BlackBerry Enterprise Server 4.1 SP5 - Preview, Feature Enhancements and more!
During this morning’s Connecting with the Experts BlackBerry webinar, Research In Motion unveiled the upcoming service pack release to their BlackBerry Enterprise Server solution. To say that this is simply an update is a vast and gross understatement. This service pack promises to be the most feature-rich release of BES… ever! End-users are going to go ‘gah gah’ over this release, due out in late February.
We’ll move on forward straight to the meat and cover some of the features, most of which have already been discussed - without pictures - quite in depth on forums and news sites and blogs across the world. These features, as noted in the slides, will require OS 4.3.1, which is forecasted for all 8000 series devices sometime in late Q4 2007 or Q1 2008.
Rich Content Email Rendering
You’ve asked for it for years, now you have it. HTML and Rich Text email rendering for your color-rich device. While this basically covers inline images and font rendering, it adds a bit of life to the messages formally known as text-only. One thing to keep in mind is this will be similar to browsing webpages, in terms of download speeds and page loading. Hallelujah for no more broken HTML code in emails, though.
Remote Email Search and Download
Ever have one of those "OH SH*T!" moments of enlightenment after accidentally deleting an email from your device? Perhaps you only received a message in your mailbox but need it on your BlackBerry? Well, your prayers have now been answered. Search your mailbox from your device and retrieve messages for viewing and storage on your device. Amazing feature addition!
Free/Busy Lookup
Scheduling an appointment from your device but end up having a lot of declined messages because you can’t see attendees’ availability? Once again, another feature that makes absolutely perfect sense but simply never made it into the solution in previous years.
Native File Email Attachment Download
While I won’t find any use for this, I’m sure some may. You will now be able to download attachments without BES conversion to your device’s memory card for viewing on a laptop (not your own or not connected) and various other purposes.
From an administration standpoint, unless something has slipped, OTASL (wireless OS upgrades) will be included to help administer OS life-cycle updating procedures and provide a nice reduction in total cost of ownership for device management. The framework was put in place during the BES 4.1 SP4 update, although no administration or device support was included.
Look on at the included slides for more information on these features, as well as upcoming features in BES 5.0 ("ARGON").
Nice! With this and the Unite! suite coming, BlackBerry users should be happy. Where is the 9000-series, BG?
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It is time to get some spy shots on the 9000 series along with some details.
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That list sounds very much like th WM6/Exchange 2007 feature list.
RIMM should watch out for being dis-intermediated.
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NICE! Been waiting for something like this from RIMM.
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When it comes to blackberry news..sometimes you fanboys just amazed me…your never satified…the freakin 8300 curve and 8800 series has just come out…and your already asking about the 9000…unbelievable…grow and be patient…good things come to those who wait…
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Wow, that’s great. Can I get someone to convince my boss to get off of BES v3.6.
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What did you think about the BlackBerry online event as a whole?
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NB, I had a meeting to run to (IRL) and had to drop out rather quickly. I chatted with a couple friends on there, as well as one of our vendors and bolted for my meeting (while writing this article.. LOL!). From what I did see, it seemed this session was much more stable than the previous one I attended on the web.
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will do you not understand technology at all? wait? They have to bring out new models to keep sales up, fanboys know this an anticipate then new models, is that really hard to understand?
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@Dtest5477
I do know tech changes very fast…but let’s be for real…if a damn BB came out every other month with somthing new you would still complain…and like an idiot buy all..when its not necessary…that’s my point
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