BlackBerry Fusion

[CntdwnToExtn]

I wasn't quite sure where to stick this, but since it's to do with RIM and business, figured I'd throw it in here instead of the phones and tablets area.

RIM has decided for the corporate world "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em".

This is what they are doing with BlackBerry Fusion. It is a cross-platform BES "plugin" that will allow the administration of not only BB's but encorporate the PlayBook (OS 2.0) as well iOS and Android. This is a "free of charge" addition to your BES if you are already on 5.0.x. Of course, there are big insentives of you are on 4.3.x.

This will not control anything to do with email settings; this will still need to be done through Active-Sync on iOS and Android (or POP3/IMAP). You will though be able to control things to do with the device itself (which is the most important, IMO). This includes setting encryption policies, wifi AP's to connect to, VPN policies, etc. It can even detect if the device has been jailbroke or rooted (and sorry, my stance is none of that on my network! Especially you Android!).

The UI for this has also been updated (thankfully!!!!). It no longer looks like a webpage from the original Internets. Excellent graphics from the buttons, to images, to text. Visually you see what you want to do instead of reading through policy descriptions.

This is also coming with major benefits to the PlayBook. You will be able to isolate a "Work" section in App World where you can Administrativly push out applications; which of course you can set as manditory and not even allow the option to uninstall. "Sandboxing" has also been though of, keeping your work and personal applications separate. This is pretty much based off the BlackBerry Protect available for the phones, allowing isolation between work and personal accounts on the same phone.

So yes, I am looking at this solution. It's the only viable, trusted company in the business world that KNOWS how to secure a mobile device. I AM getting push back from users who want their personal iOS and Android devices (this includes phones and tablets) on the network. I don't blame them, they like what they use; as do I. But your NOT getting on my network with a device I can't control. I don't know what your running, I don't know what apps on your Android device were pulled from The Market 6 months ago because it was "whatever" and deemed unsecure.

RIM has taken the correct steps for the business world (which is their MAIN FOCUS). I applaude them for adpoting their business software so mobile devices can be used to increase the productivity of users. There ARE good apps not available on the BB; hopefully (and I've already seen) this is changing with BB 10/OS 2.0.

Apple wants world domination of i this and i that. Nothing of Apples plays nice with anything else and that is how they want it. They are marketing unit driven; always have been; always will.

Google still doesn't get the business world and offers half baked ideas because their employee's are half baked or to busy going down slides.

Microsoft...I was exremely let down with Exchange 2010 and no REAL mobile integration/control. However, you are the only challengers to a REAL mobile solution (Exchange, SharePoint, System Center).

Can't wait for beta key!!!!

 

[remixedcat]

droid has the vmware horizon mobile coming out!!! you an run a work phone vm and your personal phone on one device.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Sadly this may be to little to late. They announced the final shutdown date for our BES infrastructure several months before this service was announced and we were instructed to recommend that users purchase iPhones or Androids from here on out.

RIM had an opportunity to transition to being a business service provider with products like this but they are 2 years to late IMO. Android is consuming their marketshare at a fairly rapid pace and businesses will eventually have to embrace it and iOS whether they are the best tools for the job or not simply because they will be the only ones left.

 

[remixedcat]

blackberry had potential and RIM screwed it up.

 

[CntdwnToExtn]

Anyone with a managing/enterprise business perspective on this? This is why I posted in the Enterprise section, to get some views from the business world; people who manage the mobile world and are responsible for providing/securing the data that resides on them. Anyone who has the challege of actually administering multiple platforms, please reply.

Don't need the same re-hashed "RIM is dead" "RIM is late" crap that has been going on for the past 5 years now. I expected more from this sub-forum, which is why I posted here.

Oh and by the way, Android is running in emulation on QNX. It can run not only Android Apps, but BB Apps. Why can't any other O/S do this currently? Hell, if Apple did this the ****ing crew on Destiny would have heard of it by now cause OMG! RIM brought the first cross platform O/S.

 

[KSoD]

Well there isnt going to be a hard core answer for you. You know this forum doesnt have many people who are managers of such things. Let alone managers that use not only MS but iOS and Android platforms as well as BB.

It sounds very interesting, but we have to wait and see with the new BlackBerry OS 10 what happens. With the fire sale of Playbooks lately it is tough to say if this will be a viable solution. For those still using BB devices, yes it sounds great. But lets see it put into practice.

 

[CntdwnToExtn]

Man, I'm not looking for a hard core answer. I'm looking for someone to talk business about a piece of software that has NOTHING to do with the BB operating system in a Business Section of a forum. It's to do with managing all platforms in a single solution. Blackberries, Android and iOS. WTF is so hard to discuss about that? Did anyone who even looked at this thread go and do some research about the product? Or just talk out their ass because OMG my phone is cooler than yours? I don't think anyone! Everyone's just said some crap pathetic jab at RIM about being dead or the BB OS platform.

