BlackBerry has been a strictly mobile play for a long time, but they've also had their talons deep in to the enterprise world--being for a long time the 'only' choice for businesses with a mobile workforce. As tastes have changed in the market, pressures to update the BlackBerry offering seem to have taken their toll with RIM offering up their own answer to the iPad--one sure to be the choice of the enterprise over its more consumer oriented cousin.

The new BlackBerry Playbook offers a new tablet BlackBerry OS, with the key feature of dual HD camera's for taking video as well as video conferencing. Additionally, RIM has partnered with enterprise software companies like IBM, SAP and Oracle to create super apps aimed at providing innovative mobile UC solutions for BlackBerry users.

According to UCStrategies analyst Blair Pleasant, "RIM's developer platform can make it easier to develop not just basic Unified Communications (UC) applications, but integrate mobile communications with business processes, which is what UC is all about. This is the type of platform that can help to make it easier for RIM's partners to create UC applications that leverage RIM's products, providing increased integration with UC and mobile capabilities."

For more:
- read the UCStrategies coverage

Related news:
Mitel adds BlackBerry to mobile offering
More VoIP coming to BlackBerry

With all the buzz around the iPhone and Android platforms, its easy to forget that the choice phone for the enterprise is the BlackBerry. Luckily, the latest BlackBerry OS has seen some VoIP potential. A few days ago Mitel made a few announcements regarding their BlackBerry UC offerings. Now, GigaOm has a quick piece on a VoIP app coming to the BlackBerry as well.

The TringMe app for BlackBerry makes calls of a user's WiFi connection or over a locally routed phone number. Once the app is installed, the application integrates with the OS, a link on your contacts page of your BlackBerry appears offering to "Call using TringMe." The service is offering a white-label version for companies and even provides the ability to configure for a company's SIP solution.

TringMe is an Indian start-up company based in Bangalore.

For more:
- read the GigaOM piece

Related news:
Mitel adds BlackBerry to mobile offering, capitilizing on mobile
Mitel offers UC Advanced for BlackBerry users
Kyte Extends Mobile Production Capabilities to BlackBerry Devices
Cisco brings WebEx collaboration Blackberry

Last week, Mitel released a unified communications (UC) application for BlackBerry users to tap into its collaboration offerings. This week, they've added BlackBerrys to their mobile services offering.

Mitel is now offering BlackBerry smartphones as part of the Mitel Mobile service for U.S. based corporate customers through Mitel NetSolutions. Companies can choose from the BlackBerry Curve 8530 or BlackBerry Bold 9650 smartphones. Mitel will also offer BlackBerry Enterprise Server licenses. Mitel Mobile offers voice and high-speed data services to corporate customers and with BlackBerry smartphones users of the Mitel Mobile service can connect to and operate Mitel's suite of UC applications, including the Mitel Unified Communicator Advanced mobile client.

For more:
- read the release

Related news:
Mitel releases BlackBerry UC app
Mitel offers UC Advanced for BlackBerry users
Mitel offers truly virtualized IP telephony

Capitalizing on the latest buzz in the mobile world, Mitel (NASDAQ: MITL), the unified communications software maker has released version 3.2 of its unified communications (UC) Advanced solution. The solution works for BlackBerry smartphones, right on the heels of RIM's new BlackBerry Torch.

Mitel's UC Advanced Mobile solution is a software client that allows users access to all their collaboration tools like their deskphone, softphone, mobile device, visual voice mail, instant messaging, presence, video conferencing, document sharing and email. 

"With so many employees on the road at customer sites or field offices globally, UC Advanced Mobile for BlackBerry smartphones will allow our employees to easily access corporate voicemail, click-to-dial from corporate address book using internal extensions, or check other employee's presence status," said Amit Shankar, CIO at Granite Services International, in the Mitel release. "These kinds of capabilities will help our employees stay connected with the office, improve their productivity, and ultimately increase our customer satisfaction."

The UC Advanced app is now available for download at the BlackBerry App World.

For more:
- read the release from Mitel
- check out the FierceWireless coverage of the new BlackBerry

Related news:
RIM set to unveil new BlackBerry, reportedly planning tablet
RIM rolls out revamped BlackBerry App World
Report: Smartphone surge continues unabated in Q2

At this week's Interop trade show, RADVISION is unveiling its new SCOPIA XT1000 high definition video conferencing room system as well as a video conferencing control and management app for the iPad.

