Ricoh Canada Inc., a subsidiary of Ricoh Americas Corporation, is a document management and services provider with over 2,000 employees. A significant part of Ricoh’s business involves IT services, in which they support 45 locations across Canada providing infrastructure support for mobility, hardware and software, and management of BlackBerry smartphones.

Being involved in IT, having a history of partnering with BlackBerry, and having just developed a field services app, Ricoh spent some time considering BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10. We caught up with Andy Ambrozic, Ricoh Canada’s Director of Infrastructure and Operations, to get his thoughts:

Hi Andy, thanks for joining us. We hear that you’re a big fan of all-touch devices. How you think the BlackBerry 10 touch screen and other features stack up?

Ambrozic: I loved the touch screen on the BlackBerry 10 device. It’s fluid to use and the predictive typing is really good. After a while you feel like it’s adapting to you and thinking for you. The device has a totally different look and feel, with some excellent advances. The size is just right as well. The larger screen is easier to use for viewing different kinds of media.

The BlackBerry Hub experience is also very good. I call it “sneak peeks” because if you’re in one screen and you’re watching a video, you can swipe slowly and get a quick look at new messages or social media updates on the BlackBerry Hub screen. It’s a true multitasking experience.

How do you think BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 supports both user and corporate needs?

The BlackBerry Balance technology that’s a part of BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 has the potential to be huge. Full work and personal separation on BlackBerry smartphones will make it easier for our users, but also much easier for IT administrators.

We’re also in the midst of finalizing a BYOD policy. A big issue for our users and our organization is we want to be sure personal data is kept separate from work information. Data integrity has always been paramount for Ricoh IT, so the ability to achieve that is a tremendous plus for the BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 platform. BlackBerry Balance enables that separation so seamlessly.

How much has using BlackBerry solutions benefitted Ricoh Canada so far and where are you planning to go with your deployment now that you have BlackBerry 10?

There are a lot of benefits that come to mind as I look back over the past 10+ years of using BlackBerry solutions. There’s peace of mind with the security. The devices have always had a high degree of ruggedness and reliability. But mostly I look at how far we’ve evolved from paging devices to email to app driven devices. In recent times, BlackBerry smartphones have pointed to the need to develop apps that help extend our internal processes out to the field.

We’ve just developed our own Field Service Automation app on existing BlackBerry smartphones. We’ve tried it on BlackBerry 10 devices and it worked really well. We definitely plan to deploy our app on the new devices. The app gives our field technicians the ability to manage the entire service call from their devices – from dispatch information to GPS navigation, inventory, time spent on a job and so on. All the job information is then sent back to our ERP system so we have an up-to-date record of the entire service call.

How inspired are you to develop apps for BlackBerry 10 devices?

BlackBerry 10 opens up all sorts of possibilities. If you look at the design, the speed, web and browser evolution, the engine and the application development language, I think it’s going to be a lot easier to build and port apps with BlackBerry 10. We’re now looking at developing a number of apps for our mobile users. For example, we may add a bar code reader to our Field Service Automation app on BlackBerry 10 devices so our technicians can read part numbers without having to input them by hand.

Does your business have a BlackBerry app that you’re planning to migrate to the BlackBerry 10 platform? Share in the comments below.

The new BlackBerry 10 platform aims to improve mobility for both businesses and employees. Part 1 of this series discussed how BlackBerry 10 can help to improve businesses by meeting employee consumer demands and lowering costs, among other benefits. Here are 5 more business objectives that IT professionals will be able to achieve with BlackBerry 10.

Develop and deploy enterprise applications

With BlackBerry 10, you can take advantage of the best ecosystem for business app developers. In the weeks leading up to last month’s BlackBerry 10 launch, we saw an exciting acceleration of developer momentum culminating with the availability of key business apps. With BlackBerry 10, enterprise developers specifically have much to be excited about:

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

Enterprise applications can be tailored to specific jobs and work processes within your company. Your business can deploy BlackBerry 10 applications for your employees through BlackBerry World for Work and manage them securely with BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 (BES 10).

Increase customer satisfaction

To keep customers satisfied, businesses must adopt an effective framework for internal communication. More specifically, customer-facing employees must have real-time access to critical information in order to accurately assist customers. With the new user experience of BlackBerry 10, your employees will be able to access information in an effective, intuitive manner. In addition, tools for the BlackBerry 10 platform such as HTML5 WebWorks make it easy to develop custom applications for customers to interact with your company.

