Research In Motion (RIM), makers of the BlackBerry solution, has released the latest version of BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES), BES version 4.1.6.
According to BlackBerry Cool, some the most exciting features in this new release include rich content email support (HTML emails, so users will eventually be able to view graphics in emails), support for Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, and Lotus Sametime 8.0 support. More importantly, a newly discovered security flaw in the way PDF attachments are handled has been repaired.
For Lotus Domino shops, a new feature included in this version of BES allows users to click on links in emails that lead to documents, views, or applications in Notes, which should increase the number of email requests that can be handled remotely.
For Exchange users, a calendar synchronization tool is available to check for discrepancies between an Outlook calendar and the BlackBerry calendar. This tool can be run on a scheduled basis and can write errors to a log file or correct them as they are found.
Additional features in this release include:
- Changes to the BlackBerry Configuration Database Schema
- New Naming Conventions for the Collaboration Clients
- Support for connecting the BlackBerry Collaboration Service to a Remote BlackBerry Attachment Service to support file transfer for the BlackBerry Client for IBM Lotus Sametime
- Additional IT policies to support the control of value-added applications provided by RIM
- Improvements to the reconciliation of permanently deleted messages from Microsoft Outlook
- New naming conventions for the BlackBerry Mobile Data System (MDS) and related software
- Ability to configure the minimum number of characters that a contact list lookup performs a query on
- Change to the way product documentation is distributed
- Support for Domino 8.0.1
In addition to these enhancements and changes, many reported issues were also fixed. The complete list can be found in the Release Notes on RIM's site.
In order to take advantage of some of the device related features in this release, such as HTML email viewing, users will need to upgrade their devices to BlackBerry handheld software version 4.5 when it becomes available.
For organizations who have purchased T-support, RIM's software assurance and assistance program, the newest BES software can be downloaded without any additional charge from RIM's site. If an organization does not currently have support from RIM but purchased 4.1 or a later version of the software, the download is also free.
For organizations running 4.0 or earlier versions of the software, support can be purchased (which will allow any new versions within the next year to be downloaded and questions to be answered by RIM's Technical Support staff), or a one time upgrade fee (roughly $1000) can be paid to RIM or the reseller to get the new software.
For assistance in upgrading the BES, contact RIM or a local BlackBerry Alliance Member. Be sure to request a BlackBerry Certified Server Support Technician (BCSST) to assist when working with a partner, as not all partners are equally qualified. A listing of BlackBerry Alliance Members can be found using the listing on RIM's site.
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