SBS and Blackberry

[joblo37pam]

I installed a new server/network for a new client this week, and for the most part everything went great. However, while I was joining a user machine to the domain, I was surprised to find a Blackberry sitting on the desk (I had been told that there were no pdas/smartphones..)

I've luckily never had to mess with integrating a BB into SBS, so I figured I'd come to the experts. I've only read everyone else's horror stories about BES/etc, so I'm a little apprehensive to install anything without getting some advice. What do you guys normally do for these users? Should I install BES on the server, or maybe just on the user's workstation?

Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

[TechieSooner]

Well, BPS (Blackberry Professional Software) is essentially the same thing as BES, it's just for companies that have less than 30 devices. Cheaper too.

I've had no problems with mine. Be sure to order it all through ATT though, because if you do that and have issues you can call ATT and they can connect you to RIM tech support without charge.

The biggest problem is just getting it installed. You've got to set rights on several things, wasn't just the mailboxes if I remember right... I had to resort to calling RIM about it.

But otherwise I've had no issues when I've put it on SBS. Works great.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Blackberry has a step by step guide on installing BES/BPS on SBS. Follow it to a tee, it's a lengthy process....giving the BESAdmin account specific priviledges within active directory as well as the Exchange infostore. Doing it your first time may take 30 minutes or so.

BPS is a free download itself, as well as the first user license. Additional licenses after the first are 99 bucks.

You also get one free support call with the free version.

It is supported on SBS now, earlier versions were not..had to be on a separate box.

 

[marley1]

BES is easy to install on SBS. Go to blackberry support and just search installing bes on sbs. Follow guide.

Tips:
1 Make sure to do a full backup of his blackberry using desktop manager.
2 one way sync his blackberry with his exchange profile
3 make sure phone is provisions for BES, the user is probably on BIS so have hom upgrade, if on att its and extra 10 a month.
4 wipe phone and activate.

You can get free cal for all clients in the office but not fully legit.

They have a step by step pdf on smallbizserver.net which if u can wait I can get for u since I'm typing on my blackberry, but I just follow the blackberry guide.

Its easy!

 

[TechieSooner]

I'd add a #5 to what the above poster...
I had spent many hours figuring out what the heck was the matter why this guys info would not sync, and it turns out Blackberry has some funky naming stuff that will fail the over the air sync.
No KB article on this, I had to wait on the phone for a senior support person to get with their SEs and figure out these naming conventions, so appreciate it

1) No blank names. (I've seen folks just use the File As field, which won't work).
2) Need at least an email field or phone number field, to be safe (It's suggested but I've done without)
3) None of these characters in the names: # (Pound/Hash), $ (Dollar), @ (At), ! (Exclamation), % (Percent), - (Hyphen/Dash), , (Comma), “ (Double Quotes), ^ (Carrot)