Reduce staffing costs with global technical support

Are you familiar with BlackBerry Technical Support Services (BTSS)? It’s our global enterprise support program that provides businesses with affordable technical support directly from BlackBerry support experts. For BlackBerry 10, we’ve streamlined the program into three tiers – Basic, Advantage, and Premium – as well as offering BlackBerry 10 Readiness Services. With direct access to a Support Service Specialist as an option at the Advantage tier, you can reduce internal staffing costs while still equipping your business with the technical support you need.

Provide access to critical business information

Whether you are making a presentation, joining a meeting, or making a business decision, it is important to be prepared and well-informed. BlackBerry 10 provides hands-on access to industry news and other business content, mobilizing your workforce with tools to work effectively on the go. With the SAP applications that are coming to BlackBerry 10, your employees will be able to make informed decisions by accessing and interacting with the latest data available.

Simplify your IT manager’s job

Your IT manager faces a mobile landscape that is constantly evolving toward greater complexity. As demands from business users increase, your IT department will need to properly balance mobility and security needs. BlackBerry 10 introduces a mobile platform that meets both the consumer demands of business users and the security demands of IT departments. In addition, BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 (BES 10) simplifies your IT manager’s job with a single, unified platform to manage BlackBerry, iOS and Android devices securely.

Don’t forget to check out Part 1 of “10 Ways that BlackBerry 10 will Impact your Business for the Better”!

An important goal of the BlackBerry 10 platform is to improve the mobile experience of businesses and their staff. Building on the long-standing reputation of BlackBerry smartphones in the business community, here is a look at several business objectives that IT professionals can look to achieve with BlackBerry 10.

Meet increasing employee demands

The consumerization of information technology has changed the workplace and brought with it increased employee demands. As mobile technology continues to evolve, businesses are under pressure to either provide employees with high-performance mobile devices that offer a seamless experience, or to allow employees to bring in their own mobile tech. On BlackBerry 10, features such as the BlackBerry Browser and Keyboard have been made more powerful and intuitive. In addition, new advanced features such as the flow of BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Hub will make it easier for employees to navigate their phone and manage information, all within the context of our world-class security and management capabilities. With these features, as well as all of the apps available at launch, BlackBerry 10 provides an experience that employees will love and the security and manageability that businesses need.

Increase productivity and mobility

The BlackBerry 10 platform is built for business, providing your mobile workers with secure access to information and internal systems. One exciting BlackBerry 10 feature is remote desktop access provided by app developers like Splashtop. This feature will allow BlackBerry customers to access and control a desktop computer from their BlackBerry 10 smartphone. By using such tools to increase mobility, employees will be able to carry critical business information and tools on the go, thus also increasing their productivity.

Encourage organizational collaboration

Businesses can further look to improve productivity by facilitating a culture of collaboration. Several upcoming BlackBerry 10 apps will help encourage this collaborative culture, such as Cisco WebEx Meetings. This app helps customers with scheduling meetings, sharing screens and sharing content for collaboration on the go. In addition, BlackBerry 10 includes integrated cloud storage capabilities from Box, which allows employees to share files directly from their devices. Supported by the BlackBerry 10 secure environment, businesses can encourage collaboration confidently, knowing that measures have been taken to help make sure that data isn’t compromised. BBM video chat and screen sharing is another example of a fantastic collaboration opportunity provided by the BlackBerry 10 platform, not to mention Documents To Go, Work Drives, and more.

Contributing to lower costs

BlackBerry Balance has been completely redesigned for BlackBerry 10, providing customers with a seamless flow between work and personal use. BlackBerry Balance also helps to lower costs for IT departments by allowing employees to bring their own devices to work. By separating work and personal data, business professionals can use personal online accounts and consumer apps on their work device without needing to worry about unintended interactions.

Integrate your mobile computing capabilities

More than just a smartphone, BlackBerry 10 is a mobile computing platform built to power an entire ecosystem of devices and systems. Businesses can offer their workforce greater connectivity by expanding their focus from just devices to platform-based environments. Designed to support the concept of a “mobile office,” BlackBerry 10 will consolidate desktop computer and phone capabilities into a single, integrated platform. This integrated approach provides IT departments with the versatility to prepare for the mobile landscape of the future. With apps like SAP and Cisco WebEx Meetings, you can extend your existing investment in these services and pursue a truly integrated approach.

What’s one way you plan on using BlackBerry 10 to improve your business? Share in the comments below.

