From GitHub to Production–Enterprise Applications in Minutes: Part One

10.24.13

Editor’s Note: Today we present Part One of our three-part series on developing enterprise applications for BlackBerry 10, written by Richard Balsewich and HyunJun Jung, both Senior Enterprise Developers at BlackBerry. Click here to read the introduction.

Welcome to Part 1!

Since our introduction contained a spoiler alert as to what we’re building, Part 1 focuses on breaking down the application into the 5 main parts and providing the exact samples used to <code+paste> from to create this masterpiece.

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  1. Clever User Interface
  2. Networking (ala Web Services)
  3. Data (Show and Save)
  4. Platform Features (BBM, Ads, Payments)
  5. Ecosystem Interaction (With Other things)

Click to read more about developing enterprise apps using GitHub »

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BlackBerry 10.2 OS Begins Roll Out — New Reasons to Love your BlackBerry 10 Smartphone, Big and Small

10.23.13

Instant previews

We’ve got some exciting news for BlackBerry 10 customers out there— today your favorite smartphone is getting even better with the release of BlackBerry 10.2 OS, which will available for download starting this week.

BlackBerry 10.2 OS introduces new features like BlackBerry Priority Hub, BlackBerry Natural Sound, and BBM now in any app that will help you be more productive and stay better connected when it counts. Plus, with hundreds of new refinements, BlackBerry 10.2 makes the things you do every day faster and easier. Here are just some of the new features you’re going to love in BlackBerry 10.2:

BlackBerry 10.2 Highlights:

Priority Hub
Keep your important conversations closer than ever with the new Priority Hub. Always at your fingertips, Priority Hub learns what conversations are most important to you and automatically puts those messages at the top of your inbox, helping you to stay focused on the critical items. On top of that, the new attachment view helps you organize files and documents across your messaging accounts and within specific message threads.

Read more about the new features in BlackBerry 10.2 »

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Public Sector IT in the UK–Check out PSEICT

10.22.13

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Editor’s Note: Today’s post comes from Gregg Hardie – Head of Public Sector Sales (UK)

We’re very excited to be sponsors of the Public Sector Enterprise ICT Conference (PSEICT) on Tuesday 5 November in London. In case you’re unfamiliar with the event, PSEIC is the UK’s only event to directly address the deployment of the New Government ICT Strategy at an Enterprise-Level.

With over one million government customers across the world, BlackBerry has long been the mobile solution of choice for public sector organisations. In the UK alone, BlackBerry is used by every major Government department, over half of all UK police forces and major bodies including the Ministry of Defence.

Click to read more about PSEICT »

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From GitHub to Production–Enterprise Applications in Minutes: Introduction

10.21.13

Editor’s Note: Today we’re publishing the introduction to our three-part series on developing enterprise applications for BlackBerry 10, written by Richard Balsewich and HyunJun Jung, both Senior Enterprise Developers at BlackBerry.

Creating BlackBerry 10 enterprise grade applications is not rocket science…unless you are literally working on embedded systems for rockets, because QNX runs those too. But most of us are stuck programming the same thing over and over, different language after different language, on platform after platform. And if you’re like me, an over-seasoned developer, then you have probably figured out that almost ALL applications can be deconstructed into five main parts.

  1. Clever User Interface
  2. Networking (ala Web Services)
  3. Data (Show and Save)
  4. Platform Features (BBM, Ads, Payments)
  5. Ecosystem Interaction (With Other things)

Each of these parts plays a vital role in your enterprise application, which has NO EXCUSE TO SUCK. BlackBerry 10 is one of the most open platforms which means you can find everything from API guides to full feature implementations you can beg, borrow or even steal from; you just need to know where to look. For that reason, I’ve created the three-part blog series entitled “From GitHub to Production”. The audience for this series would be your “new to native BlackBerry 10” developer or even the manager of a team of developers who wants to ensure their staff or contractors are not “over-estimating”. My three-part series is broken down follows:
Click to read more about developing enterprise apps for BlackBerry 10 »

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Attention Developers: Don’t Miss the Upcoming SAP TechEd Conference in Las Vegas

10.18.13

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We’re very excited to be one of the sponsors for the SAP InnoJam Event on Sunday and Monday October 20-21st in Las Vegas, part of the SAP TechEd Conference. In case you’re unfamiliar with the event, it’s the premier technical education conference for IT architects, administrators, and developers – offering more than 1,000 hours of training on SAP technology for in-memory computing, enterprise mobility, analytics, database, and the cloud.

