Free Bluetooth Keyboard from GoodLink When you Buy a Smartphone

[Mike Temporale]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.welcometogood.com/goodpromo/' target='_blank'>http://www.welcometogood.com/goodpromo/</a><br /><br /></div>"Only Good and Cingular can give you mobile e-mail with enterprise-class security, unsurpassed manageability and flexibility, and the power of the Cingular ALLOVER™ Network—the largest digital wireless voice and data network in America. Buy a Cingular Smartphone with GoodLink™.<br />Get a Bluetooth keyboard—FREE. Purchase one or more Cingular Smartphones* with GoodLink before 04/30/06, and we'll match each one with a FREE Stowaway Bluetooth® keyboard from Think Outside. For those keeping score, that's a $149 value."<br /><br /><img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Temporale-20060228-FreeKeyboard.gif" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/> <br /><br />You can't do much better than this - A free Bluetooth keyboard with your new Smartphone. Wow! I have one of these keyboards and I have to say that it's a dream to have. It works great and connects with ease. Sadly, I didn't get mine for free when I bought my last Smartphone. :(

[brianchris]

Wow, I just bought my wife a 2125 (and she loves it!).....now a free keyboard? That's great!! But I'm not clear......does this require a GoodLink subscription too? If so, how much is that and where can I find more details?

[Mike Temporale]

Lots of details can be found on the link at the top of my post above. ;)

[brianchris]

Lots of details can be found on the link at the top of my post above. ;)

I went there, read the website and redemption form....couldn't find the answer to my question, so I posted my question here. Now I very well may have missed the information I was looking for, but I did what you suggested before I posted.

Simple question: Is Goodlink a seperate fee? If so, is it required for the free keyboard and how much is it?

[Mike Temporale]

I went there, read the website and redemption form....couldn't find the answer to my question, so I posted my question here. Now I very well may have missed the information I was looking for, but I did what you suggested before I posted.

Simple question: Is Goodlink a seperate fee? If so, is it required for the free keyboard and how much is it?

I see... Umm, well.... I'm not with Cingular, nor am I in the US, so I don't know that I can offer the best answer. However, it is my understanding that you have to subscribe to GoodLink from Cingular. But I'm not 100%, nor do I know the price.

[mikestew]

Simple question: Is Goodlink a seperate fee? If so, is it required for the free keyboard and how much is it?

It's a seperate fee, required to get the keyboard, and pricing can be found here: http://www.welcometogood.com/goodpromo/pricing.html

[brianchris]

Simple question: Is Goodlink a seperate fee? If so, is it required for the free keyboard and how much is it?

It's a seperate fee, required to get the keyboard, and pricing can be found here: http://www.welcometogood.com/goodpromo/pricing.html

GREAT...we're getting close: Is that the price per month for Cingular unlimited data AND Goodlink service, or is that just the price for Goodlink by itself, and I need to pay an additional $19.99 per month for unlimited Cingular data?

[jalm1]

Goodlink is a corporate messeging system similar to blackberry. When i had it last year there was still no personal edition (as there is with BlackBerry Web Connect). In order to deploy GoodLink you will need a corp messeging server (Exchange, Lotus, i dont know who else they interface with), and a good link server (i forget what the price tag on the server is), and each device that is active on the server needs a seat fee and last i checked it was around $300-$330/yr per seat.

Now that was the way it worked a year ago and last i heard it was still the same. that is not to say they havent changed, but i havent heard of anything.

Good is targeted at large comapines as an alternitive to BlackBerry, Exchange AUTD, and the like.

That is not to say that you cant get it individually, either by paying the huge fees for exchange, goodlink server, and each seat (but why would you do that). Or i do know that mailstreet exchange hosting offers goodlink for like an extra $35/mo (something like that) on top of their exchange fees. So if you are on/ or want to move to a hosted exchange enviorment look for one that offers Good. i dont know any others that do, i just havent looked.

