How I learned to Love Push E-mail and Stop Worrying

[Jerry Raia]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?ContentId=5915' target='_blank'>http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?ContentId=5915</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Early in 2006 mobile operators around the world will begin offering a new enhancement for use with Microsoft Windows Mobile devices (such as the O2 Xda Exec or Xda Mini S), called Messaging and Security Feature Pack (MSFP). Independent mobile makers, such as HP, i-mate and Fujitsu-Siemens will also begin shipping their cellular enabled devices with the facility to change how you use e-mail on your mobile device. Even the humble smartphone will join the pack from the Orange C600 to the i-mate SP5. Of course, if e-mail on mobile is not your thing, you might be wondering what the fuss is about. Read on to learn more!"</i><br /><br />Are you wondering what all the fuss is about? I know a lot of people have been waiting for this. Personally I don't really need it. It's easier for me to sync when I want to see my email. It also only works if you have Exchange 2003 handling your email. If you want to know more about this though have a look at this article.

[HalM]

I am a big time Activesync advocate but I think their bottom line is correct. For now BB is still in the lead, but MS has caught up. As a matter of fact, add in a number of features like a better browser and you can start building a case that ActiveSync is a better overall platform.

Purely in the FWIW catagory, I was on-line with i-Mate tech support today and they said MSFP would be released for the SP5 / SP5m before the end of the month. Can't wait! :D

[Mike Temporale]

Before the end of the month, eh? That's good to know. I hope they can meet that mark.

I think Microsoft has caught up. In fact, I think they're solution is miles (or kilometres if you live outside the US ;) ) better than RIMs. And I'm not just saying that. There are a number of reasons why this is a better solution. If you're not sure what they are, just ask, I'll be glad to discuss them.

Unfortunately, I think the ODMs released it more than a little late. 2 months ago would have been a perfect time to attack the market. Their solution is technically better and I still think it will succeed, I just think it's a little harder now than a couple months back.

[jalm1]

Mike, if you wouldnt mind brefily mentioning why MS is better then BB, i would love to know. I am curently a BB user and have been for years. i hatted it wieh i was without for 6mo (had my PPC but still not the same). That said, i have allways loved the power of MS mobile, and really want to throw out the BB for the new treo. Just looking for more encouragment and reasons why i wont miss my BB mail. Thanks.

[wshwe]

Activesync could use better protections against accidently deleting data.

[Mike Temporale]

Mike, if you wouldnt mind...

No problem. I recently volunteer some time at the "Ask the Experts" booth for the Technet Exchange Tour and these points where asked over and over again. I talked about them so much that day, that I tend to think I've already told everyone. That's why I didn't want to get into it unless you're interested. ;) Also, I wanted to get a couple other things done before I spent the time writing this up. Anyway, here goes.


There are a couple main points. 1) BES Server, and 2) RIM Head Office

1) BES Server - To use RIMs solution you need another server. This server will be your BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES). Along with any server, comes the added cost of administration and licensing. A BlackBerry user license can cost between $150 - $300 US. It all depends on how many users you have. The more users, the less you pay. Oh, and we can't forget the cost of the BES software. Last time I checked it was a good couple grand. Each BES server can only handle about 200-400 users, Max. Of course, all this is on top of your existing corporate email package (Notes, or Exchange) So if you have 200,000 employees that you want to empower, that's going to be a lot of BES servers and license fees.

Microsoft's solution doesn't require a separate server. It uses your existing Exchange server. Each Exchange server can handle a lot more than 400 users. I don't have the hard number, but I've heard talk of it being between 250,000 to 500,000 depending on email volume. As well, there is no additional license fee. What this means, is that it won't cost you a penny more to enable 200,000 employees using Microsoft's solution.


2) RIMs Head Office - If point 1 wasn't enough to turn you off of BBs, then maybe this will. Any message you send or receive via your BB passes through RIMs Head Office in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Yup, that's right. If you're in England and you send a message to your co-worker in Scotland, that message will travel back to Waterloo, and then all the way over to Scotland. Forget for a second that your message has just traveled half way around the world. Think about what that means for your privacy. Lets say you're talking about company secrets. Do you really want that message to travel back to RIM? I think not. There is also the issue of one point of failure. It would be relatively easy to knock out the Waterloo servers and rendering everyone's BBs useless. This is a big enough concern that some countries in Europe have banned the use of BBs for government employees.

Now, there is one exception to this. The US Gov basically said that they won't use BBs if their messages are sent through Canada. For obvious reasons. So RIM has setup a second data center just for the US Gov in Austin Texas. Only the US Gov messages are sent via that center.

How does this compare to Microsoft's solution? Well, it doesn't. Microsoft's solution doesn't rely on anyones network besides your own and your carriers. Messages are sent directly to your servers via your cellular provider. Big difference. In fact, unlike RIM, your carrier doesn't even need to know that you are using a Push Email solution. It's just data sent across their network.

[wshwe]

Does email sent from Blackberries on BIS (not BES) also go through Waterloo?

[Mike Temporale]

Does email sent from Blackberries on BIS (not BES) also go through Waterloo?

BIS (BlackBerry Internet Service) is just a web front end for a BES server. It might be a BES server from your carrier, or it could be RIMs server. Usually, it would be your carriers server. ( http://www.blackberry.com/products/software/web/index.shtml )

To answer your question, yes. Waterloo is their gateway between the internet and the cellular networks.

[jalm1]

Mike, thanks for the responce. I was wondering if you could touch any on the end-user usability. As i allready have a BB and such, and i know the BES is a sunkcost at this point, that is not of a large concern (untill the next cycle). And the gateway issue isnt that big of a deal, i knew about it and guess i trust RIM just as much as i trust the carrier. besides, while i like my privacy i am not sending anything that is so secure to warrent somthing differnt. The govt did want somthing here in the us, and the high security devices are a good idea, sadly they still run on the old platform (i think it was C reather then the new java devices) and on old hardware. i have had a few WM smartphones and PPC in the past but allways either at the same time or went back to the BB. its so easy to use, and works so well for email. The phone is i would say next best, but its a far cry from a WM phone, calendar is decent, as is contacts and notes. Tasts down right suck and i am huge user of tasks. i just dont know with the new updates MS has done a MS push device would be better. I now understand tasks are being synced (yes!) how about notes? when it casuses a push for the email, does it triger a full activesync as it used to, or when set to time intervals?

[Mike Temporale]

guess i trust RIM just as much as i trust the carrier.

Wasn't there a large, 4+ hour outage in the summer of 2005? Didn't it happen a couple times, with no reason given? I don't care for stuff like that.

I was wondering if you could touch any on the end-user usability.

Sadly, I don't have MSFP on my WM device, and I haven't really used the BB. I have friends and family that use it. I have only played with theirs - briefly. I do agree that, right now, BB is by far the easiest solution out there. The real question is: for how much longer?

The linked article at Geekzone should answer some of your useability questions. :)