But we’ve got a special treat for all you BlackBerry developers out there—an opportunity to try out our new Z30 smartphone, and build SAP apps using SAP HANA and HTML5. The teams at the event will be assisted by Senior Enterprise Developers from BlackBerry on how best to build apps on the Z30. BlackBerry is the best HTML5 development platform on the market today, and we’ll be there to support you and highlight a few of these great features:
Click to read more about the SAP InnoJam Event »

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UK Government Releases Mobile Platform Guidance

10.15.13

For the better part of a decade, BlackBerry technology has played a critical role in revolutionizing the working practices of government and public sector customers across the world. The penetration of the BlackBerry solution across this sector is without compare: in the UK, we count Cabinet departments, the central government, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and over half of all UK police forces amongst our valued public sector customers.

Our tried and trusted security has been integral to our ongoing strength in this space. Third-party independent accreditations and certifications back this up:

  • BlackBerry 10 was FIPS 140-2 approved in November 2012, two months ahead of the platform’s official launch
  • BES 10 and BlackBerry 10 smartphones are approved by NATO for classified communications up to the level of “Restricted”
  • The SecuSuite for BlackBerry 10 solution has been approved by the German Procurement Office and Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) for classified communications for the German government. 11 out of 14 German cabinet departments have chosen the SecuSuite for BlackBerry 10 solution
  • The BlackBerry Z10 and ‎BlackBerry Q10 smartphones with BES 10 were awarded Authority to Operate (ATO) on Department of Defense (DoD) networks. BlackBerry is the first Mobile Device Management provider to obtain an ATO

Click to read more about the UK’s mobile platform guidance »

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To Our Valued Customers, Partners and Fans: An Open Letter from BlackBerry

10.14.13

BlackBerry Logo

Today, BlackBerry published an open letter in major publications around the world to set the record straight for the tens of millions of users who depend on BlackBerry every single day.

In particular, we wanted to let our enterprise customers know that we are confident in the future of our technology. We acknowledge that we are going through a difficult period, but we are restructuring and refocusing our team and our resources so we can deliver what you’ve always depended on from BlackBerry. The fact is that we still believe in our platform and technology, and you should too.

Our BlackBerry 10 platform and portfolio of enterprise products and services deliver best in class security and enterprise mobility management. We continue to deliver innovative, enterprise-class smartphones that enable improved collaboration, connection and accomplishment. And BBM is a growing private social network that we are expanding beyond the immediate BlackBerry ecosystem to Android and iPhone users to deliver greater value.

    Despite recent headwinds, we continue to celebrate business successes:

  • The release of Secure Work Space for iOS and Android
  • Significant momentum with enterprise adoption of BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 (BES 10)
  • A preview of a new cloud-based EMM solution that will give businesses greater ease, flexibility and cost efficiency in managing users and apps in a BYOD environment

Our message today is loud and clear: you can continue to count on BlackBerry. We’ve shared our open letter below and welcome feedback from our valued customers.

BlackBerry Open Letter_English

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Coming Soon: A Simple, Easy to Use Cloud Service for Managing Users and Apps on iOS, Android, and BlackBerry Devices

10.07.13

BlackBerry cloud solution

Here at the Gartner Symposium ITxpo 2013, we are very excited to announce an upcoming BlackBerry cloud service that will bring trusted and simple enterprise mobility management to a new level of convenience.

The cloud service will be purpose-built to meet both business and end user needs, and will require no IT experience, servers, or software. Your employees will get the work information that they need to be more productive and efficient, without an impact on personal use and privacy. Confidently tackle BYOD, manage apps, get friendly technical support, and a whole lot more.

All this in a flexible package that will cost less than a cup of coffee a month.

