BasicsBlackberries are personal information management and communications devices that integrate with UM-Flint's Exchange email and calendaring services.

Blackberries are similar to Palm and Pocket PC devices.

However, Blackberries work over existing cellular wireless networks so they are able to synchronize without being connecting to a networked computer.

A typical Blackberry is slightly larger than your palm and looks something like the picture on the left (note the integrated keyboard -- you type with your thumbs).

The following text is taken from the Blackberry corporate website. It summarizes the features of Blackberry devices quite nicely.

"With Blackberry, you don't need to retrieve your email. Your email finds you. No dialing-in. No initiating connections. No phone or modem to attach. No effort required. Blackberry handhelds are designed to remain on and continuously connected to the wireless network, allowing you to be discreetly notified as new email arrives.

Blackberry lets you manage your growing inbox and deal with your email when it's convenient for you.

• Send and receive email while waiting at the airport
• Reply to a colleague's question from the back seat of a taxi
• Forward an urgent message while in a meeting

Many people rely heavily on their organizers to plan their day and collaborate with others; but calendar entries can change rapidly, frequently causing discrepancies between desktop calendars and handheld devices that require a cradle or USB cable to synchronize.

With wireless calendar synchronization, your calendar events are exchanged wirelessly and automatically so that your desktop calendar and handheld calendar are synchronized.

You can the benefit of an updated handheld calendar, and your colleagues and assistants can benefit by seeing your accurate schedule. With Blackberry, you get maximum control of your important information and communications.

• Accept or decline meetings (with or without comments) from your handheld.
• Initiate meeting requests from your handheld.
• Changes to your handheld calendar are automatically updated on your desktop calendar and vice versa.
• Invite meeting attendees using your handheld's address book.
• View your up-to-date calendar on your desktop and on your handheld.
• Feel confident about security with end-to-end data encryption."

How do Blackberries connect to the UM-Flint's Exchange email servers? ITS operates a Blackberry Enterprise Server which is the connection between your Blackberry and the UM-Flint's Exchange servers.

Your Blackberry "learns" how to locate the UM-Flint's Blackberry Enterprise Server when you first configure the Blackberry software on your PC.

Once configured, your Blackberry maintains constant two-way communication with the UM-Flint Exchange servers whenever and where-ever it can find the appropriate cellular signal.
Who sells Blackberries?
The corporate website for Blackberries is http://www.blackberry.com/. The parent company is Research in Motion (RIM) -- http://www.rim.com.

However, because Blackberries work over cellular wireless networks, Blackberries are actually sold by various cellular service providers. A non-exhaustive listing of providers with Blackberry offerings is provided below.

Nextel - http://www.nextel.com/  
T-Mobile - http://www.t-mobile.com/
Verizon - http://www22.verizon.com/  
Cingular - http://www.cingular.com/  
You will need to buy both a Blackberry device and Blackberry cellular service.

Before buying a Blackberry and Blackberry service from a cellular service provider, be sure to understand the extent of their Blackberry coverage area as your Blackberry will only work within that area. With some providers, the Blackberry service coverage area is smaller than their voice service coverage area.

So do your homework!
How much does a Blackberry with cellular service cost?
The Blackberry device itself is $250 - 400.
Blackberry cellular service is $40 - 50 per month.
Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) user license fee is a $100 one-time fee paid to ITS.
Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) user license annual maintenance fee $30 to $40 per year paid to ITS.
(Most Blackberries can also function as standard voice cellular phones. Voice cellular service is an additional optional cost. Pricing for voice cellular service varies from provider to provider but is no more expensive than the voice cellular service that you would buy for a "regular" cellular phone.)

So the grand total for a Blackberry with no voice cellular service would be:

$250-400 in one-time costs for the physical equipment.
$40-50 each month that you maintain a Blackberry subscription with the cellular service provider. Most providers require that you sign a one-year contract at a cost of $480-600 for the year.
$100 for the BES license.
$30 to $40 annually (first year is included) for the BES license maintenance.
You may be able to negotiate a short-term trial period with a Blackberry cellular provider. This would allow you to evaluate the Blackberry without committing to a long-term expense.
I want one! What should I do? Speak with your local computer support staff for specific advice on how to proceed. The steps given below are a summary of the necessary actions.

Select a Blackberry cellular service provider based upon coverage and to a lesser extent, the feature sets of the Blackberry models that are offered.
Contact ITS at ITSHelpDesk@umflint.edu and provide the following information:
Name of the Blackberry owner
Uniqname of the Blackberry owner
Install and configure the Blackberry on your PC.
Training You should contact your cellular service provider for all training needs. 
Disclaimer ITS does not support the Blackberry phone device or applications loaded on it.

ITS only supports the BES server which maintains the connection between the Blackberry and the UM-Flint Exchange server.

Price estimates for the devices listed on this page were estimates based on the market at the time of this articles creation.  Prices are subject to change at the manufacturer's discretion.