Vodacom Launches Blackberry

[vodacom3g]

Another first for the forum: :)

Tomorrow, Sunday the 6th of March, Vodacom will launch the Blackberry in South Africa.

Blackberry is aimed at users who require e-mail capabilities while away from their desktops. As mail is received it's automatically pushed down to the device. Up to 10 e-mail accounts can be linked to your Blackberry.

A full qwerty keyboard on the 7290 and the 7100v allows fast mail entry. Both device also include full GSM phones.

A fair number of data card users seem to use their setup purely for mail. These users might consider Blackberry as a viable alternative.

Blackberry is especially well suited to people with corporate e-mail accounts as the synchronisation with Outlook, Domino and Groupwise is instantaneous.

Another first: you pay a fixed amount per month, irrespective of the amount of mail you send and receive. So, no per-meg tariffs for mail.

For more information please visit this link: www.vodacom.co.za/blackberry

These are really cool little devices. Been playing with mine for a few days now. :D

[ic]

Velly velly kewl v3g, thanks again for announcing it here on MyADSL :) :) :)

Now to be honest, while I have heard tell of Blackberry (and I noticed that MTN rolled it out for Weber Wentzel & Bowman), I still don't know exactly what the diff is between BlackBerry, RedCherry & Strawberry, or GPRS/EGPRS/EDGE/3G for that matter. I have been assuming that Blackberry is much the same as Bluetooth with > 10m range, but methinks I have assumed incorrectly.

I will browsem url to see what Blackberries I can forage on there ;).

[fergus]

I'm also pretty clueless about what blackberry is. Does it require a new device or is it just a service? I thought you could already send email from a cell phone.

[vodacom3g]

The differences can but subtle but powerful to the target audience.

Blackberry is very similar to a mobile phone with mail capabilities but where a phone is firstmost a phone and then provide some e-mail capabilities, Blackberry approach it from the other angle. Think of it as an e-mail device with a phone built in.

A summary doc:

Introducing mobile e-mail on the move.

Welcome to Vodacom’s exciting new world of mobile communication.
Through Vodacom’s partnership with Vodafone we are proud to bring you the latest in mobile communication. Introducing BlackBerry your complete link to a world beyond borders: e-mail in your pocket.

You can now have e-mails pushed to your BlackBerry device without having to download, you can reply, compile and send e-mails, as well as make and receive calls, view attachments, send and receive SMSs and also access the Internet all on one device. Your mobile world just got bigger.

Why did we bring you BlackBerry?

Vodacom understands that you need to stay connected, not only by voice, but by e-mail and to the Internet as well. Combining this understanding with innovation has enabled Vodacom to bring you this leading edge communication solution. Ultimately, the BlackBerry Internet Services (BIS) for the individual user and BlackBerry Enterprise Solution (BES) for corporate customers are specifically designed to solve the communication gaps of the 21st century.
• The Value:
 Vodacom brings you:
 Mobile email with your own email address,
 No hidden costs - unlimited mobile email,
 Convenience - let your email find you!,
 Be in control and stay in touch!

What is BlackBerry?

BlackBerry is the latest in mobile push e-mail communication, which means that all your emails are delivered to your BlackBerry device therefore, your e-mail finds you. This means that you’ll receive e-mails instantly, and you won’t be frustrated by having to wait for e-mails to download to your device.
The QWERTY keyboard layout of the BlackBerry device is similar to the layout of a computer keyboard which allows you to type quickly and easily.

BlackBerry also has the following features:

• Data compression – allowing you to receive data across the GPRS network instantly
• You can view attachments quickly and easily
• No virus threats
• 3DES encryption – data encryption that ensures the security and confidentiality of the information you send and receive

What are the benefits of BlackBerry?

BlackBerry offers you the following benefits:

• Your e-mails find you – the push technology ensures all e-mails are pushed to your BlackBerry device via the always on, always connected Vodacom GPRS network, no need to connect to download e-mail
• Fast response – you can reply to e-mails quickly and easily
• Time-saving – e-mails are pushed to your BlackBerry device, so you can read or reply to e-mails wherever, whenever
• Easy to use – the QWERTY keyboard makes it easier to type messages and a help function is only one click away
• Convenience – the pocket-sized BlackBerry device ensures you’ll have your link to the world beyond borders wherever and whenever you need it
• You’re always in control – you can filter messages, making sure you’re never overwhelmed
• 10 Internet e-mail addresses, all sent to your BlackBerry device

Receiving e-mail on your BlackBerry when traveling abroad

You will be able to send and receive e-mails when you travel to countries where Vodacom has GPRS roaming agreements. Some countries do not allow devices with 3-DES encryption and Vodacom cannot be held liable in the unfortunate event of confiscation of your BlackBerry device. Therefore before you travel abroad, be sure that you enquire from Vodacom Customer Care (dial 082 155 free from your Vodacom cellphone) whether your BlackBerry device will be allowed into the country you’ll be visiting.

[ic]

Hi v3g, I tried clicking a bunch of links to get a glimpse of the Blackberry device (http://www.vodacom.co.za/specials/specials.aspx?phone=BlackBerry), but I get the message "No specials were found.", is there a direct link I can try?

