Though IT managers still love BlackBerrys, employees were bringing their own devices to the workplace -- a trend Heins acknowledged

Bullshiat.

We had to use Blackberry because it was the only platform that met the security policies the business said we had to implement on mobile devices. Once the flipping iPhone caught up to Windows Mobile 6.0 Pro active sync security features, most of IT switched as well.

Does anyone else feel like Blackberry 10 is the Chinese Democracy of phone OS's?

Great timing, my employer just shut off it's blackberry server last week as our last 4 users finally upgraded to something modern. Now that there are software alternatives that can be added to phones to isolate and secure business data on phones their platform seems to have lost it's biggest benefits.

wingnut396: Though IT managers still love BlackBerrys, employees were bringing their own devices to the workplace -- a trend Heins acknowledged

Bullshiat.

We had to use Blackberry because it was the only platform that met the security policies the business said we had to implement on mobile devices. Once the flipping iPhone caught up to Windows Mobile 6.0 Pro active sync security features, most of IT switched as well.

In your company maybe. Not mine, where they still think Blackberries are great for some unfathomable reason and refuse to let us BYOD or give us other options. I think it's because our execs are all old guys who are set in their ways.

My uncle is the same way. He thinks Blackberries are the greatest smartphone ever. I had a discussion over the holidays with him and he kept telling me reasons Blackberry was so good - all features my Android phone does BETTER without any of the Blackberry weaknesses. I had to end the conversation because he was getting agitated, and all of us under the age of 40 were in another room later on, shaking our heads at the stubbornness of the Blackberry is awesome view. And keep in mind my uncle set up the email system for the Whitehouse - he's no technophobe. I think it's just a generational thing.

wingnut396: Though IT managers still love BlackBerrys, employees were bringing their own devices to the workplace -- a trend Heins acknowledged

Bullshiat.

We had to use Blackberry because it was the only platform that met the security policies the business said we had to implement on mobile devices. Once the flipping iPhone caught up to Windows Mobile 6.0 Pro active sync security features, most of IT switched as well.

Second - it wasn't love, but grudging acceptance. For certain industries (and governments) BYOD will never happen until there is a way co-manage it. The policy on Personally Identifiable Information (PII) pretty much kills any chance of having a device totally under the private owner and still able to access "sensitive" info.

I'd go back in a heartbeat.

mongbiohazard: wingnut396: Though IT managers still love BlackBerrys, employees were bringing their own devices to the workplace -- a trend Heins acknowledged

Bullshiat.

We had to use Blackberry because it was the only platform that met the security policies the business said we had to implement on mobile devices. Once the flipping iPhone caught up to Windows Mobile 6.0 Pro active sync security features, most of IT switched as well.

In your company maybe. Not mine, where they still think Blackberries are great for some unfathomable reason and refuse to let us BYOD or give us other options. I think it's because our execs are all old guys who are set in their ways.

My uncle is the same way. He thinks Blackberries are the greatest smartphone ever. I had a discussion over the holidays with him and he kept telling me reasons Blackberry was so good - all features my Android phone does BETTER without any of the Blackberry weaknesses. I had to end the conversation because he was getting agitated, and all of us under the age of 40 were in another room later on, shaking our heads at the stubbornness of the Blackberry is awesome view. And keep in mind my uncle set up the email system for the Whitehouse - he's no technophobe. I think it's just a generational thing.

As someone who had to install a virtual machine and Blackberry Enterprise Server for a single person that crashed for some unknown reason after a single week last night, I cannot explain how much I despise everything Blackberry. I tried to convince this person that an Android or iPhone were both much better at synchronizing with Exchange and everything else, but they would not change their minds. Instead of taking the suggestion, they got very offended.

I don't know a single IT person that likes working on Blackberries or their servers.

What would anybody trust a thing outside a secure environment to be secure?
Also why would anybody put up with a 2 inch screen?

i love my 12 year old Blackberry. It makes calls, sends emails, and texts. Everything i need in a phone.

I have owned 2 Android phones. I just don't like google jamming my phone lists with all of my email contacts and all the other dreck from my google account. Instant 800+ phonebook of all email addreses! YAY!

I like my old Blackberry. It sends emails, texts and I can check my bank account and make phone calls with one hand. I really don't need to be attached to the internet all the time. Or play angry birds on my phone.