  • Simple and fast deployment. No server hardware or software to install, just register and go.
  • Administrators can easily manage and secure smartphones and tablets. The simple Web-based admin console will provide easy activation and deployment of BlackBerry, iOS and Android™ smartphones, app management, security policy configuration and compliance monitoring.
  • Administrators can secure, deploy and manage apps. Administrators will be able to build a catalog of public apps from the App StoreSM, Google Play and the BlackBerry World storefront, and then view app distribution and usage for all users and devices.
  • End-users can manage their own devices through the self-service console. End-users will be able to easily perform common management tasks such as setting up or changing device passwords and remote wipe and lock without relying on an administrator, giving them independence and saving on helpdesk calls.

Be the first to get informed when it becomes available, and get on the list to receive exclusive updates:

Sign up for Updates

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LinkedIn App for BlackBerry 10 Gets an Update: Explore Your Professional Network & Content on the Move

10.02.13

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If you’re a business professional, there’s a good chance you’re already familiar with LinkedIn, the premier professional social networking site that now boasts more than 200 million members. A LinkedIn profile is pretty much required these days, but if you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet, now’s a perfect time to start: LinkedIn has just released version 10.1.5 of their app for BlackBerry 10, which comes with a whole host of great new features that will have you networking more effectively than ever.

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Click to read more about the great new features in the newest LinkedIn app »

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BlackBerry Work Drives Updated: Access Enterprise Network Drives While Out of the Office

10.02.13

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BlackBerry Work Drives is one of those hidden gems that makes BlackBerry 10 such a powerhouse for professionals. It’s something that I use every single day and allows me to remotely edit, save, and send documents from our network drives. Like many workers, I use multiple devices and computers to get things done. Network drives are a common IT response to help keep corporate data secure, backed up, and accessible; it’s a primary place in which I store my documents and work files. With BlackBerry Work Drives, I’m able to map my drives to the File Manager app on my BlackBerry Z30 smartphone, allowing me to access files, edit them using Documents To Go, and then save or send them as needed. And to the delight of those who are security-conscious, BlackBerry Work Drives leverages your BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 deployment for a secure connection, encryption, and compression.

With its latest maintenance release, BlackBerry Work Drives has gotten even better. Check out an overview of the new features included in this update:

  • Pin your files and folders in order to access them offline
  • Turn your legacy network drives into secure “cloud” storage repositories for your BlackBerry 10 enabled workforce
  • Automatically synchronize the latest changes that you’ve made to offline files
  • User controlled setting to choose the mobile network in addition to Wi-Fi as the method for file transfers and synchronization
  • Enhanced notifications now appear in the BlackBerry Hub as well as in the Work Drives application

Download the updated Work Drives app, or contact your IT administrator to have it provisioned to your BlackBerry 10 smartphone using BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10. Do you use network drives on a regular basis? How would mobile access to those files and folders help you be more productive? Share in the comments below.

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BlackBerry 10 Security Features [Infographic]

09.25.13

BlackBerry has been viewed as an expert and leader in mobile security for decades. But when it comes to BlackBerry 10, how is your personal and work information kept safe and secure? Take a look at the infographic below to learn more about the security features of the BlackBerry 10 platform.

Smartphone Spotlight

Click to read more about how BlackBerry is working with Trend Micro to increase security »

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BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 Takes Off in the U.K.; More than One Third of FTSE 100 Companies on Board

09.24.13

BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 first showed its face to the world on January 23rd, 2013. The preparation was extensive, with developers applying the finishing touches, roadmaps approved, and those of us in communications preparing our widespread attack on the media, social channels, and web sites. But what stood out for me was the clear energy that surrounded the launch; we as a company and as individuals were and still are absolutely passionate to the core about helping businesses solve challenges, and about designing the technology to help them do so.

Today I’d like to provide an exciting update on ways that enterprises are exploring how BES10 can help them tackle BYOD, security concerns, industry regulations, employee needs, and so much more – particularly in the United Kingdom.

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Click to read more about how business are taking advantage of all that BES10 has to offer »

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BBM for Android and iPhone Update: Note from the head of BBM

09.23.13

Hi Android and iPhone users,

This is Andrew Bocking, head of BBM at BlackBerry. As a follow up to our first blog post on Saturday, I want to take a moment to provide you with an update on the rollout of BBM on Android and iPhone.