The SCOPIA XT1000 is a dual 1080p, 30 fps video streaming teleconference room with an embedded nine participant HD Multi-party Conferencing Unit.

The SCOPIA Mobile app is a free program that lets users control and manage video conferences from an iPad using the nice big touch screen. The Mobile app has been available to the iPhone, iPod Touch and Blackberry smartphones, but none of those devices can match the large screen of the iPad.

"With the addition of the SCOPIA XT1000, RADVISION is now an option for customers looking for an end-to-end video conferencing solution," Boaz Raviv, Chief Executive Officer for RADVISION, said in a release.

For more:
- read the release
- read this Network World article

Related articles:
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HP, Tandberg team to tackle telepresence trend
TANDBERG products finally officially part of Cisco TelePresence

RIM has really stepped up its unified communications (UC) game this week during its WES 2010 event. Mitel is the latest company to introduce a Blackberry UC offering, joining the Blackberry Alliance program and preparing to release Mitel Mobility for BlackBerry Mobile Voice System 5.

Mitel plans to demo its UC/Blackberry combo at the WES show with the solution pairing features of the Mitel Communications Director with the mobility features of BlackBerry MVS 5 across corporate networks. The new solution provides call hand-offs between devices so users can answer a call with their desk phone, continue the call on their BlackBerry, and then move the call to their home phone line.

On top of this new focus on integrating Blackberry into its UC offering, Mitel has already deployed features for mobile users like using Mitel Unified Communicator Advanced Mobile Portal to access UCC info, corporate contacts, voicemail and using Mitel's Dynamic Location based on a mobile device's GPS to update their presence on Mitel's Dynamic Status system.

For more:
- read the release

Related articles:
Mitel offers new Unified Communicator Advanced enhancements
Mitel offers truly virtualized IP telephony
Ottawa suspends Mitel phone service bid on $2M donation

RIM announced BlackBerry Mobile Voice System 5 with voice over Wi-Fi calling. It works with Cisco UC Manager and enables a business user to use their regular desk phone number and extension from their BlackBerry smartphone.

It must be Blackberry week, because this was the second UC/VoIP story where IP communications has snuck into the enterprise-favored smart phone. This time the announcement comes from outside RIM--Cisco is adding some UC to the platform.

A few weeks ago, Cisco brought WebEx functionality to the iPad, which is great, except that that particular mobile device isn't the one most businesses use. Luckily, today they brought WebEx to Blackberry phones. The new app allows users to log in to WebEx meetings from their phones--they click on a URL to join the meeting and WebEx's audio conferencing feature calls them to join. On top of that, users can view shared documents and desktops from their Blackberry.

For more:
- read the article

Related articles:
WebEx on the iPad
Agito provides first FMC solution for BlackBerry smartphones
Vonage Mobile for iPhone and Blackberry now ready for download

Want to add more enterprise communications to the most popular of enterprise mobile phones? Just add WiFi VoIP calling and SIP.

That's exactly what RIM is doing with its popular Blackberry phones. It's latest OS 5.0 build for its phones will now offer VoIP calls over WiFi and SIP functionality which will eventually result in even more unified communications opportunities. The new offering allows users to take their PBX extensions with them through their Blackberry mobile device and track presence status depending on where they log in on various WiFi networks. Calls are routed back through the IP PBX, saving the company cash on call minutes as well as detecting an employee's location and presenting the appropriate business extensions to callers. 

For more:
- read the article

Related articles:
VoIP apps will run in the background on iPhone OS 4.0
Vonage puts service on Android
Truphone puts its VoIP on iPad

RIM announced the upcoming availability of the BlackBerry Bold 9700 with Wi-Fi Calling from T-Mobile.

It will be the first 3G-powered BlackBerry available through T-Mobile USA, and also the first smartphone from RIM that includes built-in support for both 3G connectivity and voice calls over Wi-Fi, according to T-Mobile.

Vonage has launched Vonage Mobile, its first mobile calling application for smartphones. This free downloadable application provides seamless, low-cost international calling while on Wi-Fi or cellular networks.