I wasn't discussing BB OS. I wasn't discussing iOS . I wasn't discussing Android. I was discussing about a piece of software that allows an Admin to manage each mobile platform with a single solution. Something a massive platform like Exchange can't even do properly.

[sarcasum]
But no, let me apologize for thinking that posting in a business section of a forum would actually bring in some people who wanted to talk about solutions for administering a mobile world which will no doubt surpass the PC world in the next 5-7 years.

So just go ahead and delete this thread Mr. Admin cause it isn't going anywhere. And do more if you want to power trip. Obviously I've miss judged what this Enterprise Business section of the forums is and it's just close minded, pathetic blogger attitude crap with not a single member (well you know, I can think of 1 legit business member posting in here) who doesn't know their ass from a PIX. I'll stick to telling people on here how to reboot their router, use WEP as their wireless encryption and should use DDR3 1066 RAM.
[/sarcasum]

Oh and BTW, ya PlayBook sold at reduced cost...but what about fact the Samsung Galaxy Tab (the OMG of Android tablets) is being GIVEN AWAY. Wow, no crap about that. Heaven forbid Andriod has bad press. What happened to the original Samsung Tab? Dead in less than a year. Xoom? Dead in less than a year. Acer? Asus? Never even got on the radar.

 

[Yami]

Man, I'm not looking for a hard core answer. I'm looking for someone to talk business about a piece of software that has NOTHING to do with the BB operating system in a Business Section of a forum. It's to do with managing all platforms in a single solution. Blackberries, Android and iOS. WTF is so hard to discuss about that? Did anyone who even looked at this thread go and do some research about the product? Or just talk out their ass because OMG my phone is cooler than yours? I don't think anyone! Everyone's just said some crap pathetic jab at RIM about being dead or the BB OS platform.

I wasn't discussing BB OS. I wasn't discussing iOS . I wasn't discussing Android. I was discussing about a piece of software that allows an Admin to manage each mobile platform with a single solution. Something a massive platform like Exchange can't even do properly.

[sarcasum]
But no, let me apologize for thinking that posting in a business section of a forum would actually bring in some people who wanted to talk about solutions for administering a mobile world which will no doubt surpass the PC world in the next 5-7 years.

So just go ahead and delete this thread Mr. Admin cause it isn't going anywhere. And do more if you want to power trip. Obviously I've miss judged what this Enterprise Business section of the forums is and it's just close minded, pathetic blogger attitude crap with not a single member (well you know, I can think of 1 legit business member posting in here) who doesn't know their ass from a PIX. I'll stick to telling people on here how to reboot their router, use WEP as their wireless encryption and should use DDR3 1066 RAM.
[/sarcasum]

Oh and BTW, ya PlayBook sold at reduced cost...but what about fact the Samsung Galaxy Tab (the OMG of Android tablets) is being GIVEN AWAY. Wow, no crap about that. Heaven forbid Andriod has bad press. What happened to the original Samsung Tab? Dead in less than a year. Xoom? Dead in less than a year. Acer? Asus? Never even got on the radar.

Well that came out of nowhere Unless there's been posts deleted, all he said was not to expect much in the way of answers.

 

[KSoD]

Man, I'm not looking for a hard core answer. I'm looking for someone to talk business about a piece of software that has NOTHING to do with the BB operating system in a Business Section of a forum. It's to do with managing all platforms in a single solution. Blackberries, Android and iOS. WTF is so hard to discuss about that? Did anyone who even looked at this thread go and do some research about the product? Or just talk out their ass because OMG my phone is cooler than yours? I don't think anyone! Everyone's just said some crap pathetic jab at RIM about being dead or the BB OS platform.

So tell me how it works? I have read but no where do I see anything hardcore or any proof or anyone actually running it to tell me how it actually goes beyond what they think it will do.

So you want a business solution for something that no one, especially on this forum in the business section where NOT A SINGLE PERSON USES BLACKBERRY OR FUSION reside.

So congrats on posting in the 1 section of the forum where not a single person can answer and then get upset when no one has anything useful to provide. Did you even bother to ask how many people on this site even own a BB Device let alone the ability to run Fusion? Of course not. Lets throw a major hissy fit that makes my 5 year old look more mature. So congrats on that. Major props.

I wasn't discussing BB OS. I wasn't discussing iOS . I wasn't discussing Android. I was discussing about a piece of software that allows an Admin to manage each mobile platform with a single solution. Something a massive platform like Exchange can't even do properly.