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

In the early days, smartphones were for work, and were often provided by businesses to their key employees who needed to be connected to corporate information at all times. As the industry evolved, these devices came to be media powerhouses, full of rich applications and a wide potential of use cases. Your smartphone is now your music player, your digital camera, and your hub of communication with friends and family. A challenge arose in businesses worldwide – work data needed to be kept safe and secure, but no one enjoys a locked-down experience. Many employees started to bring their own personal phone from home, but had to continue using their work-issued device, and ended up using each for separate purposes. But where’s the fun in carrying two phones? Some businesses then saw an opportunity to cut costs by allowing employees to connect personal devices to their corporate infrastructure. Thus, the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend was born.

The Bring Your Own Device trend emerges

But with BYOD, a new, evolved challenge emerged for IT departments – the security of work data mixed with personal use can create a multitude of problems for both employees and businesses. Corporate data can be easily compromised due to malware attacks, permissions granted to apps, and the like. On the other side, when an organization performs a remote security wipe, employees can be left without music, personal photos, personal email accounts, and more.

“BlackBerry Balance is our cutting edge solution to the problems
that arise from the BYOD trend; challenges which have developed
over years of smartphone industry growth.”

BlackBerry Balance is our cutting edge solution to the problems that arise from the BYOD trend; challenges which have developed over years of smartphone industry growth. With BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Balance technology, Work and Personal perimeters are created on the smartphone to separate and secure the corresponding apps, connections, and data. The benefits of such technology are significant and relevant.

Security for Administrators, Freedom for Employees

Businesses are now enabled in their mobile strategies; they can connect employees to their infrastructure and promote the use of business applications and behind-the-firewall connectivity. Employees can be more productive, devices can be ultra-functional, and organizations can truly move their work mobile. The work perimeter can be controlled and managed at a granular level with all of the robust functionality that the BlackBerry enterprise mobility management solution provides. The data in each perimeter is protected. It reduces risk significantly, and creates a situation where BYOD can be embraced for all of its benefits.

Employees can be free from work-related restrictions on their mobile devices. Download apps, use the camera, message friends and family, and browse wherever you please. What you do on the personal perimeter of the smartphone is up to you, and your work doesn’t need to control, restrict, or manage this side of the device. It can be truly yours to own, use, and customize. When your organization manages or in the event they need to wipe the corporate perimeter, your information is left intact just as it was before.

How is BlackBerry Balance Enabled?

The recently launched BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 allows IT administrators to configure BlackBerry Balance settings on employees’ BlackBerry 10 smartphones. As an end user, you’ll have the opportunity to set up your work email account, and in the process set up the work perimeter, which is locked by a BlackBerry Balance password that you create.

Toggling between Work and Personal is as simple as swiping down anywhere on the application screen. In the Work perimeter a behind-the-firewall connection is created, allowing you to access work apps through BlackBerry World for Work, an app store created by your administrator, as well as work versions of many applications. If you’re currently running a few apps when you switch perimeters, they’ll remain as Active Frames, allowing for rapid multitasking between work and personal apps.

BlackBerry Hub and the Calendar app are two examples of apps that straddle this barrier between Work and Personal perimeters. Both personal and work email can appear in the Hub. The same applies to the calendar. If BlackBerry Balance is locked, only personal items will appear, alongside work items, which are listed as “locked item”. A simple tap on any locked item will prompt you to enter your password.

The BlackBerry Balance Experience on BlackBerry 10 smartphones

Check out a quick video demonstration of how you can interact with BlackBerry Balance functionality on your BlackBerry Z10 smartphone:

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

Summing Up…

BlackBerry Balance provides a better experience for end users, and helps to mitigate risk and provide a higher return on investment for businesses. We’ve designed the tools required to tackle current trends in workplace mobility, and are constantly working on helping you tackle future trends that are just around the corner.

Are you an administrator or an end user? How will BlackBerry Balance help you have a better experience?

Jeff Holleran, BlackBerry Senior Director of Enterprise Product Management, has just set up a BlackBerry device with a BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 deployment, including adding the user to a group. Take a look at what’s next for pushing public apps from BlackBerry World to the device:

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

Deploying and managing mobile applications can help increase productivity and provide behind-the-firewall access to corporate data, and it’s a critical aspect of a wider mobile strategy. Does your organization manage and deploy mobile apps to its employees? Share in the comments below.

Editor’s note: Special thanks to Walter for helping me with accuracy and real-world applicability!

