

No v5 for Blackberry Professional Express users at this time...
 

I just got off the phone with RIM business sales and was told:

(as close to verbatim as possible)
1. Blackberry Enterprise Server has been upgraded to v5.0

2. Blackberry Professional Express has NOT been upgraded to v5.0 -- v4.1 is the available version of Blackberry Professional Express -- and there are currently NO plans for v5.0 of Express being available any time soon
(end of comments from RIM business sales)

So -- it looks like if we want the 1 user freebie, we have to stick to v4.1 for the time being. Perhaps RIM will release Express v5 after Enterprise v5 has had a chance to sell in the marketplace for a bit...or perhaps we're stuck at v4.1 :)

Sad...

But upgrade path is possible from bps 4.1 to BES 5.0 I mean if you pay for it?

I would have to assume that if you have any sort of TSupport that covers upgrades, then yes it should be possible. I have not talked to sales yet to confirm this though

Will,

When you upgraded the BPS version to BES 5.0, you did not get a prompt to enter a Trade-Up Key??

I am trying to upgrade BPS 4.1.4.15 in a test enviornment to BES 5.0, however I receive a prompt saysing "To continue upgrading to a full Blackberry Enterprise Server, type your Trade-Up Key"

When I enter my 90 day trial key for for BES I get a message:

"The trade-up key is not valid"

Did you experience this? If so, how did you get around it?

Thx

When I tried it I did a clean install on a separate server and just disabled BPS on our SBS server in case I have to go back later.

I have a key from the old BES Express and not BPS, which may have something to do with it.

What throws me off is that my BESX key cannot install BES 4.1.6 (not without installing BESX and running the update) but BES 5 seems to have no problem with it, it even recognizes it as a small/medium business license. Is Rim's licensing system flawed for allowing that or is it meant to support that but it hasn't been announced yet. I don't think it is flawed as 4.1.6 does not work, so there must be some reason behind this I think.

Just my 2 cents.

If RIM catches you running BES 5.0 with out paying for it, your SRP could get locked out or worse.

Now since this has been published on the web it will be a matter of time until they find out.