:confused: I assume Blackberry uses only GPRS?

Also, I have a Nokia 6820 with qwerty kbd, and support for EDGE & a built-in email app etc etc etc, would it be possible to obtain some sort of Blackberry add-on app for the 6820?

As you can tell I am still completely doff about Blackberry...my apologies I will catch-on soon :).

[ic]

Ok, found it:
http://www.vodacom.co.za/phones/reviews/phone_info.aspx?m=BlackBerry

Things are getting clearer than mud for me, Blackberry is then the name of an actual phone manufacturer then? - like Nokia & whatever the names of all the other are :D, yes?

http://www.blackberry.com/

[vodacom3g]

Manufacturer is actually RIM, Research in Motion. The devices are called Blackberry but the whole setup is normally called Blackberry, bit like 'Hoover'. :)

[ic]

JEdgars or the nothing sucks like Hoover that contravened the Dyson patents...:D

Anyways interesting devices these Blackberries :).

[bb_matt]

Wow - typing on that smaller one will be quite interesting, the larger one looks better.

One of my clients in the US raves about her blackberry but at the same time moans about having to type long emails, so she usually doesn't, meaning I get 10 word replies to my lengthy question sessions :D

For some reason, the larger one puts me in mind of the now ancient ZX Spectrum - it's keyboard wasn't a great deal bigger than that ! :)

[VQuest]

Thanks for posting this great news v3g. Do you perhaps have a list of Blackberry compatible cellphones? Specifically Sony Ericsson.

ic: I believe the Nokia 6820 is Blackberry compatible. As are the Nokia 6810 and 6822

I see contract pricing stars at R159 p/m. I think this product will suit those who send and receive hundreds of emails while on the road. As convenient as it would be for me, I don't think I send and receive enough emails to justify another R159 p/m. Thats about 80mb of "out of bundle" 3G/GPRS.

Never-the-less, I'm glad Blackberry has finally come to SA.

[diabolus]

This is how i personally see Blackberries in terms of it all:

PDA : PC with some Cellphone capabilities.
Blackberry : Cellphone with some PC capabilities

Which means things are sort of merging, i've mostly found "PC-PDAs" were alot more expensive than the "cellphone PDA" counterparts. [I.e. Erricson P/Nokia Communicator vs. HP-Ipaq/Palmtop etc], of course they have different functionality, but as far as i can tell Blackberry is suppose to be the 'dealbreaker' regarding the limitations on a cellphone-pda.

Most articles i've found/read is basically doing a shootout between the Blackberry and the Treo [650 etc]. That probably should say alot of what the Blackberry really is :P

PS i notice people mention "is my cellphone blackberry compatible" ...if i'm not mistaken a Blackberry is a device on its own, not a 'add-on'. It's identical to a PDA, or am i missing something? . I assume when they say "your blackberry device" then it's similar to saying "your palmtop/ipaq/treo device".

[vodacom3g]

Blackberries are normally devices on their own. They have a proprietary protocol that runs between the handheld and the back-end server that collect and push the mail down to you.

It's therefore possible to get a Blackberry client for a normal phone. This is what Vquest is referring to. Will have to check which ones are coming.

Where a normal mobile keyboard have 3 to 4 qwerty characters per key the smaller BB has only two characters per key and the bigger one a full qwerty keyboard. You can actually type very fast on both. Predictive text is much better than on phones with 3-4 characters per key.

Most PDA phones today have two issues:

1) Horrible battery life. I get about 6 hours from my i-mate.
2) To complex for average users. A non IT-literate user tends to battle setting it up and working around the numerous problems these devices still exhibit.

The upside is, of course, you have full control over most functions. And you can load 1000's of applications on it. Looking at the average profile of this forum, most people here would prefer such a PDA with phone capabilities.

If you've got a typical corporate setup (Outlook, et. al.) and want no-nonsense access to your mail, calendar and contacts with a 12 day standby battery life, the BB makes very good sense.

[caroper]

• No virus threats


I can hear the sound of a hundred keyboards clicking as kids rush to be the first to produce a Blackberry virus......

IBM used "No Virus Threats" as a feature at the launch of OS/2, within 5 hours three viruses were released into the wild.

[hArTh]

3-DES encryption is very crackable on todays PC hardware.

I have cracked 3-DES encrypted files myself.

But I guess it's fine for email ...

[zugzug]

From how I understand the pricing is that you choose a mailbox size and there is a flat monthly rate (R159 to R259) irrespective of how much mail you send and receive. I assume that you just need to keep deleting messages to keep your mailbox below the limit of 10, 25 or 50MB but you can send and receive way more than 50MB in e-mail each month.

But these options seem to be for Blackberry E-mail for Individuals (BIS). Blackberry E-mail for Enterprises (BES) seems to be different. I know your company needs to set up a Blackberry server and there are probably royalties or monthly costs for that but how does the pricing work if you want to connect to your office e-mail. Is it the same pick a mailbox size and then a flat rate applies as the BIS pricing?

And then how do the contracts work? The text below is from the conditions on the special offers on the Vodacom web site. They refer to BIS only and not BES and they say that "access to corporate e-mail is not available with this offer".

