Free is good. So, when I found out that Blackberry were going to be releasing a free version of Enterprise Server (BES), I thought, “That’s good”. Anyway, I just got round to getting a copy of the software (Get it here, you can also watch a demo here).
BES Express supports up to 75 to 100 smart phones when running on Exchange or SBS server, it can also support up to 2000 users by installing it on a dedicated box, and there doesn’t appear to be a limit on how many additional boxes you can add, but I won’t be needing that many just yet. It also boasts a nice and easy to use WebGUI and effectively allows GP type control of our blackberry devices. I know a lot of people that were happy with the BES, but the excessive licensing costs had always put me off.
Obviously, the full version has more features, and you’ve going to pay for them if you want them. However, most of the stuff you actually do need comes with BES Express. You can manage password rules, turn off cameras, restrict downloads and installed applications, and of course assign different users to different groups, each then having different policies assigned to them, all nicely linking in with AD.
I’ve toyed around with which server I’m going to install it on, in the end I decided ill put it on a fresh box to keep it simple and reduce the risk of taking down Exchange. I’m hoping to give the P2V of Exchange another bash tonight, so I’ll wait until that’s done before I install BES Express.
Click here for details on my BES Express install.