Non-Profit Tools

(Originally Posted 4/7/2007)

Everyone has seen how immensely popular Blackberry devices are nowadays but many people in small non-profits believe that they cannot afford to begin using Blackberry devices. While the cost of a monthly plan is still a consideration Research in Motion (RIM), the company which developed the Blackberry, has now made it possible to add a BlackberryEnterprise Server to your small business.

The Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) is a much more powerful system than the simple internet forwarding of e-mail which can be used with your desktop machine. The server integrates with Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino, or Novell Groupwise and provides push-based wireless access to tools such as e-mail, calendars, contacts, and instant messenger. The use of BES also allows for more centralized administrative control over the devices.

The cost of implementing the BES is:

BlackBerry Enterprise Server Software v4.1 for Microsoft® Exchange
Includes 1 user license $2,999/server
Includes 20 user licenses $3,999/server

And to purchase additional client licenses it is:

1 user $99/license
5 users $429/pack
10 users $699/pack
50 users $3,299/pack
100 users $5,999/pack
500 users $27,499/pack

As you can see; the cost can be extremely high! However, the nice folks at RIM have created a Blackberry Enterprise Server Express edition which is a fully featured copy of BES but is free of charge. The express edition comes with one user license and more can be added according to the prices above. The only restriction is that you are limited to 15 total users before you have to purchase the full version of BES. This is perfect for small companies which do not need a large number of employees to have Blackberries.

I found the installation process to be very easy with good documentation available. You will need to have some understanding of how your server works but it will not require a degree in computer science to get up and running. With the deal RIM also throws in two free months of technical support so if you run in to any problems they will be available to help walk you through it.

The server requirements for a small number of users are not formidable. For up to 500 users RIM recommends a Pentium IV processor (2 GHz or greater), 1.5 GB of RAM, MSDE 2000 (free download if you do not already have it), Windows Server 2000 (or above), Microsoft Exchange 5.5 (or above), and Internet Explorer 6.0 (or above). I did not check on the requirements for IBM Lotus Domino or Novell Groupwise but I assume that they are similar. If you already have an Exchange Server in place then it is very likely that you meet these requirements.

We have had the BES in place for a few months now and there have been no problems with it. While we only have one user on at the moment I found it very easy to add another user when it was needed for a short period of time. Feel free to check out the Blackberry Enterprise Server Express Edition on the Blackberry website.