As part of the recently announced BlackBerry 10 Ready Program, we’re launching a brand new on-demand webcast series to help you and your business prepare for BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10. The series begins with four webcasts available today on the following topics:

• 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

The webcasts are hosted in the newly re-designed BlackBerry Resource Center, so be sure to head over and check them out. Additional webcasts are planned over the coming months – check back soon for details.

Along with key trends in the broader enterprise mobility space, this webcast series will provide you with a clear path for upgrading to BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10. Get all of the details at www.blackberry.com/blackberry10webcasts.

Do you have questions that you’d like answered? We’ll be presenting a panel on January 10th answering your top questions, so share them in the comments below!

You’re missing out if you haven’t had a chance to take a look at the first two webcasts in our series on Unified Communication and Collaboration (UCC). These took a look at current trends, shared some insightful data, and provided opportunities to kick your internal collaboration into gear while seeing that return on investment.

The final two webcasts in the series are now available, focusing on the financial industry and on mobile collaboration across multiple mobile platforms. BlackBerry® devices play a major role in many financial organizations due to the security, connectivity, and infrastructure. A correctly implemented layer of UCC on top of a smartphone deployment can make a difference in the quality and quantity of employee communication and collaboration – and this is what the BlackBerry UCC portfolio seeks to accomplish. When it comes to cross-platform UCC, common enterprise challenges and concerns are met with the fact that you don’t need to throw out a unified communications strategy when you embrace a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) strategy in your organization.

But within this practice, there are resources, best practices, and key differentiators to be aware of when kicking off a cross-platform communication project. Check out the webcasts below to learn more!

• Webinar #3: Banking on BlackBerry: Achieving Regulatory Compliance
• Webinar #4: Supporting Cross-Platform UCC with BlackBerry

If your organization employs the BlackBerry portfolio of Unified Communication and Collaboration solutions to increase productivity and cut costs, we’d love to hear about it at success@rim.com. You can also share feedback on our LinkedIn® recommendation page, and discuss in our group while you’re there.

What mobile UCC topics are you most interested in learning more about? Share in the comments below.

Correctly leveraging Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) in your company can result in a massive return on investment. Rapid sharing of information, consolidation of document management, mobile access, and even Wi-Fi® calling all ladder into the idea of a productive workforce supported by an efficient infrastructure. One of the unique ways that we support enterprise customers is by providing a portfolio of tools, apps, servers, and systems that sit as a layer between your existing infrastructure and the activities of your employees, acting as an enabler for cost effective communication and collaboration.

We’ve got bright ideas already available and some on the way when it comes to supporting the diverse needs of an enterprise employee base. In the pursuit of continuing this support and adapting it for specific industry-based requirements, today we’ve made two webcasts available covering an overview of UCC, with one catered particularly to the healthcare sector.

• Webinar #1: Mobilizing UCC with BlackBerry Smartphones: Creating a Mobile Office
• Webinar #2: Healthcare with BlackBerry UCC: Improving Patient Care

Communication within any organization is crucial to business operations. And these days, email may not be enough – it can even bog you down with a loaded inbox and wasted hours sunk into reading and replying. With the introduction of voice technology such as BlackBerry® Mobile Voice System, as well as rapid communication and collaboration software like enterprise instant messaging, communication becomes efficient, streamlined, and unified. Employees can be reached at a single number whether at their desk or on the road. Calls can be transferred from the mobile network to your Wi-Fi network seamlessly and without dropping – representing significant cost savings. Instant messaging can be used for quick questions.

Clearly, the benefits of streamlining your organization’s unified communications and collaboration are numerous, not only for the bottom line in terms of cost savings, but also for keeping employees mobile, accessible, and collaborative.

What tools does your organization use to communicate and collaborate? Share in the comments below.

Hopefully you were able to check out our June webinar series on BlackBerry® Mobile Fusion, with a particular focus on the Universal Device Service component for managing iOS® and Android™ smartphones and tablets. This month, the webinar series is back, and this time we’re diving deep into BlackBerry® Device Service, the next generation device management component of BlackBerry Mobile Fusion for managing BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablets and the upcoming BlackBerry® 10 platform.

There are 7 webinars scheduled throughout July; be sure to take a look at the dates below and book time in your calendar to attend. There are duplicates in the list below to help make sure that you can get all of the information that you need even if you have a conflict. The password for each webinar is “Fusion”.