----
Contract subject to: Credit approval and debit order (SA ID and proof of earnings required). Conclusion of a standard Vodacom 24-month (plus one month cancellation) airtime agreement. Availablility of stock. Charges refered to above do not include once-off SIM and connection fees. Deals and features are package-dependent. Deals valid until 6 April 2005. While stocks last. E&OE. BlackBerry tariffs as indicated above are only applicable to the BIS (BlackBerry Internet Service) push e-mail solution and provides customers with the ability to receive existing or new Internet e-mail. Access to Corporate e-mail is not available with this offer.
---

V3G, do you know how the monthly pricing, contract options and special offers for handsets works for users looking to connect to their corporate e-mail?

[vodacom3g]

- As long as you keep the mail below the limit of the mailbox (by deleting old mail) you can send and receive as much as you like. All for a flat fee, no per meg pricing.

- BES pricing very similar to BIS, but you need the BES server at your corporate site. Best bet for pricing is to call 082 1940 to get an exact quote for your environment.

- BES contracts, once again, same as BIS. E-mail, E-mail+ and Talk100.

- Re Virusses, Blackberry runs on Java

[Gooku]

Looks like interesting alternatives to Nokia 9500 ,but I think the model 7290 (one with full qwerty keyboard) is too big to fix into my pocket.

Prices are quite competitive though.I wish it every success.

I am still waiting for Nokia 9500 to come out with 3g capabilities(only support EDGE now),if I become tired of waiting I might just bite this Blackberry. (funny name :) )

[vodacom3g]

You'll be surprised to see how small the 7260 is, much smaller and lighter than my i-mate, for example. It's a fraction the size of the 9500.

Play with one. It fits better in a shirt pocket than most phones.

RIM says this about choosing Blackberry as a name:

- "Blackberry" is a connotative name, not a descriptive name. I.e. not descriptive of any specific feature.
- "Blackberry" is an empty vessel. They can grow the product any way they like.
- " "Blackberry" is defendable.

[Diago]

Question. I have a SE P910i also capable of using PUSH technology. How will this apply to the use of my phone ? *Ignorant and newbie question, my apologies upfront*

[vodacom3g]

The push technology is implemented by the Blackberry backend servers, so you need a corresponding client on your side. Currently the 7290 and 7100 as standalone device.

Being a Symbian device, it should be possible to get a Blackberry client for the device. Will have to find out for you.

[ic]

Ok does that mean that I won't be able to get a Blackberry client for my Nokia 6820 bcos it isn't symbian os?

[vodacom3g]

No not at all, but before we run away with the Blackberry client thing let's recap:

1) The current Blackberry's are standalone devices, the 7290 and the 7100.

2) There is talk of being able to get a Blackberry software client for certain phones. I'll try and get the list tomorrow.

Symbian makes sense for one version of such a client, thus my assumption that Symbian 'could' be supported.

[ic]

Ok :cool: thanks v3g much appreciated, at the time when I researched which (Nokia) phone to get, I mistakenly thought the 6820 used Symbian os - that & the fact that what I really wanted was the 6810 are the only disappointments I have with my 6820 (oh and memory as well) :).

[caspa]

Vodacom 3G........with a blackberry device are you able to send and recieve email via bluetooth to say a laptop or desktop and still only pay a fixed monthly fee.???? (Holding thumbs)

[fergus]

Looks like the Blackberry Connect client has just been released as beta (http://www.blackberrycool.com/2005/02/14/00181/) for the Treo.

[Diago]

Thanks v3g. That would be awesome since I use the P910i on the move all the time, but have to admit it would be nice to get my mail instantly.

Will look around as well regarding the Symbian Client.

[VQuest]

I hope the SE P910i will be supported because after a great deal of research I think this is the phone I'll be getting next.

IC: I was also looking at the 6820 because I found the keyboard interesting, but the one reason I didn't go for it is because it didn't have Symbian OS, which is essential for me. There are unfortunately not too many choices when it comes to Symbian OS in SA.

V3G: If Vodacom can come out with a product which offers unlimited email for R159+ a month, why can't they come out with a product which offers unlimited email and browsing for a low fixed price? Downloads can then be charged per MB. Surely this must be possible? I'd sign up without a second thought.

[vodacom3g]

Vodacom 3G........with a blackberry device are you able to send and recieve email via bluetooth to say a laptop or desktop and still only pay a fixed monthly fee.???? (Holding thumbs)

You have to love the entrepreneurial spirit of the forum :)

Not to sure if this will work.

1) There's a client/server connection between the Blackberry BIS or BES server and the client on the device. That means the mail will terminate on the device.

2) I believe the bluetooth is voice only.

However ( ;) ), what if you had a Blackberry client on your PC? Not implying they exist, but if they did, it should work.

Just remember, you need a Blackberry contract for any of this to work, including running a client on your mobile.

[cybernaire]

V3g,

I work for an international company and we access our emails on a server in London. They already have all the licensing and software sorted out and installed on that side. According to our UK IT guys this should be a simple process.

I’m trying to find out whether we can just get the BIS packages and whether that will work with our email server or whether the BES stuff only works if it is integrated/installed by Vodacom in SA?

