Affirmative, and our support is moving from "beta" status to General Release on December 1, 2009.
What does beta mean?We have many clients using the
BES with Zimbra successfully daily, as are most of our team, however, until it's out of beta support at 01.com, please note that it is not yet fully supported by our team. Until we fully support it (expected in December, 2009) it's free-of-charge!
01.com has fully committed itself to support for Zimbra / BES integration. This means 01.com:
- Is the first Premier Zimbra Partner to also become a RIM Blackberry Alliance Partner
- Provides a free public beta of Zimbra / BES connectivity until fully supported
- Delivers multiple BES servers in the U.S. for Zimbra shared hosting customers
- Has already integrated BES into its Zimbra cloud/shared hosting automated billing system
Once signed up for service, read
Getting Started with the Blackberry if you'd like even more details.
What does native Blackberry sync mean?Native Blackberry sync means you don't have to install any software, and you can forget about having to perform desktop sync anymore (yes, stow that cable). Sync is over-the-air, with "push" mail, including the sent mail folder, what you read shows as read in your Zimbra account, etc.. And it also includes calendar, contacts, and tasks sync. Changes are reflected within seconds, and our experience is that with Native Blackberry sync, our new mail often appears on the Blackberry before it appears in our mail clients.
Note that straight
POP/
IMAP access on
Blackberry devices through your cell phone provider is free of extra
charge from 01.com. This service delivers more than just POP/IMAP mail. Once again, native Blackberry sync means you do not require any additional software to get over-the-air, automatic "push" mail, calendar, contacts and tasks sync to your Zimbra mailbox.
What are the requirements for over-the-air sync of Blackberry devices?Native sync for the Blackberry requires the Blackberry Enterprise
Server (BES), and 01.com maintains such servers for you for this purpose, for
use in the 01.com Zimbra cloud. BES connectivity, more than that for
iPhones or other mobile devices, demands an extra layer of
licensing and services, for which extra fees apply. You must have
access to the BES network through your cell phone provider (though you
don't need the BES service itself... you're getting that from 01.com!)
and it's assumed you have an unlimited data plan. Here's an overview of how data travels from your phone to your Zimbra mailbox:
Blackberry -> Telephone Company -> BES Network (RIM) -> BES Server -> 01.com Zimbra Server
How do I get into the 01.com BES Blackberry sync beta program?During the free public beta of the Zimbra / BES connectivity, only a limited number of clients from the shared hosting environment are allowed to participate (in the hundreds). To get into the program, you must
sign-up for service and then request activation at our
online help desk for consideration, and instructions.
How much extra does your native, over-the-air, automatic, Blackberry device sync service cost?The BES syncing part of the service is
free of extra charge while in public beta. Once in general release, pricing will be as follows:
For personal accounts, BES connectivity will cost $6/month extra, with a $0 activation fee. Personal accounts come with the first 30 days free, and month-to-month terms, no cancellation fees. This means a personal Zimbra shared hosting account for $9.99/month and $0 activation provides:
- 2 GB mailbox
- BES Blackberry service
- Live help desk by phone, chat and web
- Zimbra Network Professional edition
For business accounts, with which you use your own
domain name, BES connectivity may also be purchased. Business accounts come with at least the first 30 days free, and month-to-month or prepaid annual terms, no cancellation fees. BES connectivity for each business mailbox with an annual term will be $99.99/year, and no activation fee. BES for business mailbox with a month-to-month term will be $9.99/month extra, and a $0 activation fee.