I’ll admit it – I don’t work in IT. But I get to chat every day with those who do, not to mention a few friends who went into an IT line of work. Plus, at the end of last year we launched the BlackBerry page on Spiceworks – a community of over 2 million IT pros. A few common themes have popped up in discussions, tweets, chats, and calls, and considering that we’re in New Years resolution season, I figured it couldn’t hurt to put down a proposed list of 10 resolutions for IT departments. The list is by no means exhaustive, and may not be completely relevant to your IT department, but that’s where I need your help. Finish it off, tweak it, or give one of the items a digital thumbs up in the comments below.

1. Discover what you can automate, and automate it

This one applies to IT departments and business in general. We all perform common tasks in our work, and one trick to save yourself some time is to automate a few of these tasks – even if you’re just shaving a few minutes off the end of it. Maybe it’s time to organize your contacts, create some e-mail rules and filters, or even write a batch script for installing software. Figure out what can be automated and automate it; you’ll thank yourself when you’ve got the extra time to think ahead rather than putting out fires.

2. Set up remote support tools

For many IT departments, particularly in large companies, support is a major ongoing concern. Adding remote support to your tool belt not only gives you back time from performing the work and/or getting ahold of the employees device or laptop, it can also give you a firsthand look at the issue when compared to support options like phone or email. If you already have remote support tools, ask yourself: are they doing the job? Are there any updates for technology and software in this area?

3. Get help from other IT pros and service partners

No one should have to go it alone, no matter what your line of work. Getting involved in communities of IT professionals like Spiceworks can have great benefits. It’s not just gossip, speculation, and shoulders to cry on – it’s a wealth of experience and individuals with experience in the challenges that you may be facing. I think you’ll find that communities like these have real benefits to your work, and can be a lot of fun along the way. Many IT departments also have service contracts with vendors and partners. Be sure to take advantage of any ongoing benefits that these agreements provide you.

4. Hear what the employees have to say

In many organizations there’s a disconnect between employees and the IT department. Employees can be seen as children running about with tech toys, and IT departments can be seen as limiting access and functionality, hoarding access to corporate data. It doesn’t have to be this way, and I believe that IT departments are or can be significant enablers of efficient work. Toss some surveys out there, sit down and have a chat with key individuals from different areas and levels of the organization, and discover where this relationship stands.

5. Anticipate future challenges, opportunities, and trends

Remember the time that I mentioned you could save automating tasks or implementing remote support? Time to use it. Look ahead and what IT challenges your company may be facing six months from now, or even a few years from now. Keep track of where technology is headed in your industry, such as the increased use of tablets at work. When the future trend projection becomes a reality, and you’re ready with a well thought-out plan, you’ll be a star.

6. Stay healthy, get sleep, and take breaks

I’ve certainly had periods of time in my life where I just wasn’t happy at work. In many cases, however, it wasn’t the work itself that was causing it – rather my personal state of mind. Healthy eating, exercise, and a good work-life balance all have positive effects that spill over into many areas of your life. You’ll be happier, easier to work with, more alert, and able to tackle challenges with gusto rather than trepidation, frustration, and discouragement.

7. Document your processes for the next person (or for you)

We’ve all started a new job at a company and had to climb our way through a pile of learning that was not organized and not easily accessible. And in those situations we think to ourselves, “if only this had been written down somewhere, it would have been so much easier.” Think about the next individual who might be stepping into your role when you move on, and document common processes and/or create onboarding materials. It can even benefit you if you find yourself following a specific and complex series of tasks or steps on a regular basis. Get it down, get it organized, and keep it accessible. You’ll be doing a favor for many, including yourself.

8. Audit your vendors for consolidation opportunities

Particularly in large companies, agencies, vendors, and contractors can stack up over long periods of time. Sometimes they’re even accomplishing the same tasks. Even if they aren’t, perhaps one of these vendors can offer multiple services at a discounted rate. It’s good to perform an audit of whom you have contracted, and consolidate when possible. It saves money in the long run, and perhaps you can return to #8 and take a look at that wish list with the extra funds.

9. Prioritize your IT purchasing list

Like any department, IT has a wish list. Whether it’s new software licenses, server upgrades, or more staff, work out what exactly your list looks like, and get it prioritized. This way you’ll have what’s most important at the forefront, and you’ll be able to seek justification and choose your battles wisely, creating the most significant positive effect possible considering your resources.

10. Enable self-service

If you find yourself buried under the weight of employee tech support, consider how you can enable a self-service model to take some of the strain off on easy tasks. For example, provide simple steps for employees to set up email accounts on their BlackBerry smartphones. The setup app makes it a breeze, and can prevent or reduce calls to the IT department with requests for help. Or, document the instructions for mapping common network drives, or connecting to printers. Get feedback on the how-to articles, and make sure that they’re user friendly.