July 10, 2:00pm     Installing BlackBerry Device Service and Mobile Fusion Studio
July 12, 2:00pm     Installing Universal Device Service
July 17, 2:00pm     BlackBerry Mobile Fusion Overview
July 19, 2:00pm     Installing BlackBerry Device Service and Mobile Fusion Studio
July 24, 2:00pm     Installing Universal Device Service
July 26, 2:00pm     BlackBerry Mobile Fusion Overview
July 31, 2:00pm     Installing BlackBerry Device Service and Mobile Fusion Studio

How to access the webinars

To view any of the webinar events listed above, simply click on the title link to head to the event WebEx page, use the password “Fusion” (without the quotes), and you’ll be up and running in no time.

What is BlackBerry Mobile Fusion?

BlackBerry Mobile Fusion is a comprehensive Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution that brings security, organization, and convenience to managing smartphones and tablets in your organization. The features and components of BlackBerry Mobile Fusion include:

• Universal Device Service for managing iOS and Android smartphones and tablets
• BlackBerry Device Service for managing BlackBerry PlayBook tablets
• Integration with BlackBerry® Enterprise Server for managing existing and past BlackBerry smartphones
• BlackBerry Mobile Fusion Studio: a web-based, unified console for managing devices, users, configurations, policies, and more.

Learn more on the BlackBerry Mobile Fusion website. If you’re already using BlackBerry Mobile Fusion, like Martha Stewart Living, head over to our LinkedIn Products & Services page to leave your thoughts!

What feature of BlackBerry Mobile Fusion do you see as most useful to your organization? Share in the comments below.

Throughout the month of June we’ll be hosting a series of webinars designed to help organizations get familiar with BlackBerry® Mobile Fusion as a Mobile Device Management solution. The webinars will be hosted by individuals specializing in specific areas in order to provide expertise and technical insights.

Check out the topics and schedule below and be sure to mark it in your calendar:

June 7:
Installing Universal Device Service – 2:00PM ET (Password: Fusion)
June 12:
Universal Device Service Overview – Thomas Dingfelder from Ubitexx – 2:00PM ET (Password: Fusion)
June 14:
Universal Device Service Overview – Thomas Dingfelder from Ubitexx – 2:00PM ET (Password: Fusion)
June 19:
Administrating BlackBerry Mobile Fusion with demos – 2:00PM ET (Password: Fusion)
June 21:
Installing Universal Device Service – 2:00 PM (Password: Fusion)
June 26:
Universal Device Service Overview (French Language) Alain Marcil – 2:00PM ET (Password: Fusion)
June 28:
Administrating BlackBerry Mobile Fusion with demos – 2:00PM ET (Password: Fusion)

BlackBerry Mobile Fusion is a Mobile Device Management solution that allows your organization to manage BlackBerry® smartphones and BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablets, as well as Android™ and iOS® platforms. To learn more, visit the BlackBerry Mobile Fusion website, which includes an overview, specifications, features, and much more.

What are you looking forward to learning from the webinars? Share in the comments below.

The BlackBerry® Enterprise Applications Showcase is designed to show you how to make a productive mobile enterprise a reality. This one-day virtual event, taking place on May 30th, will allow you to attend live demos, ask questions of experts and explore the exhibition hall, all from the comfort of your own office.

Key partner applications from Citrix, SAP, and Box will be highlighted, and will show you how to fully enable a productive mobile office. Not only will you hear from some great speakers, but you’ll also be able to download relevant information to review and share with your colleagues and decision-makers. The BlackBerry® Resource Center is perfectly suited to host this event, with an interactive conference-style environment that you can explore and take advantage of.

Details

Wednesday May 30th, 2012
10:30am ET – 2:30pm ET
Register now

You can easily register through the BlackBerry Resource Center for your virtual seat at this great event, as well as to see a full agenda. Not a member already? It’s quick and easy to join – register today and start reaping the benefits; there’s a whole lot that the resource center has to offer on an ongoing basis!

Does your organization deploy mobile apps to increase productivity or efficiency? Do you personally use apps this way? Share your experience in the comments.

Is your company ready for the mobile learning revolution? Over 40% of organizations are now utilizing mobile learning to inform and educate their workforce thanks to its flexibility and cost savings. Is your organization one of them?