We have been waiting for Vodacom or MTN to launch this and we are like kids on Christmas day – we want to go and get it now ;-) , but don’t want to realise later that it won’t work…..

Please help!

[vodacom3g]

Not being the authoritative source on BB, I'd say you just need the local BES subscription (about the same as BIS) and you should be up and running.

Won't you PM me your contact details and we'll get you up and running?

It's a really cool device for getting Outlook in your pocket.

When I receive an e-mail on my corporate Outlook desktop client, my BB beebs about 3 second BEFORE it appears in my mail box!

[vodacom3g]

Thanks v3g. That would be awesome since I use the P910i on the move all the time, but have to admit it would be nice to get my mail instantly.

Will look around as well regarding the Symbian Client.

Just got a call from someone who has a P910i with the Blackberry client installed....

[Diago]

Great. I'll have a look for it tonite. Can I assume that it will therefore work and what needs to be done for it to work ?

[vodacom3g]

Once again, remember that Blackberry is a SERVICE that's implemented with a special client/server architecture. Clients can be standalone devices or potentially software clients you can load onto a handset.

BUT, if you don't have a BB contract, you're not going to get the service. So you have to subscribe to a BB contract.

There is a 'bolt-on' contract available that will be one to use with an existing handset for R159 / month.

[Diago]

Ok. Reread original post an have a further question. If I get the BB service as an add on to my existing contract, will I still be charged no data for my e-mail. I am currently using GPRS to send and receive e-mail and loaded a minimum MyMeg package for this, how will this be affected by BB ?

[vodacom3g]

Diago, quite right.

If you take the Blackberry bolt-on, all mail is included. Normal WEB browsing is not, this will still go against normal GPRS usage.

If you look at pure price/capacity, you'll have to so the sums to see where you can best spend your money, the BB service or a GPRS bundle, i.e. do you do more than R159 worth of e-mail a month, around 155Mb.

[Diago]

Thanks v3g. As much as the bb solution seems nice I think for the moment it will be an overkill. My e-mail is not mission critical at the moment and I need to weigh up the need for a new toy compared to the montly cost. Out of interest according to the BB website and SE websites the P910i can be configured by default to use BB but a Symbian client is planned for release first quarter.... I assume this month then.

[Edinetz]

If you take the Blackberry bolt-on, all mail is included. Normal WEB browsing is not, this will still go against normal GPRS usage.


I assume 'all mail is included' excludes mail send/receveived whilst roaming - I don't see it specifically mentioned or any *'s.

[vodacom3g]

Good question. Let me call the experts.

OK, there will be a charge for roaming. This will be a function of the foreign network GPRS charges. Still awaiting feedback on tariffs.

More importantly, some countries have a ban on DES encryption devices. If you're going to travel with your Blackberry, be aware of this. Otherwise you might have to leave your BB behind at the airport.

Will see if we've got a list.

[VazLube]

More importantly, some countries have a ban on DES encryption devices. If you're going to travel with your Blackberry, be aware of this. Otherwise you might have to leave your BB behind at the airport.

I am guessing France is one of them?

BTW BB on P910 info here (http://www.blackberry.com/products/licensing/connect/sonyericsson_p910.shtml)

[kaspaas]

Can the BB be used as a wireless modem for a PC?

Can the BB download normal POP3 mail?

[fergus]

Don't get your hopes up about roaming with blackberry / GPRS. Last I checked it was about R100 / meg using GPRS while roaming.

[vodacom3g]

Can the BB be used as a wireless modem for a PC?

Can the BB download normal POP3 mail?

No, Bluetooth Audio only
Yes, up to 10 accounts

[Edinetz]

Don't get your hopes up about roaming with blackberry / GPRS. Last I checked it was about R100 / meg using GPRS while roaming.

I'm not - I just don't want to read sob stories about how they weren't told that when they signed their contract. I think Optus - Australia takes it with R306/MB

[cybernaire]

Is it possible to get like the Messenger contract and add a 20MB GPRS data bundle to it? That way you can get 20MB worth of email a month for R70! Might be worth investigating this for my Qtek 1010 lying around and forget about the Blackberry.

[vodacom3g]

Will work a treat. :)

[ic]

v3g, I am still getting clued up on BB, but when you say Outlook in your pocket, does that mean it has a kind of PocketPC edition of Outlook?

If so, here's a WhatIf? - you use Mozilla ThunderTweety on your desktop & want the same on your BB?

:D

[Edinetz]

I would think 'Outlook in you procket' would more likely refer to having a MS Exchange client in your pocket.

[vodacom3g]

The Blackberry architecture consists of a Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) that connects to your Exchange server as well as to the BB device itself.

The BES will get any mail destined for your mailbox, reformat it for the BB device and send it down to the BB over GPRS. If you 'open' an attachment the same happens, the BES server renders the document and pushes the text down to the BB.

So there's no client in the traditional sense on the BB itself, it merely displays text already rendered on the BES.

[cybernaire]

For anyone interested we finally got a blackberry working with our mail servers in London. In the end it was very easy to do as well, just had to change the Blackberry package from BES to BIS and it connected no problem.