It’s available for download on the iPhone, BlackBerry and iPod touch.

The app works with the existing mobile plans, what lets you keep your number, mobile device, existing contacts and mobile service provider.

Want to make international calls at a discounted rate through your Vonage number? There's an app for that. Today, Vonage Mobile is available in the iTunes App Store for download to the iPod Touch and the iPhone, and it's also been made available for Blackberry users.

Vonage Mobile allows users to make pay-as-you-go Vonage international calls over a WiFi connection without using any of their cell phone minutes. Users just pay Vonage's discounted international calling rates. If there is no WiFi network available, the app does not make SIP calls over the EDGE or HSDPA network, but instead connects calls through a local U.S. number--using call minutes--and then taps into Vonage's calling network, charging the user Vonage-based international rates rather than regular international calling rates.

For more information:
- read this from Engadget
- read Vonage's short info page

XCast Labs has extended its IP videomail services to BlackBerry devices.
Consumers and enterprise users who own a BlackBerry Curve, Pearl or Storm, are now able to receive video messages from anyone with a videophone or Softphone application.

XCast Labs, a voice and video SaaS provider, announced today it has added video voicemail services for BlackBerry devices. XCast CEO Cliff Rees said that while the addition won't drive serious revenue initially, the BlackBerry video voicemail integration is an effective selling tool for reseller partners targeting enterprises that also displays his company's engineering ability.

Rees said it took XCast engineers three weeks to develop a beta version of the service, which is now available to all XCast IP PBX customers at no extra charge. XCast's direct RTP methodology enables the video voicemails, which are in H.264 format, to take up a mere fraction of the bandwidth other providers would use to move the files, Rees said. XCast recently raised a $2.7 million funding round, which Rees said would help the company become profitable by the first quarter of 2010.

For more:
- see the XCast press release here

After releasing its application for the iPhone, Android-powered devices and other Java-enabled mobile phones, as well as for Windows Mobile, Skype announced at CTIA WIRELESS 2009 in Las Vegas that the lite version of Skype, a 'thin' Skype client for mobile phones, will soon be available as a free download for BlackBerry smartphones.

Truphone announced today that it is launching a Blackberry application that enables business users to make international phone calls from their devices at fixed line rates.
The company claims that the new Truphone Business app will reduce call charges by at least half.

JAJAH is to offer new services enabling VoIP calls to be made either via WiFi or over the cellular network for Windows Mobile, BlackBerry and Symbian users.
They are being offered as white label solution to enable carriers and non-carriers to launch the service under their own brand.

By Carl Ford

As usual, I am writing about a subject, with sincere doubts that I am going to influence change.

While President Obama has been fighting to keep his Blackberry, I have been thinking of starting an effort to figure out the president's Blackberry messenger ID. For those who don’t know, Blackberry’s have an individual handle that can be used to send text messages back and forth. A crowd sourcing effort to identify the president’s id would be fun, but ultimately unsuccessful. Too many people will ignore it, or claim to be the president. But for thoughts like these, I justify the CIA’s concern. And of course it’s a tracking device the president has put on himself.

So I am here to offer a compromise. It’s called a Peek (see http://www.getpeek.com), and it’s an email only solution that is incredibly simple and inexpensive. The system is $79.95 and the monthly cost is $19.95. Peek comes with its own service, and it is in the same basic structure of most Blackberries with an easy-to-use keyboard. The system costs less because it only has to service e-mail, so there is no browser or bricks game. It is a specific purpose machine that does exactly what it is supposed to do: Let you peek at your emails and make decisions in a timely manner.

The lack of a browser and the inability to read attachments is a draw back, but it is also may be the right choice for people who just want the communication. Obviously, that is not necessarily a Facebook crowd. So what is the market for Peek? People who are serious about email and not necessarily traditional Blackberry users. Maybe, but what if we thought of the Peek as an upgrade from the SMS messaging on the phone. I am aware that the young do not really use the phone part of their device. They are mostly texting. And Peek provides the service cheaper than text and to more people.

