BLODEX

Category BES 5.0 BlackBerry
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Recently, we have deployed a new BES server with the latest available version of BES, that is 5.0.2. While I was ecstatic about all the improvements that RIM put in there (compared to the BES 4.1 that we have been using up until this point), I was disappointed when I realised that some key Lotus Notes and Domino features that have been around forever, are still not supported in the latest version of BES. Some of these were not very obvious, and in case of the "Return Receipt" feature (as it is known in Lotus Notes world) aka Read Receipt, I actually got a false impression that it may be supported in the new BES after seeing the extra option in my BlackBerry mailbox settings.



I could swear that this option was not there when my device was still attached to the old BES 4.1 server. Or maybe it was added after I upgraded my device software from 4 to 5. In either case, after seeing this I got the impression that Return Receipts feature is now supported on BES for Lotus Notes/Domino platform. Unfortunately, I could not get this to work, so I called RIM's tech support thinking there is some option somewhere in BAS on the BES that I need to turn on. After a rather lengthy e-mail exchange, they stated unequivocally that this is still not supported and pointed me to the following technote:

Article ID: KB12252 indicates this is not supported:
Title: Receipts for read email messages are not generated by the BlackBerry smartphone
Link: http://www.blackberry.com/btsc/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=KB12252

They also said:

"SDR125029 is the tracking number for this feature enhancement we have added your case number to the list of people who have indicated they would like this feature implemented if possible in a future release. However no such update is currently scheduled."

The issue that I now have is why put that option in there, if it is not going to do anything for "desktop" (ie. Lotus Notes/Domino) messages? It is just going to confuse the users, like it confused me. I asked RIM that same question, and the answer I got was:

"Device can also be setup to work with webmail accounts and BlackBerry internet service accounts, this issue does not affect Exchange mail platforms either, hence the option is there as devices do not use an OS that is mail file specific. "

While I can see their point, this statement is not entirely correct in my opinion. In fact I have two BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) mailboxes added to my device (one of them is Hotmail), and I can see that the settings for them (Messages Options - Email Settings) are kept in separate profiles from the settings for "Desktop" mailbox, that is Lotus Notes/Domino.



While "Send Read Receipts" setting appears in each one of the three, there are other similar settings that only appear in one but not the other. For example, "Send Delivery Receipts" appears when I selected one of my BIS accounts, but not when I selected 'Desktop'. Makes sense because this is supported with BIS but not with 'Desktop'.



So the device software can see the difference and does not offer all the same options based on which mailbox profile I am editing. At least when it comes to BES (Lotus Notes/Domino aka 'desktop') vs. BIS (Hotmail, and IMAP accounts).

Now, they are also saying that within 'Desktop' profile, BlackBerry's device software is not able to distinguish if it is talking to BES for Exchange, or BES for Domino... Why is that? And most of all, why this works with BES for Exchange, but not BES for Domino? If the feature set offered for Domino platform is inferior to the one for Exchange by design, shouldn't the device be able to tell which platform it is on?

"However no such update is currently scheduled."   Disappointing :(

Posted by Bodek Frak At 12:00:00 AM Location Windsor - U of W | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Category BlackBerry BES 5.0
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I always assumed that when BlackBerry gets connected to a BES server running in Lotus Notes/Domino environment, it will synchronise both contact and group documents between the device and Lotus Notes address book (aka Contacts database/application). Just recently, I became aware that this is not the case. Unless your BlackBerry uses device software version 5.0.x or greater, the group documents will not synchronise between your desktop and your device at all. Even with device software 5.0.x, and the latest version of BES (ie. 5.0.2) there are still several limitations in this area that RIM needs to address in future releases:

1. When you add a new group document to your address book in Lotus Notes, it will eventually sync to your device. But when you add a new group document on your device, it will never sync back to your Lotus Notes address book. This is by design.

2. Despite the fact that both Lotus Notes' address book, and BlackBerry's address book allow you to create groups (aka e-mail distribution lists) and populate them with members (that is they both use the same concept), Notes groups are not equivalent to BlackBerry groups. Groups created on your device will appear with a rectangle icon with a few stripes on the bottom (not sure what it depicts....), and they are referred to as "Groups" or "BlackBerry Group Contacts". Groups created in Lotus Notes and synced to your device will appear with a suitcase icon, and they are referred to as "Multipurpose Personal Distribution Lists".

3. When you create a group on your device, you can edit it later and add/remove members to/from the group. When you create a group in Lotus Notes, and open this group on your device once synchronisation took place, you will not even see the members list, never mind being able to edit it. That's despite the fact that when you select it in the view and push the menu button, you will see "View Distribution List" on the menu. when it opens, all you see is "*Contacts Unavailable*".

All this is not document anywhere, at least I was unable to find any reference to it other than this brief mention of "personal distribution lists" in the BlackBerry Enterprise Server for IBM Lotus Domino, Version: 5.0  Service Pack: 2 on page 34:

"Users with BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0 or later can view personal distribution lists in their contact lists. Users can send messages to the personal distribution lists and delete personal distribution lists from their BlackBerry devices. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server synchronizes only the Multi-purpose and Mail only personal distribution lists."

The last sentence is not even correct because Notes 8.x no longer uses "Group Type" nomenclature in personal address book. Terms like "Multi-purpose" and "Mail only" are only applicable to groups in Domino directory on the server.

It is also worth mentioning that my device was using 5.0.0.862, yet none of the Lotus Notes groups would sync to it via our BES 5.0.2 server. I had to delete Desktop [SYNC] and Desktop [ALP] service books on my device, and resend service books to my device form BES in order for this one-way sync to start working. This could be because my BlackBerry was moved from a 4.1 BES to a 5.0 BES using BlackBerry Transporter.

Posted by Bodek Frak At 01:48:55 PM Location Windsor - U of W | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)