It is really a great product. The best way I can describe it is email working like SMS. So imagine getting a phone without SMS - that is what it would be like if you had to use a blackberry for a while and then exchange it again for a normal phone.

Does anyone know what the blackberry roaming costs will be? Travelling to Aus next week and was wondering what the costs will be using the Blackberry over there. Will it be the same as internet gprs roaming costs? Or is all email free, including roaming?

Thanks

[vodacom3g]

Glad you got it working!

Currently it's GPRS roaming tariffs.

In addition to e-mail, you also have full SMS capabilities as well as the Blackberry PIN messaging system. A bit like Blackberry to Blackberry IM.

[Gooku]

Has any member taste this Blackberry yet ?

I am quite tempted but waiting to find one around me to check it out first before walking out of Vodashop with a 24 m contract .

My Nokia 9210i has finally succumb to the force of gravity ,starting to behave very strangly lately :(


I dont think the demand is good at this time,everyone is waiting for someone else to try it out first :)

[ic]

CNA Hatfield had a sign up outside advertising Vodacom Blackberry on Monday - I didn't have time to ask if they had stock of them yet.

[Gooku]

I consider myself as "early adaptors",I have emails in my pocket since 1999. but

Even I am reluctant to try this out first.to take the first bite.

The name just sounds too poisionous,who knows what we will eat........

[ic]

I've been hearing about Blackberry for at least 2 years now - mostly USA tv series stuff - them actors will be in a bind according to their part in the script & they'll say oh, I know, I'll use my Blackberry to call in the troops, or alert the president about the escaped terrorist... or something. And I've been sitting there thinking what on earth is this Blackberry thing they keep going on about.

If I can find some Blackberry bridging/protocol application that'll work on my 6820 then I think I will try it out - rather keep my Nokia & try get Blackberry protocol working on my 6820 than get a Blackberry phone+pda device.

[cybernaire]

Has anyone tried the BIS service for the Blackberries yet? I'm very interested in getting the BIS (and not the BES) and was wondering whether someone is prepared to write a short review? I'm particularly interested in
1) browsing experience
2) is it possible to synchronise calendars and contacts with a desktop or something wirelessly (I know you would be able to do this with the cradle)
3) instant messaging
4) essential software available and which should be installed

(Most of these questions are based on what the BES package offers. If anyone is interested you can get a third party hosted BES solution from someone like www.myblueberry.com - I have been unable to confirm what the monthly costs will be if you change your package from BIS to BES)

[diabolus]

Just an interesting news report :

http://www.betanews.com/article/BlackBerry_Links_Up_With_AIM_Yahoo_IM/1110811744


Research In Motion announced Monday it has inked deals with America Online and Yahoo to bring instant messaging to its BlackBerry wireless platform. RIM will pre-install full color, graphical IM clients for AIM, ICQ and Yahoo IM networks in the coming months to enable chatting while on the go.

An enhanced Yahoo Mail and mobile Yahoo Messenger client will utilize the handheld device's "push" technology that automatically sends messages directly to the user.



Does it mean messenger service for a similar 'flatrate' might be coming here too? I'd be very interested in that as i'mn using messenger services alot more than one would originally have thought for business.

Of course this also means the death of SMS.

[ebendl]

Of course this also means the death of SMS.

I wish - most people I know would go on sending SMSes for years to come while I embrace Blackberry, 3G, GPRS or whatever the future holds. Problem is - I can't really talk to them without sending an SMS when it is the only thing they know, can I?

[kvi]

so... the push technology on sony ericsson phones... will it now or will it not work?

[telkomsuig]

I am definatly going to get a Blackberry from Vodacom I think they have put together an excellent package especially the fact that mails are unlimited and you don't have the normal stupid overpriced BS which one would expect from telecoms in SA.

Just one question RIM recently announced that AOL will be available on the Blackberry platform as part of the "push" side of the technology. Will this be available in SA too or is it network dependant ie only US networks?

Thanks to Vodacom for participating in this forum...you have gained a lot of respect from me due to this (I used to be a MTN customer!).

Another question any idea when 3g Blackberries will become available?

[vodacom3g]

I'll check on the availability of AOL on the local BB, but can't see why not.

Will also check on 3G BB's, but here I'm not to sure. GPRS works very well for mail push and with the country-wide GPRS coverage plus the excellent battery life of the current BB, I believe it's a well placed product using GPRS.

A 3G PDA-phone should be available before a 3G BB.

kvi, the BB clients for the SE pda phones do work. They're being sold in this configuration in Europe and I know of at least one person who downloaded the client and installed it locally, purely as a test, of course. Can't comment on the legality of this, but Google is a wonderful thing.

Remember, even with the SE client, or any BB client for that matter, you still need a BB contract or bolt-on.

[ScrnScrm]

Hi - the current crop of BlackBerries only support GPRS technologies... 3G devices are immenent however. Some things to look out for on this service :
a. For corporates, requires additional middleware server (Blackberry Enterprise Server).
b. This server requires a company specific APN and/or Firewall change.
c. Its not the only feasible solution out there!

