How to "sync" with MS Exchange

[w1tw0lf]

I understand what you are saying, but then it shouldnt be called bes but bisbes

On my Service status on my torch, it shows both bis and bes connected to mobile network.

 

[TheGuy]

@TheGuy, a BES server is actually quite easy to set up and maintain. The BES software is pretty solid, and I do minimal maintenance on our server. The only time you touch it (outside of actual probems) is to add users to it. It's really not as much of a mission as some people might think.

I'm also running one here at work and it's just the extra work it involves as Exchange has Active sync by default so RIM could have just interfaced with that.

 

[rainynight65]

BIS is aimed at individual users. Gives you your Vodafone SatNav, browsing on device, facebook and all the other goodies. BES does exactly the same thing that BIS can do, but with the added functionality of OTA sync with your companies exchange server, provided that your company has a BES server installed ontop of the company mail server. So, if you have BES, you will be able to do whatever a BIS client can do and more.

BUT, it is still two different VAS's with different pricing for each and different service codes on our system. When you are on BIS, and request us to activate BES for you, then the system will automatically delete BIS and load BES for activation. Otherwise you will be charged R157.00 instead of just R98.00 for BES. That would just be stupid and unfair. That my friends is why you cant have BIS and BES services active at the same time on our system. But dont be fooled...I REPEAT....BES will give you everything BIS has to offer....BUT with MORE functionality.OC

I understand what you're saying, and that was how I understood it all along. Vodacom's BES is basically BIS/BES. (MTN are a tad more fickle, as mentioned before). So it's more a case of "you don't need" instead of "you can't"

But this only goes for prepaid and bolt-ons, right? I mean, if you have a BB contract like the Talk 100, the sub is the same whether you need BIS only or BIS/BES...

 

[Ockie]

I understand what you are saying, but then it shouldnt be called bes but bisbes

bisbes sounds too much like a Lesbian that thinks she might be bisexual! Give that name to a service that is utilised by a phone that is manufactured by a company called RIM is just a bad...VERY bad idea! *giggles*

 

[rainynight65]

I'm also running one here at work and it's just the extra work it involves as Exchange has Active sync by default so RIM could have just interfaced with that.

But the BES gives you way more than just ActiveSync. At a time when we had 20 users on our BES, we also had a handful of WinMo devices that would go onto the Exchange via ActiveSync, and I am telling you, in a corporate environment it's a pain in the proverbial. At this point in time everyone in our company who needs mobile access to their mail has a BlackBerry, purely because it's a unified interface and you don't have to deal with the fickleness of different devices and operating systems. With BES you have all your devices centrally managed (we now have over 100), you have device policies, remote wipe/lock facilities, automatic backup of your device settings... If you do more than just have a couple of personal devices poll their business mail, BES is the way to go.

 

[TheGuy]

Alright....let me try and explain a bit more. I have had to do this a few times already this year...and the more I try and explain it...the more people tend to tell me I am talking out of my @ss!

BIS is aimed at individual users. Gives you your Vodafone SatNav, browsing on device, facebook and all the other goodies. BES does exactly the same thing that BIS can do, but with the added functionality of OTA sync with your companies exchange server, provided that your company has a BES server installed ontop of the company mail server. So, if you have BES, you will be able to do whatever a BIS client can do and more.

BUT, it is still two different VAS's with different pricing for each and different service codes on our system. When you are on BIS, and request us to activate BES for you, then the system will automatically delete BIS and load BES for activation. Otherwise you will be charged R157.00 instead of just R98.00 for BES. That would just be stupid and unfair. That my friends is why you cant have BIS and BES services active at the same time on our system. But dont be fooled...I REPEAT....BES will give you everything BIS has to offer....BUT with MORE functionality.

OC

This is how things were before BES Express. With BES Express you can interface with your companies Exchange server using only BIS.

 

[Ockie]

I understand what you're saying, and that was how I understood it all along. Vodacom's BES is basically BIS/BES. (MTN are a tad more fickle, as mentioned before). So it's more a case of "you don't need" instead of "you can't"

But this only goes for prepaid and bolt-ons, right? I mean, if you have a BB contract like the Talk 100, the sub is the same whether you need BIS only or BIS/BES...

Ya well, thats cause MTN is STOEPID! hehe.

Yes, I just double checked and the price for a Blackberry Talk 100 is the same for the BES and BIS option.

 

[Park@82]

MTN are fickle enough to differentiate more.

How does MTN handle BES, BIS and BES/BIS?

 

[rainynight65]

How does MTN handle BES, BIS and BES/BIS?

Exactly like that.

Vodacom has BIS and BES (which as per ocleroux is actually BIS/BES). With MTN you can end up having BES without BIS and BIS without BES, and depending on how hard you stomp on their customer service, you might even get BIS and BES.

 

[Claymore]

This is how things were before BES Express. With BES Express you can interface with your companies Exchange server using only BIS.

With one caveat: you can't activate a BIS device over the air; you have to connect it by USB cable to activate it on the server.

 

[Claymore]

I'm also running one here at work and it's just the extra work it involves as Exchange has Active sync by default so RIM could have just interfaced with that.

Setting a BES server up is easier than an Exchange OWA server...

 

[Claymore]

BUT, it is still two different VAS's with different pricing for each and different service codes on our system. When you are on BIS, and request us to activate BES for you, then the system will automatically delete BIS and load BES for activation. Otherwise you will be charged R157.00 instead of just R98.00 for BES. That would just be stupid and unfair. That my friends is why you cant have BIS and BES services active at the same time on our system. But dont be fooled...I REPEAT....BES will give you everything BIS has to offer....BUT with MORE functionality.

And then you get the packages. I'm on a Vodacom BlackBerry Talk 100; it works with BES, but if I log a call with Vodacom for issues with our BES server, they can't use my phone number as a reference because it's not on BES.

 

[Claymore]

@TheGuy, a BES server is actually quite easy to set up and maintain. The BES software is pretty solid, and I do minimal maintenance on our server. The only time you touch it (outside of actual probems) is to add users to it. It's really not as much of a mission as some people might think.

Agreed, it really is easy.