[jalm1]

GREAT...we're getting close: Is that the price per month for Cingular unlimited data AND Goodlink service, or is that just the price for Goodlink by itself, and I need to pay an additional $19.99 per month for unlimited Cingular data?

Sorry, missed this part. I belive the fee listed at the site is the total data plan fee, cingualr data and goodlink together.

[brianchris]

GREAT...we're getting close: Is that the price per month for Cingular unlimited data AND Goodlink service, or is that just the price for Goodlink by itself, and I need to pay an additional $19.99 per month for unlimited Cingular data?

Sorry, missed this part. I belive the fee listed at the site is the total data plan fee, cingualr data and goodlink together.

Allright, so correct me if I'm worng, but it sounds like Cingular offers a hosted Goodlink Service (similar to Mail street), and the $34.99 per month price is a combined hosted Goodlink/unlimited Cingular data fee...correct? Also, this is the required level of service needed to be eligible for the free blutooth keyboard....correct?

Phew.....this is complicated. Indeed, I *really* appreciated your previous post which gave a detailed explanation of what Goodlink is and how much it can cost. Even though I'm a freelance network admin (and perhaps a bad one), I haven't understood exactly what Goodlink was. While your explanation helped, I admit I still don't understand its advantages over Exchange AUTD, but perhaps that's for a different thread (I wouldn't want to take this thread OT, and I may have already).

Thanks again!

[jalm1]

Honestly, i dont belive that cingular is offering a hosted goodlink service. That would require them to also host your email, or provide an interface like blackberry web connect. I have yet to hear of that, but it could be. My understanding is in order to use goodlink it will cost you the $35/mo (that would be i would assume an unlimited data plan and goodlink access). i belive cingualr installed goodlink software on their network (not the server but network software) and they are charging you a premium to use it just as they do for the blackbery (since it is targeted at corp accounts). So i would say in order to use Good you would need the whole backend (or a hosted system like mailstreet) and this plan from cingualr.

Goodlink is basicly balckberry but platform independant. they offer push email, notes, tasks, contacts and calendar. Access to corp backend systems (ERP, CRM, and the like). It really is a great system, i really loved using it (hated the device i had it on, so that is why i dropped it) and back to the crackberry. it has its advantages over exchange AUTD and balckberry and disadvantages. Its very secure (although all your data does pass through their datacenter), allows for remote admin on device, and is fully two-way push so it allways replicates your mailbox (one reason i dont think this is a hosted service, they would have the have direct access to your exchange mailbox to monitor its profile for changes, and i dont see that happening remotly).

If you are an individual i would recomend going with AUTD it will be much, much cheaper. there are good hosted exchange providers out there (many have been discused on this board) and AUTD is normally free with an hosted account or a nominal fee per month (not $35.00). it will also work over a standard data paln (no need for a special good or blackberry data plan) and is relitivly stable. You can also use other PIM software that used the default databases.
Good, is very secure and relibale, your locked into their software (which is good) and has very fast push email (also flag for follow up for exchagne, i loved that one). But its expensive. Also, its reliability is only as good as the device. in my expereince it worked much more often then the older OTA active sync but still failed on occasion b/c of the device.

In order to use either of these services you do need exchange (or at least a hosted account). Good will be more expensive, but can be more feature rich and useable.

[jalm1]

I also think this is targeted at the corp user b/c 1) if you take a look at http://www.welcometogood.com/goodpromo/goodlink.html it talkes a lot about how the backend works with your IT/messeging network. 2) you look at the buy now page its a contact form with the tell-tell B2B info (http://www.welcometogood.com/goodpromo/Index.aspx#BottomContent) Comapny size (1-250), time frame, and authority. 3) quotes like "It's no wonder seven of the Fortune 10 and 50 percent of the Fortune 100 choose Good."
this appears to be targeted to the enterprise and not a new line for individuals.

But you could allways get it hosted.