I have no need for an app that farts with you put your phone in your pocket. Let the kids have their Android phones. I do like my 'Droid tablet tho.


My lawn.. get off of it!

I miss my old BB Storm. That was a solid phone and IT WOULDN'T DIE. Submerged in liquid twice, screen cracked in a big x, and it still worked.

I was adamant I wasn't going to buy a new phone until this one croaked but my wife set me up with a Razr as a surprise.

RIM's quality isn't really the question as I think they've made some of the sturdiest phones in the business. They just haven't kept up with the technology the bulk of users are wanting. I can't see myself going back, though.

hobberwickey: Does anyone else feel like Blackberry 10 is the Chinese Democracy of phone OS's?

Closer to the Duke Nukem Forever.

The new Blackberry could bury the new iphone and Samsungs in every measurable way and it may still fail. Too little too late.

mongbiohazard: My uncle is the same way. He thinks Blackberries are the greatest smartphone ever. I had a discussion over the holidays with him and he kept telling me reasons Blackberry was so good - all features my Android phone does BETTER without any of the Blackberry weaknesses. I had to end the conversation because he was getting agitated, and all of us under the age of 40 were in another room later on, shaking our heads at the stubbornness of the Blackberry is awesome view. And keep in mind my uncle set up the email system for the Whitehouse - he's no technophobe. I think it's just a generational thing.

Meh... I've played with all the types of phones and the BB still have their appear and niche. I'd probably consider a BB device before an Android unless said device (Android) somehow managed to impress me.

I still find Android to be a pain in the arse to use.. but since most the the Palm/HP crew has been netted by Goggle and are now working on it, bit by bit, they are turning it more and more into something similar to WebOs, which is still the best OS for such devices, even the new RIM devices I've played on are mimicking WebOS more and more...

More options is nice until it hits the overkill levels and starts making something that should be simple, elegant and efficient into a nightmare...

ha-ha-guy: eyeshavings: I have owned 2 Android phones. I just don't like google jamming my phone lists with all of my email contacts and all the other dreck from my google account. Instant 800+ phonebook of all email addreses! YAY!

You realize you can control whether a specific account syncs contacts down onto the phone or not, right?

Yup. After Google barfed all over my contacts. Had to get an app to erase the contact list then start over. It just wasn't a pleasant experience having google running the show except when you have to tell them not to for each app. Meh.

eyeshavings: I have owned 2 Android phones. I just don't like google jamming my phone lists with all of my email contacts and all the other dreck from my google account. Instant 800+ phonebook of all email addreses! YAY!

You know you can set it to only show contacts with phone numbers, right?

eyeshavings: ha-ha-guy: eyeshavings: I have owned 2 Android phones. I just don't like google jamming my phone lists with all of my email contacts and all the other dreck from my google account. Instant 800+ phonebook of all email addreses! YAY!

You realize you can control whether a specific account syncs contacts down onto the phone or not, right?

Yup. After Google barfed all over my contacts. Had to get an app to erase the contact list then start over. It just wasn't a pleasant experience having google running the show except when you have to tell them not to for each app. Meh.

If it makes you feel better, I lost all of my contacts but 5 on my Android. Of course it synchronized with Google Voice, deleting them all from there too. Still have no idea what happened. It would have made more sense if they had ALL been deleted. I really should have had a backup...

Eddie Adams from Torrance: I miss the keyboard the most.

I have a droid with a slide out one, but it's sideways and fairly annoying compared to my old BB.

you can get a droid pro with a keyboard that apes the blackberry formfactor pretty well. my wife has one and loves it.

The Angry Hand of God: I don't know a single IT person that likes working on Blackberries or their servers.

Our IT guys LOVE BB and HATE all things Apple. When our company upgraded the servers and phones in 2010 we were all given company issued new BBs (previously we could buy whatever we wanted). Later the policy was amended to allow BYO Androids, but no Apple under any circumstances. Part of this is that some of the software we run won't work on Apples, but a big part is the platform preference of our IT department.

mongbiohazard: In your company maybe. Not mine, where they still think Blackberries are great for some unfathomable reason and refuse to let us BYOD or give us other options. I think it's because our execs are all old guys who are set in their ways

So refutation of me saying that it is not IT, but business, that is keeping the BES around is to day its because the old execs don't want change. Okay...

lohphat: I run BES servers and rarely have problems.