My personal recommendations if you are looking for this type of service :
a. Procure a Nokia 6630 (you will get EDGE and 3G, so its MUCH faster). AlternativeLY, if you current phone supports IMAP and SMTP it will also work fine.
b. If you are a corporate, install an APN (R2800 Registration and R700/month)
c. Use the symbion mail client in conjunction with IMAP to connect directly to your mailbox "Live" (via the APN if you are a corporate - no VPN client required)

Going this route protects you against device dependance, and you will be able to rollout to a lot of your existing devices, effectively saving on capital expenditure. you also get the added benefit with an APN that if you need to connect to a backend ErP system for mobile applications, it is MUCH easier and MUCH more functional than BlackBerry.

Just my 2c worth :-)

thanks for all the info v3g - i am not shooting your solution down. just pointing out that in my mind, vodacom have far better alternatives to Blackberry...

[vodacom3g]

Not at all,

Being a longtime user of PDA phones, I agree with your type of setup, *IF* you have a sophisticated user base.

I personally use an i-mate synced to my corporate mail as well as two personal pop3 accounts. Works very well and using a PDA allows me to do many other things. Can't wait for the 3G PDA's to come out. :)

However, I just travelled for two weeks and found after a few days that I used my Blackberry (synced to the same mail accounts) more than my i-mate. This is indicative of the two different target markets:

1) Blackberry is aimed at the no-nonsense, no frills user who want access to his corporate mail, calender, contacts, etc. It does not have a sexy user interface, cannot be expanded, but is just about foolproof to use and the battery lasts forever. I charged my BB once in the last two weeks.

I see the BB as an "Outlook Appliance"

2) 3G or GPRS PDA phones are more aimed at the power user who is capable of (and enjoys) fiddling with the device. It more difficult to set up, battery life sucks (needs to charge my i-mate daily) and if you don't charge it in time, you could lose everything installed, on M$ devices, in any case.

The upside is lots of configuration possibilities, for example, my Nokia 6600 is also a full voice-routing GPS but it was a mission to set up.

From a corporate support view, a device like BB makes more sense as it's 'locked down', i.e. the end users can't (really) stuff it up. Think if a corporate support desk must try and support every phone / setup combination to access mail. Opex would quickly exceed the Capex of rolling out BB's.

I currently carry both the i-mate and the BB, voice and PDA on the i-mate, mail on the BB.

PS. For those typo's try ieSpell (http://www.iespell.com/) Adds spell checking to IE.

[ScrnScrm]

I got a 6630, and I synch back via an APN with my Exch2003 server using 3G. It flies, and since I set it up, havent had a single problem (other than when Exch is down :-) )
I am the Networks Manager for a large corp, and we have APNs on both Voda and MTN - we need it for the SAP mobile apps. Given that we have the technology in place already, to me it was just logical extending it to mail. The 6630 supports most java apps. And if you are configuring for SAP, might as well do mail at the same time :-)
However, I am starting to get extreme pressure from the exec to investigate BlackBerry for the points your mentioned above (like simplicity - id10t proof), so guess I will have to relent :-)

a bit off topic here - you have any idea why Voda havent certified the 6630? I had to get one from a MTN contact, but use it on Voda 3G all the time and havent had a single hassle. A bit daft having to get a 3G phone from MTN when they dont even support it yet, but cant get one from Voda. *sigh* must be a supply/demand thing.

Will download the spell checker shortly - thanks for the link!

[vodacom3g]

Two problems with the 6630.

1) It failed UMTS certification (!) and 2) it does not have a video calling camera.

Can you please check the version of your 6630 and let me know?

[ScrnScrm]

firmware is v 2.39.15 11-11-04 RM-1
well that is what is reported by *#0000# anyway :-)
very suprised to hear that it failed UMTS certification! i havent had any problems. that i know of at least. *gosh*
it does have a video calling camera by the way, its in the cradle...
the reason i got the phone is because i wanted 3g/edge for data access and for testing. i am not really interested in video calling. i had an e1000 during the vlive testing and found the video calling not so cool....

[vodacom3g]

Thanks for the version number. I'm going to pass it to the testing center.

A Vodafone spec indicates all 3G phones should support video calling from the handset.

[cybernaire]

Thought I should give people some feedback about my experiences with the Blackberry (BB) over the past 10 days since I got mine.

I'm used to smartphones, pocket pc phones, pocket pc PDAs etc so using the BB was a new experiences. The approach is very different from anything I've used before.

I've never been able to find a PDA phone which meets all my requirements, which are:
1. Ability to read email
2. Ability to browse
3. Instant messenging
4. Personal Information management (PIM - contacts, calendar, etc)

ABILITY TO READ EMAIL:
This device excels at this task. This is what it is designed for. If you need your email on the go I've never seen anything as user friendly. I've forwarded all my pop3 emails to my gmail account and from there to my BIS account. This way I don't need to have a large BIS email account because I can delete emails because I know I've got a backup copy of all the emails on my 1Gb gmail account. My brother also got the BB and we exchanged emails almost as quickly as talking on a instant messenger program. One problem with the emails though - no HTML capabilities. There are some 3rd party software that can read HTML emails but I haven't tried it yet. But that is the only problem with the email client. I actually find that it doesn't feel like I get so much emails anymore because I read them the moment they arrive.

