Learning the distinctive gesture interface of the BlackBerry 10 smartphones is likely just a small part of the challenges that await IT administrators planning to bring in the new handsets into their corporate networks, according to one mobile systems expert.
Previously, when companies migrated from an earlier version of BES to a newer one they simply activated a new server, ran a configuration tool and migrated their users to the new server, he said in an interview with Networkwold.com.
This will not be the case with BES 10, according to Wilson. That’s because they will now be dealing with an entirely different type of device with a set of capabilities which through the BlackBerry Universal Device Service is also able to support Android and iOS machines.
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“You actually have two environments to maintain,” he said.
What firms will have to do is upgrade and maintain their BES 5 to manage older BlackBerry devices using the old BlackBerry OS. Then they have to set up a server for BES 10 which will manage the BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10 phones and PlayBook tablets and devices running iOS and Android.
BlackBerry, actually has a range technical resources for organizations that want move BES 10 to their corporate network. The BES 10 is now actually two separate server programs which monitor and manage three classes of mobile devices: older BlackBerry phones up to the BlackBerry OS 7x; new BB10 phones and PlayBook tablets; iOS devices; and Android devices.
BES 10 also supports both SSL certificates for traffic on Port 443 of corporate firewalls and another certificate for Apple iOS, the Apple Push Notification Service.
BES 10 now uses Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) for email, calendaring and other personal information synchronization. Wilson said administrators will be configuring EAS to talk not only with BlackBerry Device Service but also configure it not to accept requests from anyone outside that service or the Universal Device Service.
Administrators will set up and maintain three configuration databases: BES 5, BDS and UDS.