What is BES10?
BlackBerry® Enterprise Service 10 (BES 10) is the evolution of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, ActiveSync, and BlackBerry Mobile Fusion. It will allow organizations to manage their mobile deployment with a single platform. The following will be supported:
- BlackBerry 7 OS and prior smartphones
- BlackBerry 10 devices
- BlackBerry PlayBook tablets
- iOS and Android™ smartphones and tablets
What will the components and requirements be for BES 10?
BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 will be a complete solution that includes several components to manage multiple smartphones and tablets. Management occurs through a single, unified web-based administration console that will provide one place to manage all of the devices listed above.
In addition to the unified management console, the components of BES 10 will initially include current products already in market:
- BlackBerry® Device Service (BDS) – supporting BlackBerry PlayBook tablets and BlackBerry 10 smartphones when they launch in Q1 2013 through the use of Microsoft ActiveSync for email and PIM synchronization
- Universal Device Service (UDS) – providing Enterprise Mobility Management functions for iOS and Android devices
- Integration with existing BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 5.0.3 and above
When will BES10 launch?
BES 10 will launch with the first BlackBerry 10 devices in Q1 of calendar year 2013.
Will multiple servers be needed to support BES10?
With the initial launch of BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, BES 5+ will require its own server, while BlackBerry Device Service and Universal Device Service can reside on separate servers or be combined on the same physical or virtual server. Should you opt to work with virtual servers, we fully support this type of deployment. Today, BlackBerry Mobile Fusion operates in a similar fashion, with BES 5+ requiring one server, and both BDS and UDS able to be deployed on a single server or on separate servers.
In an update scheduled for May 2013, customers will be able to install BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 on the same physical server that is currently running BlackBerry Enterprise Server version 5, enabling organizations to securely manage all of their BlackBerry smartphones & tablets, in addition to iOS® and Android™ devices, from a single platform.
What version of BES Servers will work with BES10?
BES 5.0.3 and above will be compatible with BES10. If you have a prior version of BES, it will continue to operate as normal. You just won’t be able to manage devices connected to that older BES version through the unified BES10 interface.
Managing iOS and Android Devices
BlackBerry Mobile Fusion extends the BlackBerry mobile device management to iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. BlackBerry Mobile Fusion supports the latest MDM capabilities available in iOS and Android, and is designed to enable administrators to apply corporate policies and configurations to manage and secure these devices. Additionally, customers will be able to leverage the application management capabilities of BlackBerry Mobile Fusion to manage the distribution of mobile applications to employees on these platforms.
What happens if I’ve already installed BlackBerry Mobile Fusion?
BlackBerry Mobile Fusion will allow you to manage BlackBerry PlayBook tablets as well as iOS and Android devices today; it will also prepare you for a simple and straightforward upgrade to BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 once it’s available in early 2013, when it launches together with the first of our new BlackBerry 10 smartphones.
How does BES10 use Microsoft ActiveSync?
With BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0, the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet adds support for Microsoft ActiveSync technology. ActiveSync is a common email/PIM synchronization and transport protocol, which is used by Microsoft® Exchange and other on-premise and cloud mail/messaging providers. Microsoft ActiveSync on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet is designed to allow consumers to connect to popular mail platforms such as Gmail® or Windows Live™. Individuals and small businesses can also use its transport functions for integration with Microsoft® Exchange, IBM® Lotus® Notes Traveler, and other Microsoft ActiveSync enabled systems.
BlackBerry Mobile Fusion leverages Microsoft ActiveSync as an email and PIM sync protocol while providing enterprises with many of the same advantages that a BlackBerry Enterprise Server does for a BlackBerry smartphone. Namely, a straightforward yet highly secure connectivity model: proven BlackBerry end-to-end 256-bit encryption, and a behind-the-firewall path for applications, the browser, email, and PIM.