ABILITY TO BROWSE:
The BIS browser client sucks! I think part of the problem was that I was down at the coast the past 10 days and maybe the GPRS signal there is not so strong, but then again I had no problem with email. I'm back in JHB and it seems like there is an improvement in the browsing, but only in terms of actually getting to the site. It takes about 2 minutes to open the News24 site for example. Accessing WAP sites are fine, but that's not what I want. Again there is 3rd party software for browsing, which I would seriously consider if it provides faster access. Browsing is probably better than most phones but is way worse than Pocket PC Internet Explorer.

INSTANT MESSENGING
I used an application called Verichat. Works 100%. You can set custom notifications etc and you can basically always be online using this client. One downside to this is that you need to use the TCP gateway and the GPRS data is therefore not free. I'm pleased with the IM access and is probably the best I've used on any PDA/phone.

PIM
Best I've used on any phone/PDA. Synchronisation with Microsoft Outlook is extremely fast and very good. First sync with a PDA and Outlook where ALL the information is synced correctly. Even better than Pocket PC. But you don't have the real time sync when the BB is connected to the PC.

OTHER
Battery life is amazing. Charged it twice in ten days.
I found the QWERTY keyboard amazingly easy to use and also found it very easy to type long emails quickly.
The BB is "locked down" - there is really not a lot you can change to the device compared to Pocket PC devices. You can however install 3rd party applications. Apparently there was a problem before where you had to use a BES server to use any of the internet applications but this is no longer true, so there are a lot more applications available for the BB.

So based on all of this I would give the BB 9/10 and it could easily have been a 10/10 if it had a browser equivalent to something on Pocket PC or the Nokia 9500.

But now I have to qualify the 9/10 - If you only use the BB for personal email you might want to consider another solution before you sign a 24 month contract. The main advantage of this device is the push email technology where you receive your emails the moment it is arrives in your mailbox on the server. If this is important to you then by all means go for it. Another reason to go for it is if you are in the market for a PDA type phone anyway then this might also be the way to go.

Please note that all of this is based on a BIS package. If you have a BES package and all the necessary software on your server then I understand you have the following additional advantages:
1. Browsing can be better because the BES server apparently formats the page and sends it back
2. Wireless sync of Calendar and Contacts

A good resource for information on BBs can be found at http://www.blackberryforums.com/

[Trevor]

Cybernaire,

Tnx for that great info.

My question to forum: "Is Blackberry available [24/7/365] in RSA wherever a Vodacom Cell. signal is present?"

Trevor

[vodacom3g]

Yes, BB is a 2.5G device with a GSM phone and GPRS data capabilities.

[qDot]

...
One downside to this is that you need to use the TCP gateway and the GPRS data is therefore not free.


I just need clarification here,


Blackberry contracts start @ R159.00. TRUE/FALSE
Blackberry limits are a function of the size of your mailbox on the "BlackBerry Server". TRUE/FALSE
Blackberry uses gprs to send mail to the unit. TRUE/FALSE
Blackberry wont charge for data traffic as long as that traffic mail. TRUE/FALSE
Blackberry uses gprs to find contacts on your outlook. TRUE/FALSE
Blackberry wont charge for this traffic (finding contacts) even for an address book with 50 000 contacts. TRUE/FALSE

[cybernaire]

I just need clarification here,


Blackberry contracts start @ R159.00. TRUE/FALSE
Blackberry limits are a function of the size of your mailbox on the "BlackBerry Server". TRUE/FALSE
Blackberry uses gprs to send mail to the unit. TRUE/FALSE
Blackberry wont charge for data traffic as long as that traffic mail. TRUE/FALSE
Blackberry uses gprs to find contacts on your outlook. TRUE/FALSE
Blackberry wont charge for this traffic (finding contacts) even for an address book with 50 000 contacts. TRUE/FALSE

True if you are an existing subscriber, but then you have to pay the full price for the blackberry unless you are eligible for an upgrade

True if you use BIS otherwise it is limited by your company mailbox size

True

True

True

True if you use BES, then it will look for the address over GPRS on your exchange/Notes server - if you use BIS your address book will sync with MS Outlook or Notes to download your address book to the blackberry using the USB cable.

[Trevor]

Vodacom 3 G,

What is the Blackberry email address format given to users?: " user@????.???"

Tnx,
TB

[qDot]

True if you are an existing subscriber, but then you have to pay the full price for the blackberry unless you are eligible for an upgrade

True if you use BIS otherwise it is limited by your company mailbox size

True

True

True

True if you use BES, then it will look for the address over GPRS on your exchange/Notes server - if you use BIS your address book will sync with MS Outlook or Notes to download your address book to the blackberry using the USB cable.


Thank you so much. Management have asked to find out what I can about this product, you know how they are. They just want the new toy; odd, considering that they never open their own mail; that task is always the reserve of their assistant's.

Some even insist on their assistants printing out each mail !!!

[vodacom3g]

Vodacom 3 G,

What is the Blackberry email address format given to users?: " user@????.???"

Tnx,
TB

user@mobileemail.vodafonesa.co.za

[Trevor]

All,

Is it possible to transfer email messages on the BB to be readable on the PC with Outlook?