It is called BlackBerry Fusion is it not? So in order for one to want to know how this operates they would have to own a BlackBerry would they not? Cause I see no point in knowing or understanding how this works when I dont own or operate a BlackBerry. So as much as your not trying to make this about BlackBerry, Android of iOS, the pre-requisite for even wanting to know this software and what it does would be a BlackBerry, dont you agree? I mean why would anyone who doesnt own a BlackBerry care what BlackBerry Fusion is or does? Do you care about the town meeting for the budget next year for Waterloo,NY? No you say? Why is that? Cause it doesnt concern you? Alright so apply that logic to this topic.

Your asking about something that is very device specific on a site that has less than 1% of its membership that uses that device. Even less if you are asking about the Business aspect of said device. So really to sit here and throw such a hissy cause no one active here, aside from yourself, uses a BlackBerry let alone for business only shows that this topic was never going to get any answer that you wanted.

[sarcasum]
But no, let me apologize for thinking that posting in a business section of a forum would actually bring in some people who wanted to talk about solutions for administering a mobile world which will no doubt surpass the PC world in the next 5-7 years.

So just go ahead and delete this thread Mr. Admin cause it isn't going anywhere. And do more if you want to power trip. Obviously I've miss judged what this Enterprise Business section of the forums is and it's just close minded, pathetic blogger attitude crap with not a single member (well you know, I can think of 1 legit business member posting in here) who doesn't know their ass from a PIX. I'll stick to telling people on here how to reboot their router, use WEP as their wireless encryption and should use DDR3 1066 RAM.
[/sarcasum]

Oh and BTW, ya PlayBook sold at reduced cost...but what about fact the Samsung Galaxy Tab (the OMG of Android tablets) is being GIVEN AWAY. Wow, no crap about that. Heaven forbid Andriod has bad press. What happened to the original Samsung Tab? Dead in less than a year. Xoom? Dead in less than a year. Acer? Asus? Never even got on the radar.

Yet again I sound out saying WHO USES A BLACKBERRY ON THIS SITE!

So what it can operate with all mobile OS's. I can do that already. So what makes Fusion so killer that you have to have a tantrum? I see 1 person that has a BB device. I know 1 person on this site that has a PB. So where oh where are you expecting these answers to come from? When did the big brother sign up to the site and start posting in the Enterprise Area and no where else that I have seen?

Maybe it is you who should have taken a much harder look and instead of thinking that you could get answers in the Enterprise area, recognized the fact that you are one of the only people on this ENTIRE SITE that uses anything to do with BlackBerry, RIM, or the Playbook. Maybe then you could have thought better about what you were posting and the type of answers you were going to get.

So congrats again on posting the hissy fit. Congrats on fooling yourself into thinking that there was massive amounts of people who actually use such devices and who could give you great feedback. Thanks for trying to point out Fusion as a 1 stop shop, but those already exist. It isnt going to be anything that isnt and cant be done on any other device. At least the majority of devices used by businesses. For my money, every business man I see now carriers either an Android or iOS device. I have yet to see a lawyer break out a Playbook in court...

Oh yeah as for your little power trip comment. Take a leap. I have never had a power trip in the 7+ years of being on this site. Apparently you dont know me from a hole in the wall when you make such stupid comments only to show how little you truly know. So go ahead and report my post for being against our rules. I will gladly take the infraction and lecture for it. Your acting like a child and need to be spanked like one. My 5 year old is more mature than this post of yours. Grow up already and think before you act.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Anyone with a managing/enterprise business perspective on this? This is why I posted in the Enterprise section, to get some views from the business world; people who manage the mobile world and are responsible for providing/securing the data that resides on them. Anyone who has the challege of actually administering multiple platforms, please reply.

Don't need the same re-hashed "RIM is dead" "RIM is late" crap that has been going on for the past 5 years now. I expected more from this sub-forum, which is why I posted here.

Oh and by the way, Android is running in emulation on QNX. It can run not only Android Apps, but BB Apps. Why can't any other O/S do this currently? Hell, if Apple did this the ****ing crew on Destiny would have heard of it by now cause OMG! RIM brought the first cross platform O/S.

I'm not that high up the food chain so I can only share what I have witnessed. We used to be exclusively Blackberry but users pushed for and got the option to use other devices. I can't say exactly how that went about as it was before my time however when all of people calling the shots use iPhones it's not hard to guess that they ultimately overruled the Blackberry only policy. Since that switch has taken place pretty much everyone jumped ship to other platforms leading to BES being underutilized and ultimately shut down. If RIM had this service on the market back when the iPhone was first starting to dominate I think it would have been incredibly successful since it would have allowed IT departments to easily integrate the new platforms into their existing environment. However at this point people have already had to address the need to manage iOS and Android and will already have found solution to manage them, making adoption of Fusion more of an uphill battle.