IMPORTANT NOTICE:
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With the recent
release of BlackBerry 10, U of S Information and Communications Technology
(ICT) has begun phasing out a service used by Blackberry 7 and earlier devices.
If you have a BlackBerry 7 or older device using the
BlackBerry Enterprise Service (BES), this change will affect
you. Please read on.
Currently, ICT’s BlackBerry Enterprise Service allows users of BlackBerry 7 and
earlier devices to wirelessly synchronize their university calendar, contacts,
and email. As of April 30th, 2013, this service will no longer be available
to new users. Existing users may continue to use the service for another
year, until April 30th, 2014, at the regular rate of $50/user/year,
billed annually. As of April 30th, 2014, ICT will cease operating this
service altogether.
ICT therefore recommends:
- If you are currently using a BlackBerry 7 or earlier device, plan
to replace it with a newer model that supports Exchange Active Sync (e.g.
BlackBerry 10, Android, iPhone, or Windows phone) by April 30, 2014.
- NO Blackberry 7 or earlier devices be purchased for University business;
these older model devices include the Blackberry Torch, Bold, and Curve.
If you wish to
continue using your BlackBerry 7 or earlier device, please note that after
April 30th, 2014:
- No
ICT support will be provided to these devices.
- If
your device is lost or stolen, a remote reset/wipe of the device will no longer
be possible.
- You
will have to reconfigure your device in order to wirelessly synchronize U of S
email using IMAP protocol.
- You
will no longer have the ability to wirelessly synchronize calendar and contacts
over the internet. While BlackBerry Desktop software can be used to continue to
synchronize calendar and contact data, this requires connecting your BlackBerry
device to your computer regularly which could be an inconvenience.
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ICT offers the BlackBerry Enterprise Service (BES) for employees who wish to synchronize email, calendar and contact information from the U of S Email and Calendar service with a BlackBerry device. BES provides two way synchronization so that you can send email or book a meeting from your Blackberry through the U of S Email and Calendar service. Using BES, you can look up contacts or search the Global Address List for the U of S Email and Calendar service.
In order to activate a BlackBerry for BES, you need:
- a Blackberry device with a data plan
- to be a U of S employee
- to supply payment of $50 per year from a UNIFI account number
Download this Adobe form to Request the Blackberry Enterprise Service for your device. The form can be submitted by clicking the 'Send Email' button at the bottom. If you are unable to use the Adobe form, send an email to afexchange-tracks@usask.ca including your full name, department/college, nsid, and the CFOAPAL for your UNIFI account.
When your request for the BES service has been processed, you will receive an automated U of S BES enterprise activation email with an activation password in it. Follow this Set-Up Guide to Activate BES on your Blackberry device.
If you have the U of S Email and Calendar service and a BlackBerry but are unable to subscribe for the BES service, it is still possible to configure your BlackBerry to access email on the U of S Email and Calendar service. Configuring your Blackberry to use IMAP is free and it allows you to send and receive email but does not give you access to the calendar and address book information.
