Inside BlackBerry for Business Blog » Washington

BlackBerry 10 Sneak Peeks at the Canadian Embassy Inauguration Event in Washington, D.C.

Luke Reimer — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 15:54:01 +0000

Earlier this week we trekked down to Washington, D.C. where BlackBerry was the technology partner at a Canadian Embassy inauguration event. Government leaders, military officers, and Capitol Hill personnel were in attendance and eager to get hands-on with BlackBerry PlayBook tablets and BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha devices.

Reactions to the QNX-based tablet and upcoming smartphone were solidly positive, and it was a real pleasure to see individuals discovering features, functionality, and gesture-based interaction that they hadn’t before experienced. The ability to peek into BlackBerry Hub, the overall flow of BlackBerry 10, and the separation between work and personal data with BlackBerry Balance were clear differentiators for the attendees. Check out the video below to see what a few of them had to say:

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

On this important day for United States President Barack Obama as he begins his second term, we stood among Canadian flags and enjoyed the hospitality of the Canadian Embassy. Ice sculptures, beaver tails, and bright red mittens were featured attractions, and it was a comfortable fit for BlackBerry technology to join the mix as an iconic Canadian company which has spread its wings worldwide. Hear from our Government and Policy groups on how the event helped to continue our work, partnerships, and friendships in Washington:

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

Many expressed anticipation of the January 30th BlackBerry 10 worldwide launch events and all of the details that will follow, including continued partnerships between BlackBerry and U.S. government agencies. Our thanks extend to the Canadian Embassy and the Canadian Ambassador to the United States for being such gracious hosts.

Are you a government employee? How do you anticipate using BlackBerry 10 in your work? Share in the comments below.

Connecting with Business Developers at BlackBerry Jam – Enterprise Edition in Washington, D.C. [VIDEO]

Luke Reimer — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 14:08:33 +0000

We always love the opportunity to connect with business developers who attend BlackBerry events. Recently, we had the chance to speak with Mike Hennick, IT Administrator and Enterprise Developer, at the BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour – Enterprise Edition in Washington, DC. Mike shared the following with us: “BlackBerry Mobile Fusion was a piece of cake to set up. We had an existing BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) implementation that my company had outsourced, so I was a little apprehensive. After I went to a few webinars to learn more, it seemed simple enough to get started. So, I fired up some equipment, and within a week, I was able to put online the new BlackBerry Device Service (BDS), BlackBerry Mobile Fusion, and Universal Device Service (UDS) components to manage third party Android™ and iOS devices. Within a week, everything was up and running, right out of the box – ready to go!” Check out the video below for the full scoop.

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

In his interview with us, Mike also mentions that he’s a BlackBerry PlayBook fan, and uses his tablet for both work and personal life. “I even used my BlackBerry PlayBook to pass my wedding vows back and forth with my wife.” It was great to connect with him – many Enterprise developers are, like Mike, excited to take advantage of BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry PlayBook tablet capabilities within their workplace.

Have any questions we can help answer about deploying BlackBerry products and services within your business? Are you using BlackBerry Mobile Fusion as your mobile device management solution? Let us know by commenting below!

BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour – Enterprise Edition hits Washington D.C., we talk App Development and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10

Luke Reimer — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 18:21:12 +0000

The Washington, D.C. stop in the BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour – Enterprise Edition was a very exciting event to attend. In the heart of government activity in the U.S., we were able to chat with both agency and enterprise developers to introduce the BlackBerry® 10 development tools as well as enterprise mobility management with the upcoming BlackBerry® Enterprise Service 10. Check out the video below for the full scoop:

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

What we learned, who was there, and what happened

BlackBerry 10 is getting all of us more excited every day. The live demonstration showcased fantastic UI elements like the flow, notification screen, and the BlackBerry Hub, as well as how application management is experienced by end users via App World and App World for Work. As a hobbyist BlackBerry developer on the side of my social media work at RIM, the screen real estate, crisp resolution, and smooth transitions have me itching to get started.

On that note, why not get started? With the BlackBerry 10 platform, developing for BlackBerry has never been easier. Whether you’re into HTML5 with WebWorks, Native Qt/C++ development with Cascades, or Adobe AIR – the SDK’s are available, BlackBerry Dev Alpha and Beta devices are being provided to eligible attendees, and the guides are plentiful on http://www.blackberry.com/developer. Many are also porting over their existing Android apps to the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ and BlackBerry 10 platform.

With functionality like BlackBerry MDS Connection Service included with BlackBerry Mobile Fusion and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, connecting to data behind a firewall becomes a very straightforward experience – no need to create a VPN connection and re-invent the wheel. What this means is that BlackBerry 10 apps will prove to not only be extremely aesthetically pleasing, but also vastly functional in an enterprise environment.