Last week, an unreleased, older version of the BBM for Android app was posted on numerous file sharing sites. We were aware of an issue with this unreleased version of the BBM for Android app. This older version resulted in volumes of data traffic orders of magnitude higher than normal for each active user and impacted the system in abnormal ways. The version we were planning to release on Saturday addressed these issues, however we could not block users of the unreleased version if we went ahead with the launch.

We attempted to address the problems caused by the unreleased version throughout the day on Saturday, but as active users of the unreleased app neared a million – and accelerated – it became clear that the only way to address the issue was to pause the rollout for both Android and iPhone.

The team is now focused on adjusting the system to completely block this unreleased version of the Android app when we go live with the official BBM for Android app. We are also making sure that the system is reinforced to handle this kind of scenario in the future. While this may sound like a simple task – it’s not. This will take some time and I do not anticipate launching this week.

Thank you for your patience while we take the time needed to deliver the experience you expect from BBM. We will continue to provide you with updates here on InsideBlackBerry.com and through @BBM on Twitter. We will notify everyone who has pre-registered on BBM.com when BBM is available on Android and iPhone.

Andrew Bocking
EVP, BBM

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Developing Enterprise Apps for the Work Space of BlackBerry 10 Part 2: Application Invocation, Push, & Networking Constraints

09.23.13

Welcome to Part 2 of our Developing Enterprise Apps for the Work Space of BlackBerry 10 series. The goal of this series is to help lay the foundation needed for you to successfully develop enterprise solutions for BlackBerry 10. By now, I hope you’ve had a chance to view Part 1 to pick up some insights on File System Access & Application Testing in the Work Space. That post, like this one, covered considerations that should be kept in mind when building Enterprise apps, targeted for deployment to the work space of BlackBerry Balance enabled devices. In Part 2, we’ll cover Push for enterprise apps, Application Invocation, and Networking constraints.

Application Invocation

One of my favorite BlackBerry 10 features from the development perspective is the Invocation Framework. It helps developers avoid recreating the wheel by granting them the ability to leverage existing functionality of core apps (eg. native calendar, address book, and more.) as well as custom built applications. For example, if you’ve built an app that needs to be able to read .pdf files, you could of course take on the task of writing the logic yourself so that your app can process, render, and display the PDF files to the user. However, by using the invocation framework there’s no need to start from scratch. You can invoke an already existent PDF reader and have that invoked app read & display the file for users.

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This concept applies to both the work and personal space. However, when you’re developing apps for the company administered work space, you have to ensure that you work with BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 administrators to ensure that any app you’re invoking will be deployed to the work space. You should even consider the version of the app you’re invoking; ensuring it’s the same version that will be deployed by the BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 admin will save you future headaches.

Read on for more about developing enterprise apps for BlackBerry Work Space »

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BBM for Android and iPhone Update

09.21.13

Prior to launching BBM for Android, an unreleased version of the BBM for Android app was posted online. The interest and enthusiasm we have seen already – more than 1.1 million active users in the first 8 hours without even launching the official Android app – is incredible. Consequently, this unreleased version caused issues, which we have attempted to address throughout the day.

Our teams continue to work around the clock to bring BBM to Android and iPhone, but only when it’s ready and we know it will live up to your expectations of BBM. We are pausing the global roll-out of BBM for Android and iPhone. Customers who have already downloaded BBM for iPhone will be able to continue to use BBM. The unreleased Android app will be disabled, and customers who downloaded it should visit www.BBM.com to register for updates on official BBM for Android availability.

As soon as we are able, we will begin a staggered country roll-out of BBM for Android and continue the roll-out of BBM for iPhone. Please follow @BBM on Twitter for the latest updates and go to www.BBM.com to sign-up for updates about BBM for Android and iPhone. These issues have not impacted BBM service for BlackBerry.

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Developing Enterprise Apps for the Work Space of BlackBerry 10 Part 1: File System Access & Application Testing

09.20.13

Congratulations! You’ve decided to take the journey down the path of building an Enterprise app for BlackBerry 10. This means that you’re targeting BlackBerry Balance enabled devices and therefore have a unique set of requirements. To level-set, I’ll provide you with a quick overview of BlackBerry Balance. It’s a technology that creates two distinct spaces (work space & personal space) on BlackBerry 10 devices that are connected to an organization’s BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10. One major benefit is that users can keep personal apps & data separated from work apps & data. Users administer the personal space, while organizations administer the work space. It’s a powerful technology and one of the most outstanding enterprise oriented features of BlackBerry 10.

