BlackBerry Connect for Windows Mobile?

[extravagant]

Hi everyone,

I was just wondering if someone can please explain exactly what BlackBerry Connect is and if its possible to set it up on any winmo device?

Is it just the ability to get push email on a winmo device? if so, then i don't see the point since push email is available on winmo devices already from carriers etc....

Also... through blackberry connect on a winmo device, does this mean you can install blackberry messenger on a winmo device? thanks ....

[r@dimus]

Blackberry Connect for WM allows a you to receive email pushed by Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) or Blackberry Internet Service (BIS) on a WM device. The main point of it is for allowing one to use a WM device in a BES environment. If MS Direct Push is available to you then there is no point to it, and the two don't work together anyway. For personal use I can't think of much use for it either, since it costs extra per month to use RIM's system and there are better options.

On the other hand if you are in a BES environment, and don't like Blackberry devices or need capabilities that WM has and Blackberries do not, then it's very nice to be able to have the option of using something different.

To answer your last question, no you canot run Blackbery Messenger on a WM device under Blackberry Connect. BM is written specifically for Blackberrys, and apps writen for Blackberries won't run on a PPC. Also, BM sends its messages via the Blackberry PIN messaging system. Currently BBC can only receive PIN messages. It cannot send them.

[extravagant]

Hi,

Thanks a lot for your informative reply!

I was also wondering how BlackBerry Connect works on a WM device... does that mean the WM device constantly keeps GPRS (or whatever its using like EDGE or 3G) on at all times in order to receive pushed email? Or does Blackberry Enterprise Server automatically 'call' the WM device to tell it that theres a new email instead of constantly keeping GPRS on?

I also can't find any cost information to run BES? Does BES do anything else besides email?

Also, how come you need BES to push email when you can setup your blackberry to automatically push email to you?

[r@dimus]

On my Tilt, when told to connect BBC stays connected to RIM's system all the time. However, if an app that connects to the internet via Media Net wants to make a connection BBC disconnects and lets the Media Net connection through. A few seconds or so after Media Net is done BBC will automatically reconnect.

BES is required if you have an Exchange or Notes server and want you email pushed out to Blackberry devices or BBC. BES installs on a server behind your firewalls and forwards mail out to the devices it is set up to push to. If you want email that you can access over the internet via POP3 pushed to a Blackberry or BBC then you don't use BES. You use BIS that is provided by the carrier you purchased your Blackberry through. You configure BIS by going to your carrier's BIS web site where you can give it the login information for the mail accounts you want it to forward to your device.

To get pricing on BES you would have to contact a sales rep for RIM. BES also lets you configure security policies for the Blackberry or BBC devices and push them out. In my environment all they do is set the policy to require a password be set on the device, but you can lock the devices down as much or as little as you want.

[extravagant]

So can I get BlackBerry Connect for BlackBerry Internet Server and setup push email from any hotmail account on my unlocked windows mobile phone that has nothing to do with the carrier (assuming I have unlimited data), that will work? then i can get proper email on my wm device? thanks.

[r@dimus]

With Blackberries or BBC the carrier plays a big part too.

First, you need to be able to find an install of BBC that is compatible with your device. The easiest is to see if the carrier supports BBC for your device directly. If they do then you can probably download it from them. If not, there have been many cases where a similar type of carrier (ie if your carrier runs a GSM network then find another carrier running the same kind of network) supports BBC for your device then you might find a way to download it from them.

Second, you need to have a data plan that includes the Blackberry service. In the cases I've seen these are usually called Blackberry data plans and cost $10 or so more per month. For example, for BBC use on AT&T you get their "PDA unlimited with Blackberry Connect" plan instead of just the PDA unlimited plan. You need to do this so your device can get access to RIM's systems, without which BBC is useless.

If all you wanted was to get email from your Hotmail account to your WM device there are more economical ways.