Hopefully these ten New Year’s resolutions for IT departments can help you kick off 2013 with a great start and an eye for the future. Did I miss any that you think should have made the list? Or, which is your top resolution for 2013? Share in the comments below.

With the launch event scheduled for January 30th, 2013, BlackBerry 10 is now more anticipated than ever by business customers and individuals alike. While video sneak peeks, live demos of the platform, and developer events may serve to feed personal interest, businesses also have a need to get prepared for the new mobile computing platform within their organizations.

Many organizations have already set up BlackBerry Mobile Fusion along with BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5 in order to meet the BYOD challenge and manage cross-platform devices. We’ve also announced the upcoming BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, which will bring with it the management capabilities for BlackBerry 10 devices.

Now we’re excited to announce the BlackBerry 10 Ready Program, which is designed to help prepare your business environment for the launch of BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10. We’ll help you transition – at your pace – to an environment that provides device management capabilities across multiple platforms and that includes both smartphones and tablets. The program will help you be ready for the future.

Components of the Program

Think of the BlackBerry 10 Ready Program as a toolkit with options available for you to learn about what BlackBerry 10 has to offer, where to start, how to leverage what you already have, and be prepared for the new mobile computing landscape. The program is rolling out in stages, with the BlackBerry 10 Webcast Series and the BlackBerry 10 Ready Offer kicking off today. The BlackBerry 10 Readiness Services and the BlackBerry Enterprise Server License Trade Up offer will be available in the New Year prior to the launch of BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10.

BlackBerry 10 Webcast Series

These on-demand webcasts will help you keep on top of all of the latest info, as well as help paint a clear picture of the direction that we’re taking the BlackBerry enterprise portfolio of solutions. The first 4 are available today in the newly designed BlackBerry Resource Center:

• The BlackBerry Enterprise Vision and Roadmap
• Enterprise Security Capabilities of BlackBerry 10
• Doing More with Enterprise Applications and BlackBerry 10
• BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10: The Smart Choice for Multi-Platform BYOD

Additional webcasts will be announced on a regular basis and will continue to become available leading up to the launch of BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 and beyond. We’ll also be hosting Q&A panel webinars to make sure that you’re getting the information that you need – submit questions in advance to BlackBerryEnterpriseKnowledge@rim.com. For convenience, transcripts of the webinars will be available as a PDF.

BlackBerry 10 Ready Offer (NA Only)

Note: This component is currently only available for customers in North America with BlackBerry Technical Support at the Advantage level or higher. RIM will announce as the offer becomes available in additional countries.

This component of the BlackBerry 10 Ready Program is a straightforward three-step process to help get your IT department ready for action, with a free BlackBerry 10 device to boot (conditions apply – check out the web site for details). If you’ve got a BlackBerry Technical Support Services contract with RIM at the Advantage level or higher, simply register for the program, download and install BlackBerry Mobile Fusion within the promotional period, receive a free Client Access License (CAL), check out some online training modules, pass 3 tests to verify your knowledge, and get a free BlackBerry 10 device at launch*.

BlackBerry 10 Readiness Services, and BlackBerry Enterprise Server License Trade Up

These two components of the program will be available in the New Year to line up with the availability of BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10. More details will be available here on the Inside BlackBerry for Business Blog, and at the BlackBerry 10 Ready Program web site, so head over and check it out! Let us know if you have any questions in the comments.

We are pleased to announce that BlackBerry® Mobile Fusion 6 Service Pack 2 is now available with updates for Universal Device Service. With Universal Device Service 6.2, enterprises are provided with additional features to securely manage iOS® and Android™ devices in use by their workforce. In addition to quality and performance enhancements, this update helps administrators protect access to Microsoft® Exchange ActiveSync®; it adds improvements to ease the deployment in the enterprise and provides management improvements in the administrative console.