As a developer building BlackBerry 10 apps for the enterprise, you’re targeting the work space of a BlackBerry Balance enabled device. Developing for the work space differs from developing for the personal space. This two-part blog post series has been created to highlight a few items that you should plan for when building for the work space. A brief list of development considerations are as follows:

  • File System Access
  • Application Testing
  • Application Invocation
  • Push
  • Networking Constraints

We’re going to break this up into digestible bits and only cover File System Access & Application Testing in this post. See Part 2 for Push, Application Invocation, and Networking Constraints.

Read on for more about file system access and application testing »

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BBM Available for Android on September 21 and iPhone on September 22

09.18.13

 

screen-shot-2013-09-17-at-5-53-15-pmThat’s right BBM fans — the iconic mobile social network will begin rolling out for Android and iPhone customers around the world from September 21. Soon, you’ll be able to easily connect with friends on different platforms. As you may know BBM was previously exclusive to BlackBerry smartphones, and it will be available as a free download in Google Play and the App Store.

While some of you are no strangers to BBM, many will be new and might be asking: What is BBM? Below, you’ll find all the highlights about BBM for Android and iPhone.

BBM for Android and iPhone features:

  • BBM Chat – Enjoy real, immediate conversations with friends on Android, iPhone and BlackBerry smartphones. Not only does BBM let you know that your message has been delivered and read, it also shows you that your friend is responding to the message.
  • More than chat – With BBM you can share files on your phone such as photos and voice notes, all in an instant.

Read more about BBM on Android and iPhone on the Inside BlackBerry Blog

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Meet the New BlackBerry Z30 Smartphone with BlackBerry 10.2 OS

09.18.13

Images of the new BlackBerry Z30

I’m pleased to introduce you to the new BlackBerry Z30 smartphone. It is our biggest, fastest and most advanced smartphone, and easily my favorite BlackBerry smartphone to date.

In addition to its stunning 5” touchscreen, the biggest ever on a BlackBerry smartphone, it features BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2 and is packed with new features designed to enhance the BlackBerry 10 experience. I use the BlackBerry Z30 to keep me connected and in control while on the go. As you know, I’m always sharing and collaborating on social media and I find that the BlackBerry Z30 is ideal for this. And it has the largest battery yet on a BlackBerry smartphone, so I’ve got power to get me through. With the large screen and intuitive features, I’m able to be more productive and better in-touch with those I care about.

Below you’ll find a promo video showing off the device and a rundown of the best new features in the BlackBerry Z30.

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

Read more on the Inside BlackBerry Blog

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Escalate to a call or meeting from a mobile IM chat with just one tap: Enterprise Instant Messaging 3.1 on BlackBerry 10 is now available

09.17.13

BlackBerry Enterprise Instant Messaging allows your employees to continue their IM chat away from their desk with mobile apps for Microsoft Lync and IBM SameTime. Learn more about the new features of v3.1 and download the update today.

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Exciting news today for everyone out there who uses the BlackBerry Enterprise Instant Messaging (Enterprise IM) service: today we’re happy to announce the 3.1 Service Pack, a free upgrade that comes with a slew of new features that all you IM’ers (and IT department staff) are going to love.

Click to read more about the EIM v3.1 update »

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How to Use Events as a Business Marketing Tool

09.13.13

In business, there’s nothing like meeting face to face. That’s why events can be a powerful tool in your marketing playbook, regardless of the size or nature of your business. They provide the opportunity to meet customers in person as well as work on building relationships with prospects.

In the video below, Lisa Pinto, owner of the events company Fogo Marketing, shares her best tips for how businesses can effectively use events to network directly with prospects and customers. The video covers:

  • The benefits of marketing through events
  • How small business should plan events
  • The key do’s and don’ts of running marketing events

What’s your best tip for getting the most bang for your buck at events? Let us know in the comments or tweet us @BlackBerry4Biz. And if you’d like to up your networking game even more, check out this video on our Better Business Hub where an avid networker shares his best tips and secrets from many years of networking experience.

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