Also, since the server is usually behinfpd the corp f/w it makes access internal resources without having to use a VPN layer a snap.

Again, to each their own but saying that other devices do Exchange "better" is a stretch. The iOS 6.0 Exchange calendar bug almost brought the company to its knees before 6.0.1 was released

I have to agree that when security, central management and Exchange integration is the prime driver, a BES is fantastic. But the problem is that staff want to use a more friendly consumer device. Blackberry sucks in this regard. Also, unless you move to BESX, you are paying for both Exchange and BES seats. EAS does certainly have limitations and problems. but it meets the need for many business and can drive costs down.

But native EAS does suck at centralized management. I guess MS like to make sure their partners can make money too.

wingnut396: Though IT managers still love BlackBerrys, employees were bringing their own devices to the workplace -- a trend Heins acknowledged

Bullshiat.

We had to use Blackberry because it was the only platform that met the security policies the business said we had to implement on mobile devices. Once the flipping iPhone caught up to Windows Mobile 6.0 Pro active sync security features, most of IT switched as well.

Oh great, the representative for every single IT person is here. Glad he cleared everything up for us.

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Does anyone know how Windows Phone plays with Exchange in a corporate setting? What about if your email system is Office 365?

I am not in IT if its not obvious, just curiosity.

iNoodles: Does anyone know how Windows Phone plays with Exchange in a corporate setting? What about if your email system is Office 365?

I am not in IT if its not obvious, just curiosity.

WP8 is pretty seamless and reliable when it comes to Exchange, and Office 365 is supported well, not just in regards to email and PIM sync, but also Sharepoint integration in the OS and a Lync app.

lohphat: Maybe it's because Apple is a consumer products company and offers no real enterprise support go to the APple store and wait in line with the public. There are no volume discounts. Want 50 iphones for your company? 50x retail.

Want an iOS update to take out your calendaring for 2 months?

There are reasons there are enterprise solutions when you have to manage hundreds or thousands of devices and Apple seems to make it as costly and difficult as possible -- because they can.

Actually, the phones were free when we switched carriers and the company had the choice of Apples, BB, or Androids. The IT guys pushed for BB for a variety of reasons unrelated to cost: security and software compatibility being the big two. That being said, our main IT guy hates all things Apple with a burning passion. He even has a shirt with the Mac logo that reads:

Arrogance
Produces
Profit
Losing
E ntity
(obviously this sentiment has not really been applicable since the introduction of the iPod)

I'm not an Apple fan either. Growing up using old Vax main frames, Commodores, Ataris, and PCs I've always found Apple computers counter intuitive and features like no manual eject for disks, proprietary peripherals, and the one button mouse made me rage back whenever I was forced by circumstance to use them (and yes, I realize these are moot points now). In fact, the only Apple product I've ever not hated is the iPod. Still, they're just electronic tools, so I don't stake my identity on liking (or disliking) them.

Mad_Radhu: iNoodles: Does anyone know how Windows Phone plays with Exchange in a corporate setting? What about if your email system is Office 365?

I am not in IT if its not obvious, just curiosity.

WP8 is pretty seamless and reliable when it comes to Exchange, and Office 365 is supported well, not just in regards to email and PIM sync, but also Sharepoint integration in the OS and a Lync app.

Cool man thanks, office is about to roll out a BYOD policy and ive been eyeing a Lumia 920.

wingnut396: mongbiohazard: In your company maybe. Not mine, where they still think Blackberries are great for some unfathomable reason and refuse to let us BYOD or give us other options. I think it's because our execs are all old guys who are set in their ways

So refutation of me saying that it is not IT, but business, that is keeping the BES around is to day its because the old execs don't want change. Okay...

lohphat: I run BES servers and rarely have problems.

Also, since the server is usually behinfpd the corp f/w it makes access internal resources without having to use a VPN layer a snap.

Again, to each their own but saying that other devices do Exchange "better" is a stretch. The iOS 6.0 Exchange calendar bug almost brought the company to its knees before 6.0.1 was released

I have to agree that when security, central management and Exchange integration is the prime driver, a BES is fantastic. But the problem is that staff want to use a more friendly consumer device. Blackberry sucks in this regard. Also, unless you move to BESX, you are paying for both Exchange and BES seats. EAS does certainly have limitations and problems. but it meets the need for many business and can drive costs down.

