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R E V I E W

E-Mail Without Wires

May 29, 2003
By Dave Molta

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Research in Motion (RIM)

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	In this article
	Introduction
	Selection Criteria
	Synchrologic
	Extended Systems
	Good Technology
	Research in Motion (RIM)
	Sprint-Seven
	T-Mobile
	Executive Summary \| Scenario \| Evaluating Wireless E-Mail ROI
	Responses To RFIs

RIM is the early market leader in enterprise wireless e-mail, with about 400,000 users in about 200 enterprises, according to Gartner estimates. Many users like the always-on, e-mail push approach, as well as the BlackBerry devices, which have an elegant design. And now that RIM offers special device models that support most of the popular cellular voice standards, as well as local Java applications, the BlackBerry is morphing into a multifunction communication device. It's an appealing solution, but the overall system design lacks some of the power of RIM's upstart competitors.

RIM's response to our RFI was very good, providing a clear description of the system's architecture as well as the company's position in the wireless e-mail market, stressing the availability of a range of RIM-compatible mobile applications that could be of interest to MSE.

The BlackBerry Enterprise Server is a behind-the-firewall solution that centralizes control of handhelds and manages secure connections between handhelds and the enterprise, including support for Exchange and Domino, ISP e-mail, and RIM's own e-mail service. The latest version for Exchange extends the system's capabilities beyond e-mail to other types of corporate data.

The BlackBerry system has a push architecture. When an e-mail message arrives in a user's enterprise inbox, a copy is pushed to the handheld. However, unlike rival Good, the system does not provide bidirectional wireless synchronization of e-mail, though RIM does offer bidirectional calendar sync. To synchronize mobile and desktop e-mail, you must cradle the BlackBerry at your desktop or notebook. While such an approach may be viewed as an inconvenience, the wired sync approach does let users perform some tasks, including message filtering and application installation, more quickly than if they were performing these operations wirelessly.

The BlackBerry wireless device's many variations provide much more than simple e-mail. They are full-featured handheld computers that include an integrated Web browser and lots of third-party applications. RIM takes advantage of these capabilities by offering a Web client designed to access Internet-standard e-mail in real time, but the system supports only POP3.

RIM stressed the maturity of its server platform and a number of management-oriented features. It effectively addressed issues of scalability, security and low-cost administration, demonstrating a clear understanding of some of the most important enterprise issues. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server includes a nice selection of device-management capabilities, including policy-based remote deployment and upgrade of desktop and handheld software, performance monitoring tools, alert notification, event monitoring and asset tracking. RIM has been certified as FIPS-140-compliant, which is often a requirement for government-oriented applications.

RIM's Mobile Data Service is its solution for wireless-enabling other enterprise applications. The standards-oriented system allows access to data through the BlackBerry browser or via Java applications. RIM also touted its third-party developers that offer specialized BlackBerry-enabled applications supporting CRM, ERP, SFA (sales force automation), business intelligence and decision support.

In addressing the issue of ROI, RIM provided results of a recent study by Ipsos-Reid. The study found that more than 90 percent of BlackBerry users felt the system improved their ability to stay on top of e-mail and convert downtime into productive time, almost an hour per day on average.

BlackBerry devices are sold by wireless carriers, typically for $350 to $500; carriers bundle them with specific service plans, which begin at about $40 a month but can often exceed $100 for typical users. Pricing for the BlackBerry Enterprise Server begins at around $1,000 for five users, increasing to $5,000 for 20 users, with additional licenses available on sliding price scale.

Research In Motion, (519) 888-7465, (877)-BLK-BERRY. www.blackberry.com