The feedback from developers was outstanding, as seen not only in the applause and energy during the BlackBerry 10 live demonstration, but also in countless conversations between attendees and the RIM development staff on-hand to help answer questions, provide more in-depth information, and get everyone up and running.

We’ll be in Chicago and New York!

The BlackBerry Jam World Tour – Enterprise Edition events are not over by any means. If you’re in the area, be sure to check out our plans for Chicago (Nov 28) and New York (Dec 12); register at www.blackberryjamenterprise.com!

Have you attended one of the BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour – Enterprise Edition events? What was your favorite aspect? Share in the comments below.

Get a hands-on look at BlackBerry 7 and the BlackBerry PlayBook during an upgraded Washington D.C. commute

Luke Reimer — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:17:03 +0000

May is an exciting month for BlackBerry® government customers who work in Washington D.C. — we want to give you a hands-on look at BlackBerry® 7 OS smartphones and BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablets. I had the pleasure of heading down to Washington last week to see the action for myself, and to chat with many of you to hear what you had to say about BlackBerry 7 and the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.

Business Class Commuting

That loud morning alarm, the coffee that takes too long to brew, the traffic that jams itself up faster than you thought possible… No one likes to commute, that’s for sure. But, we figured that if you’ve got to do it, we might as well provide a free and comfortable option for you to do it in style! Introducing “business class commuting” for the month of May: a BlackBerry shuttle service for those of you heading into and out of Washington D.C. If you see one of these shuttles, climb aboard! Not only will you handle the early morning trek in comfort, you’ll also have a chance to try out BlackBerry 7 smartphones and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets, which we’ve made available in the shuttles and loaded up with apps and bookmarks we think you might like.

The response that I’ve seen so far has been fantastic. Beyond the free ride, individuals are really learning new things about BlackBerry smartphones and tablets, and how they can be leveraged in amazing ways for both personal and work purposes. Don’t take my word for it – check out the video below:

[YouTube link for mobile viewing]

Appy Hours Have Arrived!

One more thing before you run out the door to find a BlackBerry commuter shuttle: “Appy Hours” are also being introduced in May. The first was on Thursday May 10th, and there will be a second on May 30th from 6-8pm at Bullfeathers. If you missed the opportunity to get your hands on a BlackBerry 7 smartphone or a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, this is your chance! You’ll also be able to ask questions, explore some of the incredible government use cases going on with this technology, and unwind after a long day.

Have you upgraded to BlackBerry 7 yet? If not, head over to www.upgrademenow.com to get the full scoop. If you have, share your favorite feature in the comments below!

BlackBerry Connects with Government: Don’t Miss the Appy Hour Events this month in Washington D.C.

Luke Reimer — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:21:45 +0000

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend one of the “Appy Hour” events that we hosted on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Many segments of the U.S. government, as well as other governments around the world, are big adopters of BlackBerry® products and solutions based on the built-in security, manageability, and many features that enhance productivity, communication, and efficiency. We took the opportunity to share hands-on demonstrations of BlackBerry® 7 OS smartphones and BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablets, and to answer any questions as they popped up.

It was great to meet with government staff in person to discuss how they use BlackBerry everyday as part of their work and personal lives. It was also the perfect opportunity to thank the Washington, D.C. community for its support of BlackBerry. To further express our appreciation beyond the Appy Hour events, we’re also “upgrading commutes” with BlackBerry shuttles in and out of the city every day for the month of May – look for those slug lines and jump on board!

There are incredible BlackBerry apps available for BlackBerry government customers – this was an “Appy Hour” after all. From email provisioning to Mobile Device Management, and from field staff to public safety workers, there are a ton of BlackBerry solutions to take advantage of. For example: data collection apps, IT and cloud management, resource tracking, notification/communication, and document management. Not to mention apps that you use outside of work like Twitter, photo editors, recipe apps, and so much more. Coupled with BlackBerry security, these apps and solutions can bring serious efficiency and positive process overhaul in government industries. The best part is that BlackBerry smartphones are already FIPS certified, as well as certified for use by the Department of Defense. (Watch for a blog post about this coming soon!)

If you missed the event last week, no problem! There will be another “Appy Hour” held on May 31st at Bullfeathers in Washington (5-7pm), so make sure that you come by to unwind and to get your hands on the latest BlackBerry smartphones and tablets. We’ll be there to help you out, showcase what we think will be your favorite and most useful features, and to answer questions. See you there!

What are the top two features of your BlackBerry device that you love to use for work and personal life respectively? Share in the comments below.