In my test run, I took the Peek with me into the mountains where my signal is so weak, my phone was not available. The Peek was a fine tool for about 70 percent of my emails. The other 30 percent I knew I would need my laptop to view and respond to. Then again, browsing the Internet and looking at attachments on mobile devices has always been a frustration. My mother always told me that delayed gratification is good. And I have been waiting for this device for a while. Amol Sarva was a speaker at an event I did in 2007. He had been an exec at Virgin Mobile, and I knew he had some plans for another MVNO. The Peek team is made up of former execs from Virgin Mobile and the history of how Amol came up with the idea is cute (It’s on the community page). So, my advice Mr. President is to take a Peek and give one to the rest of the family.

Vyke has released a beta version of its Mobile VoIP software and service for Blackberry devices using RIM software.
The addition of the Blackberry software now means Vyke's VoIP solution is available on the three most used mobile operating systems in the enterprise market - Symbian, Windows Mobile and RIM.

Devoteam is to release a Blackberry version of its VoIP client OnePhone that runs on mobile platforms enabling voice calls over an IP network.
It is expected to be available for the RIM handset in the first quarter of 2009.
OnePhone is a SIP-based, dual mode GSM-WiFi solution that is able to interwork with public and private WiFi hot spots, and with mobile networks.

By Carl Ford

My IT friends on Wall Street have always looked at the IPhone as an annoyance. Most of them were not Apple friendly to begin with, and have shown much reluctance to allow the iPhone into the support system.

In other words you can get one, but you are on your own, which actually is probably where you would be anyway. However, I would like to point out as I survey the world market, the iPhone may be the first phone consistently available and offered worldwide.  Traditionally, local phones can roam internationally, but they are not the same all over. Apple is starting a new trend line here to follow.

However with RIM & AT&T's Bold and RIM & Verizon's Storm, the Enterprise Architect has something they can point to that is "kewl" enough to hold the dogs back. And now that the bloom is off the rose, the iPhone has some interesting quirks that I think will allow the IT folks to hold it back. 

Here are the notes from the family test lab.
Number 1. Hanging up the phone is actually hard. Disconnects have to be forced otherwise you find that you are hearing that wonderful tone to tell you there is a phone off hook without a call. 
Number 2. Texting does not get the benefit of the landscape keyboard.  In other words the iPhone is friendlier to email even though its client base probably likes text better. The other complaints are not particularly relevant to a discussion about the enterprise.  

The RIM devices are not without problems, either. Friends with the Storm complain that some keys on the visual keyboard are impossible to click. So while the experience starts great, the frustration with the keyboard is problematic. However, the pressures of downsizing results in a number of RIMs being returned to the Enterprise and contracts to be bought out or renegotiated as a group.
On Wall Street, the Enterprise Architect has other issues to cope with. Like the auditing of the seat reduction as the company downsizes. With the tragedy in Mumbai, and thousands of employees being let go, the centralized directory of employees and their functions are going to be critical to continue productivity.

And yet with all this turmoil, some opportunity exists.

Whatever trials were going on or tools were being rolled out, if they were justified before these turbulent times, the loss of seats provides a savings that allows the roll out to be seen as a necessary supportable upgrade. Microsofts' OCS will be a beneficiary, but video systems from Cisco and Polycom are right now still leading the pack.
The good news for the employees involved in these trials is that they are being kept to implement these tools.  And who knows they may become consultants after the project is over.

The VoIP mobile software developer Truphone has launched a beta version of its iPhone app for RIM's BlackBerry 8801 and Curve devices.
While Truphone Anywhere for Blackberry only works on WiFi enabled BlackBerrys at the moment it will be rolled out for 3G at some point.

iSkoot has announced that its mobile application, iSkoot for Skype, is launching in the Android Market.
It is the first VoIP solution available on Google’s new mobile application store.
Available immediately for download, iSkoot for Skype also runs on nearly all major mobile platforms, including J2ME, S60v3, UIQ, Palm, Windows Mobile and BlackBerry.

i2Telecom International, Inc, a developer of VoIP products and services, has announced the launch of MyGlobalTalk for BlackBerry and Windows Mobile users.
The software allows uses Internet telephony to make international and long distance cellular calls independent of wireless carrier, smartphone handset make, or voice/data plan for as low as two cents per minute anywhere in the world.