Exclusive Update: HTML Rendering removed from BES 4.1 SP5 …sort of.
Following our recent article about the possible removal of HTML and Rich Text email rendering from BlackBerry Enterprise Server 4.1 SP5, we received a number of emails from our faithful readers confirming the temporary demise of our colorful, picture-rich email viewing. We are depressed, once again.
However, it would appear that not all hope is lost in our quest for viewing HTML emails without the intervention of purchased applications. As mentioned, we gained confirmation from our readers that the last minute delay in the service pack availability was due to the removal of HTML email. From our timetable of events, we had the following happen during the last couple weeks:
February 21 - Webcast by Research In Motion highlighting new features in BES 4.1 SP5 and OS 4.5, including HTML email rendering
February 27 - HTML and Rich Text support removed from RIM’s "What’s New" webpage (per Google Cache)
February 29 - BES 4.1 SP5 general availability date moved from February 29 to March 11 (BlackBerry Life Cycle page)
March 1 or later - HTML references removed from Webcast page (per Google Cache, dated February 28 and February 29, the reference is still present)
Sometime between February 21 and February 27, a decision was made behind closed doors in Waterloo to remove HTML, the most anticipated feature from a marketing perspective, from the service pack.
With that said, the removal was not complete in nature. It apparently is still an available option, but can only be configured with an alteration in the database. RIM removed the ability to configure Rich Content from within BlackBerry Manager, but they made minimal efforts to remove it from the database, where it was configured to have a default option of disabled ("0") rather than enabled ("1"), as it was in the beta versions of SP5. I have compared the SQL code involved with upgrading the database and it does show the change from 1 to 0 for both the RichContentEnabled and RichContentInlineEnabled attributes.
I won’t go into the precise details on what to change or how to enable this feature, as I think this would be only for the geek BES administrators of the world. Regardless, I will point you to a RIM KB article that should help assist with finding the option and enabling it manually (or by altering the SQL provided by RIM in the KB article to reflect the correct column name). You will need to change the values in the ServerConfig and UserConfig tables. As a disclaimer, if you choose to enable this feature, you will obviously risk corruption to your database and BlackBerry environment.
Enjoy!
My question is was the decision to remove HTML rendering from SP5 based on putting the feature on the 4.5 OS upgrade?
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Interesting. But whaen do we all get the new OS jibi?
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God Bless you BoyGenius!!!
Your last paragraph made it super obvious how to “re-enable” these two features easily.
You guys rock!
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Straight from the T-Mobile/RIM seminar I attended today:
OS 4.3 will be released sometime in April (will have bug fixes, video recording, voice notes)
OS 4.5 will be late spring/early summer
html/rich text rendering moved to sp6
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OS 4.3 has been released since last Summer. It’s only being released by T-Mobile in April because that’s when they will launch the BlackBerry 8120. The timeframe on OS 4.5 will be late Spring, most likely (I would consider the latest couple builds pretty stable).
Kanebb, that may have been one reason that made the decision easier for those with shortsighted vision, however it was not the actual reason from what our multiple email confirmations from our readers have said. Also, from a BES administrator’s point of view, I’d rather have the BES update tested and ready to go in product when OS 4.5 launched, as opposed to having OS 4.5 out at the same time or earlier than the BES update.
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any hax0rs out there that can “make adjustments” on this?
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this sucks balls… man.. if you look at nokia and apple, they are kick ass and going forward like there is no tommoro and here is BB still not giving us html email? crap….
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I’m just gonna say that even the iPhone got HTML shit before BB’s did so this is GAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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The link in your post has nothing to do with HTML e-mail? It is a KB article on adding an Enterprise Only Message Icon?
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Read the article again. The linked article was there to help you get into your database. You just need to look for the different column name which is also detailed in the post.
They haven’t spelled it out to make sure that only the admins with a bit of common sense can decipher the instructions due to the risk involved
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Thanks!
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Thanks Stern, i missed that
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Still lost, OS 4.3 will be out in April for the Pearl, but what about 8xxx devices?
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4.3.1 is available to partners for 83xx, 87xx, 88xx and 8100. Hopefully, they’ll be released to public shortly.
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Verizon just released an update for version 4.3 (I think it is from 4.3.60 to 4.3.120 or something like that—please confirm).
Is this what is being rebranded as 4.5, or is it something else?
If it is not the 4.5 release, does anyone know when Verizon will release it?
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OS 4.3.0 is different than OS 4.3.1, which was rebranded to OS 4.5.0. Confusing enough? I wouldn’t expect the OS 4.5.0 for the 8130 and 8830 anytime soon, though. These will likely be the last ones, with the 8703e possibly not receiving the upgrade at all. Time will tell.
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