Summary
If your BlackBerry Handheld is connected to a BlackBerry Enterprise Server
(BES) (BlackBerry Enterprise Server), you can send a message from the device and literally watch it appear in your Sent Items folder in Microsoft Outlook in a few seconds. This is impressive because this exact functionality was available in April of 1999 on the first
BlackBerry Enterprise Serve.
Below is a brief description of
BlackBerry Enterprise Server Releases.
Timeline
Below is an approximate
BlackBerry Enterprise Server Timeline.
July 2008
BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 4.1 SP6 Released. Added Support for the following:- Document editing when client OS is 4.5 or higher
April 2008
BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 4.1 SP5 Released.June 2007
BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 4.1 SP4 Released. April 2007
BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 4.0 SP7 released. Maintenance release. Functional changes as follows:- Improved logging
- Easier configuration of inbound and outbound TCPIP ports for SRP connection
January 2007
BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 4.1 SP3 Released. November 2006
BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 4.0 SP6 Released. Maintenance Release, (still searching for release notes.September 2006
BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 4.1 SP2 released.
- Redesigned Management Interface. Handheld Manager and BES Manager now integrated into a single tool
July 2006
BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 4.0 SP5 Released. Maintenance Release, Still Searching for Release Notes. March 2006
BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 4.1 Released. - Redesigned Management Interface. Handheld Manager and BES Manager now integrated into a single tool
February 2006
BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 4.0 SP4 Released. Maintenance Release, Still Searching for Release Notes.October 2005
BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 4.0 SP3 Released Maintenance Release, No Significant New Features.July 2005
BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 4.0 SP2 Release New features:- Added Support for special time zones not supported by CDO
- Added tracking of MAPI calls to the Microsoft Exchange Server and MAPI statistics to the BlackBerry® Messaging Agent log
- Added ability to turn on JavaScript™, style sheets, and HTML tables in the BlackBerry Mobile Data Service browser via BES IT Policy.
- Added support to parse WML in accordance with WAP-WML version 1.3 specifications.
April 2005
BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 4.0 SP1 Release Maintenance Release:November 2004
BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 4.0 Release New Features:- OTA (Over-The-Air) PIM Synchronization for Address Book, Tasks and Memo Notes
December 2003
BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 3.6 SP2 Release New Features:- Support for Microsoft Windows 2003, Microsoft Exchange 2003, and Microsoft Outlook 2003
- One setting allows a common log file location for BlackBerry Enterprise Server and Mobile Data Service logs
- Removed sites/routing groups from the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Management console.
- Added enhanced logging when the BlackBerry Enterprise Server reconnects to the Server Relay Protocol (SRP)
- Added SetAdminKey.exe, a utility to enable restricted modes of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Management
September 2003
BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 3.6 SP1 Release New Features:- Improved attachment service configuration options: Addressed by multiple fixes. The attachment service is installed with an attachment connector. The attachment service can be installed on a separate computer from the BlackBerry Enterprise Server.
- Added attachment service configuration tool.
- Various enhancements to the Mobile Data Service
April 2003
BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 3.6 Release New Features:- Wireless email reconciliation enabled a user to read, move, or delete email messages on either the handheld or the desktop and see these changes wirelessly synchronized between the handheld and the desktop. When a user moved a folder to the Deleted Items folder on the desktop, the messages in the folder are also deleted and the deletes are synchronized on the handheld.
- Integration of multiple attachment services enabled the BlackBerry Enterprise Server to convert attached documents.
- Addition of IT policies and reorganization of the IT Policy interface.
- Mobile Data Service 1.1, including handheld to server authentication
- Support added for SNMP, and improved Mobile Data Service status monitoring
- Support for vCards (electronic business cards)
- Support added for Universal Serial Bus (USB) with Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
September 2002
BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 3.5 Release New Features:- Began use of BlackBerry Enterprise Server BESmgmt database in MSDE/SQL.
- Improved Scalability
- S/MIME support
- GAL Lookup
May 2002
- BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 2.1 sp4 released. Maintenance release, support for Exchange 2000
August 2001
- BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 2.1 sp1 released. Maintenance release
March 2001
- BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 2.1 released. Support for OTA calendaring
November 2000
- BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 2.0 Service Pack 2 released. Maintenance release, improved monitoring.
April 2000
- BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 2.0 released, Added support for IT Policies.
June 1999
- BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) Version 1.6 released for General Availability
April 1999
- BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) Beta 1 released. Version 1.6 was capable of E-Mail redirection. Ran only with Exchange Server version 5.5