Support for the new BES Express

[centrex]

Beside the errors that may occure - I would appreciate at this stage if you could let us also know how the licensing looks like:

- do we need client licenses per user?

Yes. But they are free.

- is there a number of clients already included?

Seems you can just get unlimited CALs.

BlackBerry - Enterprise Server Express - Free BES Express Download

- can previous BES client licenses recycled...

No need to. Because if you are on real BES and you have BES licences, you won't be looking at BESx. BESx is for SME and offers much less functionality then "real" BES. The cool thing with BESx is that the user only needs a BIS plan. They dont need to pay their Telco for the (usually more expensive) BES plan.

See comparison chart here:

http://na.blackberry.com/eng/service..._021610_v3.pdf

[dljordaneku]

No need to. Because if you are on real BES and you have BES licences, you won't be looking at BESx. BESx is for SME and offers much less functionality then "real" BES. The cool thing with BESx is that the user only needs a BIS plan. They dont need to pay their Telco for the (usually more expensive) BES plan.

See comparison chart here:

http://na.blackberry.com/eng/service..._021610_v3.pdf

I don't know about the not needing it part. Our budget is pretty much not existent now but we have several Blackberry users who are on BIS and not on our BES. With this, we could get everyone over to a "BES" and get everything synced and not have to pay anything. The question I would have now is could we sell our BES licenses? We really only need it for email, calendar and contact sync.

dj

[catnipper]

Cool! Thank's for the info
I love this license model!
Although Apple may change the provider lock soon (in germany iPones can be ordered over Talkline), Blackberry is still the choice for internatinal roaming users!

Now we need Zimbra to official support BES Express (I did my vote)!!!

[VTC]

Ive been following the ZCB Guide relatively close, but its rather vague when you encounter something outside the norm.

Heres where I am stuck at:
Installing CDO, Outlook, and BES
Use the appropriate software documentation to install the following:
1. Install Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and the latest service packs.
2. Install Microsoft Exchange Server MAPI/CDO 1.2.1 and the latest service
packs.
3. Install BlackBerry Enterprise Server for Microsoft Exchange 4.1 or
BlackBerry Professional Software for Microsoft Exchange 4.1
Note: During the BES installation, after you enter your SRP information,
you may be prompted to enter profile creation information in a Microsoft
Exchange Server dialog. Press OK to skip this step. Ignore any
subsequent BES profile errors, such as an Invalid properties error.
Note: During the BES installation ignore warnings such as Exchange
Server is not detected errors or Could not verify the Microsoft Exchange
permissions errors.

So I ve started installing BES express Im at the SRP ID and Auth KEY, I hit next - I get "Microsoft Exchange Server" So per the guide, listed above, I click ok to skip.
"BESProfile Error - The (Blackberry Server) profile is invalid due to missing or invalid property" Yippie, the guide warned me so continue following the guide. Click Ok
Then I get "Blackberry CAL and SRP Information: The MAPI subsystem cannot be correclt initialized and used. Please make sure MAPI is installed and configured properly".

So I installed MAPI/CDO not a whole lot there than running the msi and clicking finish. So not sure on the configuration part. Back to the issue, so I click ok to the above error. It goes back to the BES Installation - Blackberry CAL and SRP Information Page.

Not sure what to do next.
Please advise.

[centrex]

Cool! Thank's for the info
I love this license model!
Although Apple may change the provider lock soon (in germany iPones can be ordered over Talkline), Blackberry is still the choice for internatinal roaming users!

Now we need Zimbra to official support BES Express (I did my vote)!!!

I am always baffled when corporations talk about iphones. Iphones are for kids. Lose yours in a cab and I will have your raw data. Sure, with mobileme you can now remote wipe a lost iphone... but that costs money. Now with BES express theres no monthly / annual per-device cost to remote manage.

Try getting this kind of security on an iphone:

http://docs.blackberry.com/en/admin/...yption_STO.pdf

View Document

Obama may be able to keep his BlackBerry after all : News : Communications - ZDNet Asia

Anyway back on topic I regret to report that BES express is nothing like BES Professional 4.0. It's closer to BES 5.0 and the underlying technology is totally different. Current ZCB does not work with BES Express and making it work will be a relatively big dev task, could possibly piggy-back on the BES 5.0 compatibility RFE.

I have spare Exchange licenses here and I am now testing BES Express with Exchange 2007 on Windows 2008 server. It's an OK product considering that it's free of charge but has much less IT Policies than BES Professional 4.0. I think BES Professional 4.0 which was also practically free of charge was better (and it works with Zimbra).

We run Zimbra by choice, we have Exchange licenses. I have this weird affinity for Zimbra that makes me go the difficult way in terms of Blackberry integration.

Anyway let's see what Zimbra will do to give us some BES Express/BES 5.0 love.

What are the RFE bugs to vote for ?

Edit: Bug 44679 – RFE: Status of support for BES Express Server Software and by extension Bug 35910 – BES 5.0 are the things to vote for

[igillman]

We are having exactly the same issue, does anyone out there have any advice?

Ive been following the ZCB Guide relatively close, but its rather vague when you encounter something outside the norm.

Heres where I am stuck at:
Installing CDO, Outlook, and BES
Use the appropriate software documentation to install the following:
1. Install Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and the latest service packs.
2. Install Microsoft Exchange Server MAPI/CDO 1.2.1 and the latest service
packs.
3. Install BlackBerry Enterprise Server for Microsoft Exchange 4.1 or
BlackBerry Professional Software for Microsoft Exchange 4.1
Note: During the BES installation, after you enter your SRP information,
you may be prompted to enter profile creation information in a Microsoft
Exchange Server dialog. Press OK to skip this step. Ignore any
subsequent BES profile errors, such as an Invalid properties error.
Note: During the BES installation ignore warnings such as Exchange
Server is not detected errors or Could not verify the Microsoft Exchange
permissions errors.

So I ve started installing BES express Im at the SRP ID and Auth KEY, I hit next - I get "Microsoft Exchange Server" So per the guide, listed above, I click ok to skip.
"BESProfile Error - The (Blackberry Server) profile is invalid due to missing or invalid property" Yippie, the guide warned me so continue following the guide. Click Ok
Then I get "Blackberry CAL and SRP Information: The MAPI subsystem cannot be correclt initialized and used. Please make sure MAPI is installed and configured properly".

So I installed MAPI/CDO not a whole lot there than running the msi and clicking finish. So not sure on the configuration part. Back to the issue, so I click ok to the above error. It goes back to the BES Installation - Blackberry CAL and SRP Information Page.

Not sure what to do next.
Please advise.

[dave_kempe]

Yeah I had the same problem, and have just put it on hold following the advice above by centrex. While I disagree about iphones (did you know you can remote wipe in Zimbra now?), he seem to be on the money about the architecture of BES, and that discouraged me to try any further. I am disappointed no Zimbra folks have commented on this forums thread or the bug, as this product really is a game changer for Zimbra penetration into the Blackberry using market.

[abalint]

hi,

When will be available the Bes connector for BES Express 5.x.x?

thx.

[hic2003]

Yes, when will BES 5.0 express work with Zimbra? Is there a place to see the progress or official position of VMware and Zimbra?

[catnipper]

Yes, when will BES 5.0 express work with Zimbra?

ZCB and BES version 5.0

As for me, I think BESx will just be fine. There are all the important features (mail, calendar, address book) as we do not restrict our users in terms of policies. I desperately hope to spare 2 update fees (BES 3.x -> 4.x -> 5.x) using BESx. Also I have no issue whenever we may exceed 75 users to install a second BESx, we currently only have 75 Zimbra user CAL's