If not – or if you want to learn how you can take full advantage of your mobile learning implantation – join us and the Brandon Hall Group for a webinar titled Mobile Learning: From Early Adoption to Mainstream. Richard Nantel, Co-CEO of Brandon Hall Group and our own Robin Palmer, Product Manager for BlackBerry® pushcast software, examine how mobile learning is impacting learning and development initiatives within different organizations, and how you can prepare for your own mobile learning implementation using tools like BlackBerry pushcast software. They’ll also review some real world mobile learning success stories.

The webinar will be held Wednesday July 13th, 2011 at 1pm EDT. Sign up now to make sure you’re prepared for the mobile learning revolution!

Do you remember the days when the only way to access your email was to boot up your desktop and log-in to your corporate intranet? When the phone on your desk was simply a phone devoid of any real features, connected to a completely separate PBX system? When your mobile phone made voice calls, sent text messages and did little else? Things have sure changed since then. The emergence of new technologies is causing a re-evaluation of devices and their relevance in the office. The distinction between laptops, tablets, desk phones, and smartphones is blurring as the capabilities of these devices evolve and converge making collaboration more seamless. The “new office” is wireless, and traditional office devices such as the laptop and desk phone have the potential to ultimately be replaced.

Three technology drivers have made a significant impact on how we work: cloud computing, the convergence of voice and data, and wireless technology.

Cloud computing allows you to access applications that you use on a daily basis over a network rather than from a local computer. With the cloud, software applications are centralized and standardized. Cloud computing typically involves provisioning of dynamically scalable and virtualized resources to ensure reliability and good performance. As network bandwidth has increased along with security, accessing applications from the cloud has become a viable model for many businesses. End-users are freed from their office desktop as long as they have access to the Internet. IT has a much simpler and lower cost way to update applications and perform routine maintenance.

A second driver of change in the workplace is the convergence of voice and data. The traditional desk phone is a voice-only device. Mobile phones used to be primarily voice-only devices. The Internet has changed all that. Circuit-based systems have given way to packet-based systems, allowing voice and data streams to converge, making a voice call indistinguishable from an email – it’s just a bunch of packets. Information such as location and presence status that formerly stayed locked within the telecom network can now be leveraged for richer communications. The implications in the office are tremendous. With a fully IP-based communications system such as the Mitel® Communications Director (MCD) and BlackBerry® Mobile Voice System (BlackBerry MVS), IT departments can deliver a wireless-only solution designed to support all types of workers (desk users, mobile users and users who embody both) and avoid buying multiple devices. With this solution, users can access standard office phone features, such as conferencing, call controls and extension dialing without having to first manually dial into the corporate voice system. Calls on BlackBerry® smartphones can be seamlessly handed off between Wi-Fi® and cellular networks. You can move a call between any device in the user’s Personal Ring Group, and between cellular and Wi-Fi networks. Users have a single number for all devices in their network. Businesses may be able to significantly lower their long distance roaming costs with BlackBerry MVS since it uses optimized call routing and can make calls over Wi-Fi networks.

Wireless technology is another key driver of change in the workplace. Over the last decade there’s been an increasing trend to working remotely, in home offices or satellite offices rather than in a single corporate office. Companies can expand without the need to buy more office space while offering prospective employees the convenience and flexibility afforded by working from home. Tablet computers, like the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet, combined with a BlackBerry smartphone, Bluetooth® keyboard, mouse and headset, are designed to offer a desktop-like experience with optimal portability. BlackBerry® Balance™ technology, software that is designed to let IT departments securely separate corporate and personal data while providing a unified view into both, brings even more simplification since it eliminates the need for employees to have two smartphones.

So how does all of this come together? As an end user, your life is simplified with an all-in-one solution. You no longer have to deal with devices and applications that work only in their own silos. Applications are delivered to you from the cloud, securely over the network and available on your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet or BlackBerry smartphone whether you’re at home, in the office or on the road. In the future, the desk phone experience could be replaced by a BlackBerry smartphone and your desktop computer could be replaced by a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. When you receive or make calls, Mitel MCD and BlackBerry MVS are designed to provide a seamless experience that looks and feels the same as when you’re at your desk. Get ready, the future is here!

To learn more, register now for the Mitel Discovery Series webinar: Office of the Future with Mitel and BlackBerry. The webinar takes place on Tuesday, June 28th at 1:00pm EDT.

- Bill Gough, Director, Unified Communications Partner Alliances