As part of the BlackBerry 10 Ready Program, we’ve put together a variety of resources, manuals, guides, interactive tutorials, webcasts, and more to get administrators and business decision makers up to speed on our new offerings and what’s to come.

Here are just a few of the resources that we’ve got in store to help get you up to speed:

BlackBerry 10 and BES 10 Webcast Series

This is by far one of the best ways to get up to speed on the BlackBerry enterprise product portfolio. Hear straight from BlackBerry executives and Product Management leaders, view installation guides, learn about how BlackBerry Technical Support Services are evolving to meet your needs, and so much more. If there’s one resource that you check out from this article, let it be this one!

Guides, Tutorials, and Administrator Documentation

Get the practical, step-by-step advice you need to get up and running on the key BlackBerry technologies that help you manage and protect your mobile devices. The administrator documentation for BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 and the BlackBerry Unified communication and collaboration software will get you started in no time.

BlackBerry Product Manuals

The product manuals for BlackBerry smartphones, tablets, device management software, and accessories are all posted on the BlackBerry web site. Get up to speed on devices that you’re planning to support in your business, or learn more as an individual customer to maximize your experience.

Training

Whether it’s web-based or instructor-led by a BlackBerry Authorized Training Partner, there are a ton of great courses, videos, job-aids, and documentation that you can take advantage of. Don’t forget that we’re also offering BlackBerry 10 Training and Certification at BlackBerry Live.

Inside BlackBerry Help Blog

Our friends over at the Inside BlackBerry Help Blog are constantly crafting and publishing articles with tips and tricks, how-to’s, video demonstrations, technical resources, and more. Currently, a few of the top viewed posts include:

• How to set up a BlackBerry Z10 smartphone
• How to set up Outlook to wireless synchronize your contacts and calendar
• Ten ways to extend your BlackBerry Z10 battery life.

Still looking for answers and haven’t found them in the resources listed above? Make sure you check out supportforums.blackberry.com and TroubleshootingToolkit.com as well.

BlackBerry Certification

Demonstrate your drive, ambition and knowledge of the BlackBerry solution by getting BlackBerry certified. The BlackBerry Certification Program is the industry standard in excellence, providing a great opportunity for IT professionals like you to become subject matter experts in your companies by demonstrating proficiency with BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 products and services. To receive accreditation in the program, candidates must pass one or more product-related exams. Exams are currently available for the following roles:

• BlackBerry 10 Certified Support Specialist
• BlackBerry 10 Certified Helpdesk Specialist
• BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 Certified System Administrator
• BlackBerry Certified Builder for Web Application Development
• BlackBerry Certified Builder for Native Application Development

At BlackBerry Live, all current BlackBerry Certification exams will be available at half price for a total of $75.00 USD per candidate per exam. In addition, the BlackBerry Certification exam is included in the training fee for participants in the two-day instructor-led training courses.

BlackBerry Training at BlackBerry Live

To help you prepare for a BlackBerry Certification exam and gain insights on BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, we will be providing two-day instructor-led training courses in the days leading up to the BlackBerry Live conference. These training courses have been developed to help IT Administrators manage BlackBerry 10 smartphones in their organization and will take place Sunday, May 12 and Monday, May 13.

The following three courses will be offered:

• Installing and Managing the BlackBerry Device Service 6.2 (Certification BCP 440)
• Supporting BlackBerry 10 Devices and Troubleshooting the BlackBerry Device Service (Certification BCP 340)
• Installing and Managing the Universal Device Service & Troubleshooting the BlackBerry Device Service

More details are available in this SlideShare presentation:

BlackBerry Live Hands-On Labs

BlackBerry Live attendees will also have access to the Hands-On Labs, which provide an opportunity to experience installing and managing BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 using the BlackBerry Administration Service. BlackBerry Training and BlackBerry Technical Support experts will be on-site to assist participants with various lab exercises and activities, including managing and administering BlackBerry, Android and iOS devices.

Register Now for BlackBerry Training

Interested? You can sign up for BlackBerry Training during the online registration process for the BlackBerry Live conference, or add the courses to your existing registration account. We’re excited to help you.

Register for BlackBerry Training and Certification at BlackBerry Live Today

This month, 36-year-old Neall Hards of Ottawa will compete in his first ‘World’s Toughest Mudder’ challenge, a grueling 24-hour course that he has been training for over the past two years.

“The course is designed by British Special Forces and is designed to drain every last bit of drive and desire you have in your mind,” said the father of three. “It’s dark, it’s cold and you’re alone for hours at a time.”

Hards has been a BlackBerry® smartphone user since 1999. From a business perspective, he has long benefited from features like mobile email access, calendar integration and enterprise security.

But it wasn’t until the spring of 2011 that the longtime runner started to use his BlackBerry smartphone to help measure his training progress. Hards purchased the runtastic PRO application through the BlackBerry App World™ storefront, which uses his BlackBerry smartphone’s GPS functionality to track his running distances, kilometer paces and time averages.