New Features in Universal Device Service 6.2

• Gatekeeping for Exchange ActiveSync: provides enterprises with the ability to limit access to Exchange ActiveSync to managed and compliant devices
• Support for Proxy Servers for Outgoing Connections from Universal Device Service: this improvement helps enterprises deploy the Universal Device Service in their existing IT infrastructure
• SCEP Proxy for Certificate Provisioning to Managed Devices: enterprises that want to improve security and user experience using certificate based authentication can now provision certificates to devices from an enterprise CA without the need to expose SCEP to the Internet
• Support for Android devices with Motorola EDM: the Universal Device Service configures the native PIM client on devices that support Motorola Enterprise Device Management
• More Flexible Assignment of Automated Compliance Actions: administrators now have more flexibility in assigning measures to be taken by the system for jailbreaking and app incompliance by users and user groups

Gatekeeping for Exchange ActiveSync

Corporate email is one of the most sensitive repositories of information. As a result, one of the prime concerns enterprise IT administrators have is access to Exchange ActiveSync by devices, which may be out of compliance with the security policies of the organization. BlackBerry Mobile Fusion 6 Service Pack 2 helps IT administrators solve this challenge. Through the integration with Microsoft Exchange servers, Universal Device Service can limit access to Exchange ActiveSync to only those devices that are managed by the Universal Device Service. In the Universal Device Service console, administrators are provided with detailed information about devices that have been granted access or have been blocked from accessing Exchange ActiveSync.

In addition, the Universal Device Service also checks the compliance of managed devices and can use this information to block incompliant devices. In this way, administrators can ensure that access to Exchange ActiveSync will be blocked when devices are jailbroken, and whether users have installed mandatory applications or updates, or if they have installed unapproved applications. Gatekeeping for Exchange ActiveSync is compatible with Microsoft Exchange Server 2010.

Cross-Platform Device Management

The Universal Device Service is an element of BlackBerry Mobile Fusion, which provides cross-platform management for BlackBerry devices, as well as devices running the iOS and Android operating systems. Using the BlackBerry Mobile Fusion Studio, administrators are able to manage all devices through a single console.

Get the Update Today

Head over to the BlackBerry Mobile Fusion website to get the update.

What features are you most looking forward to in Universal Device Service 6.2 update? Share in the comments below.

Because government agencies deal with some of the most confidential information in the world, IT leaders in the government sector face unique challenges with data protection, device management and security accreditations. Mobile solutions for government must improve productivity without compromising security requirements.

To find out more about how government agencies are using BlackBerry solutions, we spoke with several government IT leaders. Here’s what they had to say about their experiences with BlackBerry services and products like the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet:

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

Visit www.upgrademyagency.com to learn more about how BlackBerry can provide your government agency with a complete solution for mobile security, manageability, productivity and collaboration. And stay tuned for an upcoming blog post on BlackBerry solutions in public safety and law enforcement.

Do you work for a government agency that uses BlackBerry solutions? Tell us about a mobility challenge that BlackBerry has helped you resolve.

When IT departments want to solve business issues, they often evaluate all of the products available and find what solutions fit best for the particular problem that they are solving. With the introduction and availability of mobile applications to the general business community, the idea of evaluating the right tools at an in-depth level to solve problems often becomes a forgotten art. Unfortunately a lot of time gets wasted trying to use a hammer as a screwdriver with apps that appear functional, but don’t integrate with your infrastructure or lack on security and connectivity.

The BlackBerry® Enterprise solution contains tools geared toward the enterprise customer when it comes to enterprise application solutions, starting with straightforward connectivity behind the firewall. But it doesn’t stop there. Having the ability to push data to a mobile device offers up many opportunities for solving real business problems.

Take, for example, the idea that executives commonly need to be kept up to date on sales performance, inventory, or business intelligence. With the BlackBerry solution, it is very easy to push that out to your executives via a browser channel or a BlackBerry® WebWorks™ application. For example, you can build in notifications and an icon that shows when that new information is available for them, and once they click on the icon, it can change to show that it’s already been read until a new push is received. All of this can be done using BlackBerry developer tools that are readily available. As an added bonus, the information can be made available offline, such as when busy executives are flying. After all is said and done, you’ve got a fantastic example of a functional enterprise app without the hassle of creating a VPN connection and attempting to connect with company servers behind the firewall. Problem solved!

Tip: Check out sample code that allows you to push company data to devices.

Now let’s take that a step further and say you have a field service technician who needs to be able to respond in conformity with a specific Service Level Agreement (SLA). The BlackBerry push ability allows you to build in a confirmation that the technician received the notification, as well as acknowledgement back from the technician that the work order has been accepted. In this scenario you’re working towards a higher level of response for the level of service that your customers expect and demand. Again, the problem solved and response time, accuracy, and customer satisfaction can be improved.

We’ve designed all levels of the BlackBerry solution to help solve challenges like the examples mentioned above. The back end servers and management tools, the devices themselves, and the developer resources all come together to provide a straightforward opportunity to design and deploy enterprise apps.

What problems have you solved with BlackBerry enterprise apps? Share in the comments below.