But native EAS does suck at centralized management. I guess MS like to make sure their partners can make money too.

You deleted the next paragraph - which was most certainly about an IT manager who loves BB. Keep reading.

As someone who makes his living as a Enterprise Mobility consultant who installs every MDM from Good, Fixmo, BES, BES 10, MobileIron etc.I assure you that BES is one of the more stable and more secure platforms you can choose. Most other Mobile Device Management Technologies are a pain in the rear from a security/configuration perspective on a large scale. Having to deal with public DNS access, certificates, certificate authorities, Apples push notification systems blah blah blah, the BES Software really makes it relatively painless so long as you walk through the install docs properly. Apple but are slowly getting better...android has no interest in that game and I wouldn't consider deploying it unless the company deems it necessary, after I warn them of course.

lohphat: In addition my tomb berry can tunnel GSM over wifi and I get unlimited calling. While overseas opaNd on wifi the phone thinks its in the US. No roaming charges.

In the age of Skype and a million other VoIP services for Android and iOS, that's not quite as impressive as it once was.

LasersHurt: iNoodles: Mad_Radhu: iNoodles: Does anyone know how Windows Phone plays with Exchange in a corporate setting? What about if your email system is Office 365?

I am not in IT if its not obvious, just curiosity.

WP8 is pretty seamless and reliable when it comes to Exchange, and Office 365 is supported well, not just in regards to email and PIM sync, but also Sharepoint integration in the OS and a Lync app.

Cool man thanks, office is about to roll out a BYOD policy and ive been eyeing a Lumia 920.

Ey buuuuddy, your company doing VoIP on BYOD?

Not to my knowledge but I havnt really asked im just excited to get off my busted arse BB Bold 9000.

I am an IT consultant and support many companies. Blackberries are horrible. Just really really horrible, and I despise supporting them. Here are my main gripes:

1) The phone requires a special "enterprise" data plan, capable of connecting to Blackberry Enterprise Server. If you talk to a use ahead of time, and say they need this specific plan, at an additional cost of $15-20/mo for no reason, they say OK. Then you try and activate the phone on BES, and it won't. So you troubleshoot it for 30 min and give up and ask them if they got the right data plan. They say yes, I got the "everything" data plan. You say bullshiat, that's not the same thing, and make them call their provider. The provider says no, they don't have the right plan, so they change it, and 2 hours later I try again...

2) You need a server to make the phone sync with Exchange when ActiveSync works perfectly fine natively in Exchange, and requires no special BES data plan.

3) If you have issues with the BB syncing, you can try "resending the service books" and doing some crap on the phone that works 50% of the time. The other 50%, you have to wipe the damn phone and re-activate it.

4) If someone has a BB from their previous company, and it was activated on a different BES, you need to wipe the damn phone. On an ActiveSync phone, you can just remove that account.

5) A BB can only have 1 Exchange account. An ActiveSync phone can have many.

I could go on, and on, and on... But until RIM can make things easier on the admin side, I can't see a lot of IT people jumping for joy about adding some features.

mongbiohazard: and all of us under the age of 40 were in another room later on, shaking our heads at the stubbornness of the Blackberry is awesome view. And keep in mind my uncle set up the email system for the Whitehouse - he's no technophobe. I think it's just a generational thing.

Whatever. I'm 50. Dropped the Blackberry years ago. I always crack up at the "it's a generational thing" bullshiat excuse. Its HIM.

I have seen the new BB with OS10 and I am not disappoint, however while the new interface is lacking an physical buttons other than power/volume (home/back/esc) buttons are all "virtual" like on the GSIII, it is still a smaller screen than the Galaxy, albeit a bit larger than an iPhone 5 screen, about as thing as the i5. they got smart and added a mini-HDMI port and the charger plug is on the bottom..

The OS was crisp and seemed to function well, but alas, there were (still not even now) alot of apps that are out for it which seems to be the biggest sore point for alot of consumers.

As an IT professional who manages multiple BES servers as well as an Afaria server that allows us to manage iPhone/Android devices, from an administrative and security standpoint the BB is still probably the easiest to configure/setup and get active.

No pictures in the article of what this device may look like... which means there is no story. Just some hack trying to justify a paycheck for doing nothing remotely resembling journalism.