“The runtastic app on my BlackBerry smartphone acts as a coach and as a running mate,” said Hards. “Whether it tells me that I’m running at a great pace or that I’m lagging, the constant flow of information motivates me to push even harder.”

Whether Hards is training or competing, his family and friends can track his progress on his online runtastic profile and send cheers of encouragement directly to his BlackBerry smartphone in near real-time.

Hards prefers his BlackBerry smartphone to other training and measurement devices because it allows him to give his undivided attention to the course ahead of him. It has also proved to be remarkably durable, despite exposure to extreme environments.

“All I need is a waterproof bag and my backpack,” said Hards. “My BlackBerry smartphone swims with me, rolls around with me and gets muddy with me, and I’ve never had any issues.”

As a family man, business professional and race competitor, Hards uses his BlackBerry smartphone throughout the day. Whether using BBM™ to connect with fellow Tough Mudder participants, syncing calendars with his 15-year-old daughter or using the GPS feature to find his son’s football games, Hards appreciates the full functionality that his BlackBerry device offers.

“There isn’t a day that goes by, or an hour that goes by, where I don’t pick up my BlackBerry smartphone and use it for something,” said Hards. “I just can’t put it down.”

Do you use BlackBerry smartphone apps for personal training and fitness? We’d love to hear about it in the comments section below!

For those of you not familiar with the service, BlackBerry® Technical Support Services provides businesses with reliable and affordable technical support directly from the BlackBerry technical support experts. Today I’m excited to highlight several enhancements that have been made to the BlackBerry Technical Support Services!

Here are a few changes that we’re excited to announce:

Training Discounts

Training and learning programs can positively impact knowledge and productivity, and to make our BlackBerry platform training programs even more accessible, we’ve added discounts to several of our service levels to make them even more affordable. Check out the Small & Medium Business or Enterprise websites, where we outline details for all these features.

BlackBerry Enterprise Server Trade-Up Key

We’ve worked to make it easier than ever to upgrade an older BlackBerry® Enterprise Server – we’re including a trade-up key in several different support contracts, depending on the level of support contract you choose. Better yet, these trade-up keys allow you to a one-time upgrade to BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5.0 or BlackBerry® Enterprise Server Express 5.0 at no further cost!

Designated Senior Technical Analyst (DSTA)

This is a new service we are offering which we’re very excited about. In an effort to develop and maintain an ongoing relationship with your organization, we’ve made available “Designated Senior Technical Analysts”(“DSTA”) for customers in the Premium support tier. Your DSTA is a knowledgeable resource that will visit you onsite once a month to ensure that your systems are running smoothly and will assist you with any planning initiatives you may have that are related to your BlackBerry® solution.

Along with expanding availability of preventive services like Health Checks and Change Management Planning, there’s a ton of additional services and features now available. For more detailed information on pricing and service levels, check out BlackBerry Technical Support Services for your Small & Medium Business or Enterprise. You can also contact a Reseller to chat about your options.

Tech support is a unique field of work, often resulting in many interesting stories. What’s the most memorable question that you’ve ever been asked by a user?

Hey, IT administrators – are you the seasoned veteran when it comes to BlackBerry® Enterprise Server experience, or are you a newbie just starting out? No matter what your skill level may be, we’ve got a comprehensive suite of BlackBerry Enterprise Server version 5.0x courses that can help you get the most out of your product.

Overall, our BlackBerry platform training takes a “roll up your sleeves” approach to learning, which is a great fit when it comes to sharpening your skills with the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. As a participant, you’ll get to train with a simulated BlackBerry Enterprise Server environment and have access to an array of hands-on labs and classroom activities. It will also provide a fantastic opportunity to interact with fellow BlackBerry Administrators, so you can exchange tips and tricks you might have picked up!

Available to all of our participants is the choice between our core BlackBerry Enterprise Server courses – Essential & Comprehensive v5.0x – to give you the complete fundamentals of the latest software, which is great for both beginners and experienced users alike. Additionally, you can learn how to effectively troubleshoot your environment using log files by taking our newest course – BlackBerry Enterprise Server Advanced Troubleshooting using Log Files (ATL). Also, our Essential course has been expanded to include everything you need to know about BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express – we’ll show you how to go beyond email integration and utilize the many possibilities of this product.

All of the BlackBerry® platform training courses have class sizes limited to 12 students, and are developed by experts from Research In Motion® (RIM®) and trainers that are skilled at helping participants understand, absorb and retain knowledge. If your goal is certification, our experience and training along with self-study will help prepare you.

If any of the above interests you, courses are available via our Open Session program in several regions and countries. Check out the Open Session schedule to see when we will be in your area! (Please note that these are priced at $1275 per two-day Open Session, subject to discounts depending on levels of T-Support.)

Have you attended a BlackBerry Training course in the past? What did you think?