carl0s Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 I know these things are popular, although I can't quite understand why (what's up with Symbian?), and I'm hoping somebody might be able to fill me in on some details. I have a customer who I see very infrequently, who wants to work from *just* his laptop and a blackberry. At the moment he has POP3 email with Demon Internet, and I redirect his .co.uk emails via 123-reg's email forwarding control panel. This works fine. He wants a blackberry though. I understand that the Blackberry will poll a POP3 server, and so might end up going this route, although in my eyes the power of these sort of devices is in how they synchronise with the laptop, e.g. sent messages, read/unread status, calendar etc, so I would rather he worked with an Exchange server. Obviously he doesn't have an Exchange server, and he doesn't have a desktop computer which can be left running the Desktop Redirector or whatever it is that the current version is called. So, my thoughts are that he's going to have to pay for a hosted Exchange service, and either transfer his domain over to them (which I don't want to do), or just point the domain's DNS MX records over to the hosting companie's servers, whilst retaining control of the domain itself via 123-reg (which is what I would rather do). My current stumbling points then are.. the mobile providers.. most of those who offer a Blackberry tarrif with voice, at say £32 - £40/month, well I'm not sure if that inclusive data tarrif (e.g. unlimited emails) includes access to an out-of-network Exchange server, or if it only applies to the included email address e.g. @instant-email.co.uk / @orange.co.uk etc., or what. Does anybody know anything about this? How about hosted Exchange providers? I am actually thinking about just hosting it on my own Exchange server, since that's what I do for myself with my Symbian phone (Nokia E70), and that's all fine although I'd be concerned that I'm responsible for the integrity, safety and uptime of his mailbox. BT offer a Business Email package which would sort of do, but in order to get your own domain working with it, you have to buy their Internet Security/Business pack at an additional £5/month, and of course transfer control of the domain to them so no easy DNS changes etc in future. Fasthosts offer hosted Exchange at reasonable prices, but apart from Good Mail, and the usual Exchange SP2 DirectPush stuff, there's no mention of it working directly with a blackberry. I'm really thinking it'd be easier to give the guy a Nokia E50. They're nice and slim, and work well with an Exchange server, but then there's the whole tarrif thing again, and Nokia's "Mail For Exchange" does seem to hammer the GPRS (£70 on top of my monthly bills, for minimal usage.) any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chase Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 Carl, I think hosted Exchange is the way to go. Get a Windows Mobile device on T-Mobile web&walk, which will give push email, and take care of GPRS costs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edd_t Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 If you want to run it through MS Exchange, you need to have a BES server afaik. Ive been working with these things for years now. Obviously the packages that BT/Vodafone have just go via pop3. The best use out of them is to have a BES4.1 server. this means that the Blackberry will wireless sync everything, not just e-mails. the older v3 stuff didnt do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson Trimming Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 I have a blackberry and i love it - its perfect for the business and easy to use..but as I got lost reading the first bit of your post and had no idea what you were talking about i gave up gave up and i cant help..lol Thanks Lewis for setting mine up though..lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carl0s Posted February 6, 2007 Author Share Posted February 6, 2007 Carl, I think hosted Exchange is the way to go. Get a Windows Mobile device on T-Mobile web&walk, which will give push email, and take care of GPRS costs... It looks like it's going to have to be hosted Exchange, which is fine. Web & Walk - I'll look into that then - does this include *all* GPRS costs, e.g. use of the non-T-Mobile Exchange Server? If so, then it's looking like a possibility. The only problem is that as with many business men, he's been sold on the 'blackberry' lingo. I think a lot of people just think that Blackberry means 'push email', and do not realise that Symbian have it (w/ Mail for Exchange), and the WM5 devices also do with DirectPush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carl0s Posted February 6, 2007 Author Share Posted February 6, 2007 If you want to run it through MS Exchange, you need to have a BES server afaik. Ive been working with these things for years now. Obviously the packages that BT/Vodafone have just go via pop3. The best use out of them is to have a BES4.1 server. this means that the Blackberry will wireless sync everything, not just e-mails. the older v3 stuff didnt do that. Obviously I can't install BES on a hosted Exchange system. Some of the hosted Exchange providers say that their servers are Blackberry enabled, which might mean it's on there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edd_t Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 Obviously I can't install BES on a hosted Exchange system. Some of the hosted Exchange providers say that their servers are Blackberry enabled, which might mean it's on there. that'll be fine if they a BBY enabled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 One of my customers uses a Blackberry via POP3 and he loves it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carl0s Posted February 6, 2007 Author Share Posted February 6, 2007 One of my customers uses a Blackberry via POP3 and he loves it. That's always going to be a possibility, but it's hardly a cutting edge solution. No calendar synchronisation (I presume Blackberry's are capable of synching to an Outlook calender), and no sent items sync or read/unread status. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 I thought they sync with the PC when you dock them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edd_t Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 That's always going to be a possibility, but it's hardly a cutting edge solution. No calendar synchronisation (I presume Blackberry's are capable of synching to an Outlook calender), and no sent items sync or read/unread status. BBY 4.1 can wireless sync e-mail, date and time and PIM. PIM include calendar, contacts, notes, tasts, online personal folders. I thought they sync with the PC when you dock them. you only need to dock a BBY now if they are version 3. or if you need to charge the battery or install new additional software. Hope that helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chase Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 It looks like it's going to have to be hosted Exchange, which is fine. Web & Walk - I'll look into that then - does this include *all* GPRS costs, e.g. use of the non-T-Mobile Exchange Server? If so, then it's looking like a possibility. The only problem is that as with many business men, he's been sold on the 'blackberry' lingo. I think a lot of people just think that Blackberry means 'push email', and do not realise that Symbian have it (w/ Mail for Exchange), and the WM5 devices also do with DirectPush. Carl, think Web n Walk cover all GPRS costs, but it looks like it has to be purchased on top of a voice plan. Think it works out about £7.50 a month. I'm presuming there's no restriction on what you connect to, so should be able to connect to a hosted exchance server. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carl0s Posted February 8, 2007 Author Share Posted February 8, 2007 Carl, think Web n Walk cover all GPRS costs, but it looks like it has to be purchased on top of a voice plan. Think it works out about £7.50 a month. I'm presuming there's no restriction on what you connect to, so should be able to connect to a hosted exchance server. This is sounding good then. Thanks very much for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chase Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 No worries bud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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