FreshPhoneNews.com

Good news for BlackBerry Internet Service users in the North American region, BIS 2.8 has totally landed. BIS 2.8 will give non-enterprise users functionality they’ve longing for ages. Key improvements include;

• Two-way wireless synchronization [every four hours] with Google Mail Contacts and the Address Book on the BlackBerry smart phone:
  • Synchronize Google Mail contacts quickly and easily to the BlackBerry smart phone.
  • Add or edit Contacts and the Contacts are automatically updated, whether they are updated on the computer or BlackBerry smart phone.
  • Note: Two-way wireless Contact synchronization with Google Mail Contacts requires BlackBerry® Device Software 5.0 and configuration through email settings on the BlackBerry smart phone.  Additional requirements and constraints may be found within the BlackBerry Internet Service 2.8 Documentation Kit. This feature is not supported on BlackBerry smart phones with BlackBerry® Connect™ software.

• Enhancements to email setup and settings:
  • Automatic Login now supports most billing identifiers, which allows new subscribers with wireless service providers that use PIN, IMEI, or ESN as a billing identifier to create BlackBerry Internet Service accounts from the BlackBerry smart phone, without having to create a login user name and password
  • Note: This feature will be available approximately one week after the BlackBerry Internet Service upgrade.

• Windows Live Hotmail revalidation:
  • With BlackBerry Internet Service 2.8, new Windows Live Hotmail mail integrations will be defaulted to a protocol that is designed so as not to require 90 day reauthorization.
  • Note: Existing BlackBerry smart phone users accessing Windows Live Hotmail using Microsoft MSP will still be required to revalidate their Windows Live Hotmail account every 90 days.

Pretty decent, RIM can definitely pat itself on the back for this one.

Folks across North America, if you’ve torn out all you’re your hair and gone into withdrawal because your BIS has been down, hear us; you’re not alone. BIS has been down and the rants have poured in from everywhere. It started out with delays, but then upgraded to full-fledged breakdown. And contrary to what some blogs have reported, this is not for maintenance. So how’s your ‘Berry doin’?

Ok here we go again, BIS is down again all across North America. Looks like the ole’ BlackBerry is getting the stepchild treatment from shaky carrier networks. If you’re on Rogers, AT&T or Verizon, or whom so ever else you chose to put your money on, don’t be surprised if your ‘Berry is dead; it’s happening to everybody. Now let’s see when we get official confessions statements from carriers.

Earlier this month when RIM released BES 5, a lot of BIS users were feeling kicked in the gut. Can’t blame ‘em. Well, the anxiety is now over, and RIM has spilled the beans on the new forthcoming BIS version. The announcement wasn’t as public as it should have been; an article in Knowledge Base to be precise. So are the improvements ground breaking? Hardly. Apart from complimentary one way syncing of Gmail accounts via IMAP instead of POP and the ability to edit signatures via the WAP browser, you won’t awed by anything.

1.      Display of password characters:

a.      BlackBerry smartphone users have the option to display password characters when configuring email addresses with the BlackBerry Internet Service. This feature makes it easier for BlackBerry smartphone users to integrate third-party email addresses, especially when using a BlackBerry smartphone with the SureType® input method.

2.      Improved descriptive support and error messages:

a.      BlackBerry smartphone users that have integrated a third-party email account using Post Office Protocol (POP) receive a personal identification number (PIN) message that includes instructions on how to leave email messages on the messaging server for successful delivery to the BlackBerry smartphone.

3.      Option to change signatures from the BlackBerry smartphone:

a.      BlackBerry smartphone users that use Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) automatic login can change the signatures for email messages using the BlackBerry smartphone.

4.      Improved language support:

a.      Dutch is now an available language for the BlackBerry Internet Service 2.6.

5.      Gmail integration using IMAP:

a.      BlackBerry Internet Service 2.6 uses Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) to integrate Gmail® webmail accounts. This integration protocol introduces the following benefits:

                                                              i.      Elimination of sent email messages appearing as received email messages in the message list on the BlackBerry smartphone

                                                            ii.      One-way synchronization of read status, sent items, and deleted items.

b.      To use these improvements, BlackBerry smartphone users must remove and reintegrate their Gmail webmail accounts.