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**BlackBerry Enterprise Server 4.1, starts at $2,999, Small Business Edition starts at $1,099. Research In Motion, (877) 255-2377, (519) 888-7465. www.blackberry.com |
RIM has unified server and device administration in a single interface, eliminating the Handheld Configuration Tool that was used for many device-management tasks in previous versions. Although some capabilities were tricky to configure at first, requiring changes outside of the BlackBerry Manager GUI, those tended to be options that administrators would "set and forget," such as preparing the BlackBerry configuration database for administration using Windows-based accounts and groups. It's also nice to see that you now can use the administrative console to create groups, add users to them and assign software configurations and policies at the group-level, facilitating the management of enterprise-scale deployments.
RIM also has enhanced its support for role-based administration. BES 4.1 has a number of pre-defined administrative roles, ranging from full control to basic user management. Because all system configuration is stored in an SQL database, these roles can be tied to SQL logins for administrators, but those operating Windows networks will prefer to associate these roles with Windows users or groups to minimize the number of accounts to track. But that requires manually setting the permissions to give those Windows accounts access to the SQL database, the process for which will vary based on the database you use.
Grow Your Own
RIM released the Mobile Data System (MDS), an upgrade to its Mobile Data Services, as an add-on for BES 4.0 in late November. Now its capabilities have been more fully integrated into BES 4.1. Significant is support for Web Services and a new visual development environment, MDS Studio, for creating BlackBerry applications. MDS Studio lets you rapidly prototype an application, by querying a WSDL (Web Services Description Language) URL and creating the applications screens and input forms based on information received from the data source. You can combine multiple WSDL URLs in a single mobile app.
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
