Assessing the BlackBerry Platform

Okay, so you get the idea that the BlackBerry 7100 series of devices represents a unique merger of wireless text messaging and mobile phone functionality, but I haven't really said a lot about what makes the BlackBerry platform as a whole so appealing.

Until recently, the BlackBerry platform was widely regarded as a business-only platform for mobile devices tailored to the corporate set. Although corporate users still represent a significant portion of the BlackBerry user base, a major part of the goal in the 7100 series is to bring BlackBerry to the masses. POP/IMAP email support, web browsing, and instant messaging are features in the BlackBerry operating system that appeal to a broad range of users. But that doesn't explain why the BlackBerry platform etched its name so deeply in the corporate world.

The secret to the success of the BlackBerry can be summed up in two words: push email. Push refers to a type of email in which messages are pushed from the email server to the remote device immediately, as opposed to the device polling the server for new messages on regular intervals. The practical significance of push email is that it is immediate. Push email is the text equivalent of the walkie-talkie feature popular on Nextel mobile phones. Business users responded in huge numbers to the benefits of push email by adopting BlackBerry as the platform of choice for robust, rapid-fire text messaging. The push email phenomenon has been limited primarily to business users because a dedicated mail server has been required for it to work; checking a POP email account with Outlook Express is not push email.

NOTE

Other companies have offered devices with push email, and still do, but RIM established in the BlackBerry platform the most reliable and affordable system for push email that integrated well with corporate email servers.

The corporate side of BlackBerry email support is made possible thanks to the BES, a software package that integrates wireless push email with popular groupware servers such as Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Domino. A BES is by no means required to use BlackBerry email, but it does provide advanced synchronization features that benefit business users. For example, with the BES, you can send and receive wireless meeting invitation requests and synchronize your calendar accordingly . The other thing the BES does is provide an infrastructure for allowing universal connectivity between different wireless network providers. In other words, you can have people using devices on different wireless providers that seamlessly communicate through a BES server.

Although push email and the BES are central in the success of BlackBerry devices, they don't represent the end of the story. Following are some other significant hallmarks of the BlackBerry name that also contributed to its success:

• Long battery life BlackBerry devices have traditionally offered considerably longer battery life than other mobile handheld devices.

• Rough and rugged BlackBerry devices are known as very rugged devices thanks to their thick, rigid outer shells . Unfortunately, the 7100 represents a departure from this design for the sake of making it slimmer and lighter.

• Data protection Because data is stored in Flash ROM, your data can survive without the main device battery; some handheld devices suffer from data loss if you lose battery power.

• Security Encryption is a standard part of the BlackBerry OS, and all applications must be digitally signed to verify the publisher.

• Stability Generally speaking, BlackBerry devices have been proven to require far fewer system restarts than competing devices and can operate over longer continuous periods of time without any glitches.

• Always-on connection The wireless connection for BlackBerry devices is always on, which means you never have to manually establish a connection unless you've deliberately disabled the wireless radio.

So, I've done a decent sales job for BlackBerry devices. Now allow me to point out some of the deficiencies in the BlackBerry platform that are still standing in the way of the 7100 becoming a true consumer device. Following are some major mobile handheld features you won't currently find on any BlackBerry devices:

• MP3 music support

• An FM tuner

• A digital camera (still or video)

• Bluetooth synchronization with a desktop computer

• A wide selection of entertainment software

The lack of inclusion of these features into the 7100 series can be attributed to two things: security and the business past of the BlackBerry platform. RIM has been extremely guarded about including anything in its devices that isn't ultra -secure, which is an important issue for its corporate clientele. This same clientele isn't so turned on by downloading Top 40 songs to their devices or taking pictures to send to friends . However, if RIM hopes to truly bridge the gap from its business user base to a consumer user base, it will eventually have to address some of these missing ingredients . The reality is that it isn't just teenagers who appreciate the convenience of snapping a quick picture with their phone or listening to music on a commute.

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I have to admit that I really like being able to listen to the FM radio on my phone when I'm exercising, and I sorely missed this feature when I switched to the BlackBerry 7100 as my all-in-one device.

So, what's on the horizon for the BlackBerry platform? In addition to expecting some new 7100 devices, an explosion in BlackBerry software development is underway. This is a much-needed area of improvement for BlackBerry devices, and it is thankfully underway. Expect to see many more options in the near future for all kinds of new applications, including some open -source applications. Rumors even abound regarding a possible Linux synchronization application, which would be quite interesting.