Trevor

[Trevor]

[QUOTE=qDot]I just need clarification here,

Blackberry wont charge for data traffic as long as that traffic mail. TRUE/FALSE

NOT TRUE !!! Check your data usage.

I never opened the browser for 24 hours, nor used a link in an email and I was ONLINE FOR 16 HOURS !!

The cost is not the issue....you are billed for data.

Trevor :mad:

[vodacom3g]

To confirm, you'll NOT pay for any traffic over the Blackberry APN. This APN is used for all Blackberry e-mail, up or down, with or without attachments.

You will pay your bundle or out-of-bundle rates for any traffic over the Internet APN, i.e. browsing, WAP, etc.

Just remember, if you directly access an Internet mail service such as gmail, it will count as normal WEB browsing and will be billed.

You Blackberry account (user@mobileemail.vodafonesa.co.za) will not be charged. You must set up all your mail accounts to relay through the BB account. Then all mail will be free of charge.

[Trevor]

V3G,

Accepted.

I called 155 for answers and they could not help either. I have no applications open , but my itemised bill shows data transfer, albeit minimal. Also the login seconds equals 15 hours plus.

Please explain.

Thanx ,

Trevor

[vodacom3g]

Trevor, got your PM, so, if OK, will handle this off-line till we have an explanation for the forum.

[ic]

V3G,
...
Please explain.

Thanx ,

TrevorTrevor, I think v3g needs to see your billing info first, I suggest sending a p.m. with your contact & other details...;)

[Trevor]

ic,

Done so, we are communicating.

T

[telkomsuig]

I would like to get a Ipaq (the phone model) does any of the vodacom service providers offer this on a contract and secondly is there a Blackberry plugin available yet for PocketPc's.

[vodacom3g]

Best is to ask a few of the retail shops, I know they have the i-mate available.

There is a BB PPC client available, but not yet released locally.

[caspa]

V3G....is there a client for symbian 6.0

[vodacom3g]

I'll get a list of clients from the BB team.

[bosun]

V3G....is there a client for symbian 6.0

Imagine you means symbian series 60 - the most commonly known ones, 3650, 7650, 6600 do not support a BB client

However there is talk of support for series 80

http://press.nokia.com/PR/200409/959823_5.html

and it appears the Nokia 6820 supports the BB client (not sure what symbian series this one is)

[briantw]

I would like to get a Ipaq (the phone model) does any of the vodacom service providers offer this on a contract and secondly is there a Blackberry plugin available yet for PocketPc's.

Incredible Connection has a special on the iPAQ 6340 - was R 5 999,00, now R 3 999,00.

This is a great deal, and they have a payment plan if you need, which is, sort of, like how you pay your phone off with a contract, no?

My only issue with the iPAQ phone is no 3G. I have an hx4700, and it also has a hi-res 480x640 screen, as opposed to the 6340's 240x320.

http://www.incredible.co.za/services/catalog/moreinfo.asp?sku=49459

[telkomsuig]

Thanks the price is only an issue because even if you use your own phone you pay the full subsription....Don't see why Vodacom can't subsidise the ipaq...

[vodacom3g]

The 6340 has not yet been submitted for network testing. Last model received was the 6310 and that failed the testing, mostly due to stability reasons.

[caspa]

telkomsuig: check out
http://www.leafwireless.com/?pid=155

[Diago]

Anyone seen the Telkom I-Mate. Noticed one at one of the Telkom shops this weekend but never got a change to ask about it ? Offers GSM network connection - Is Vodacom sponsering this then ?

[bosun]

Got my Dangleberry on Wednesday, got it configured with our BES server yesterday.

Both a pleasure and a curse, a pleasure because no longer will I run from one meeting to another only to find that the second meeting was cancelled 5 minutes before I got there and the e-mail was sent to my desk (which I did not visit) - a curse, because now by boss reckons I should be available 24/7.

Some lovely (gimmicky) features on the device - auto On/Off at preset times (why have I never seen this on any other device .... *feigns ignorance* sorry boss, for some reason my phone was off while I was sleeping and it didn't beep when you sent me the e-mail at 2am) for instance.

The calendar synchronisation is fantastic. I lived and died by my calendar on my 6600 (relying on bluetooth sync when I got to my PC) but what the BB offers is just SOOOO much more - full Exchange details including attachments, docs to be read before meeting, list of attendees etc. I love this feature.

In fairness, I cannot comment on the voice quality, and have heard a few derogatory remarks from colleagues, however this is not an issue for me, since I think in the last 4 years I have used my full 100 minutes allocation in a month once... I am just not much of a talker. But as you can see - I have no problem writing ;)

Lookup facilities to the corporate Exchange user list is great, so long as the information stored there is up to date, complete and accurate (and I must say, as a company, we are pretty good about this)

Still need to learn the tricks, hot keys etc which will make using this device easier and more useful, and I also imagine, as the user base (worldwide) grows, more toys will become available to this platform.

Will feedback in a month, and see if I am still so enthusiastic.

BTW - if you are not much of a talker, and can get by on 100 minutes a month, it might be worth looking at the BB Talk100 option from Vodacom, as this is only about 40 or so bucks more than the normal T100.