RIM Announces New Enterprise Server Release

Research In Motion this week announced the availability of its BlackBerry Enterprise Server v4.0 Release Candidate. Current BlackBerry customers with Microsoft Exchange and IBM Lotus Domino environments can sign up to preview the product by visiting www.blackberry.com/go/productpreview.

Among the product's new features is simplified deployment. The software lets users connect their handheld to BlackBerry Enterprise Server with cradleless wireless provisioning. Further, IT departments with BlackBerry Enterprise Server v4.0 will be provided with additional statistics regarding handhelds that are deployed for enhanced administration and asset tracking. IT departments will also be able to remotely control the applications that can be installed on handhelds.

BlackBerry supports Triple DES (Data Encryption Standard) and S/MIME (Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) and FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) government certification. With BlackBerry Enterprise Server v4.0, additional security features are offered though full support of AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) and content protection on the handheld with local data encryption.

According to the company, the new version offers users improved attachment-handling capabilities, and an enriched browser environment for wireless access to Internet and intranet applications. In addition, BlackBerry Enterprise Server v4.0 provides Java development tools that can assist developers in the creation and deploy applications for BlackBerry. The Mobile Data Service feature of BlackBerry Enterprise Server gives ISVs and in-house corporate developers an environment that supports corporate data access and interaction capabilities beyond e-mail.

General availability is expected later this year.