The BlackBerry Boom

The trend of the last few years continues as more business leaders are relying on personal data assistants (PDAs) and smart phones to check e-mail, surf the Web, and accomplish a variety of tasks. Among these devices, one has solidified its position as the market leader. It's the BlackBerry, manufactured by Research In Motion (RIM).

Introduced in 1999, BlackBerry recently became the first integrated wireless data platform to reach the two millionth subscriber mark. This rapid growth illustrates the widening popularity of BlackBerry and the increasing market potential for converged devices and wireless data connectivity.

"This is a significant milestone, especially when you consider it took five years to establish the market and attract the first million BlackBerry users and less than ten months to double that number," said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion.

For corporate customers, BlackBerry Enterprise Server software tightly integrates with Microsoft® Exchange or IBM Lotus® Domino and works with existing enterprise systems to enable secure, push-based, wireless access to email and other data. For individuals and smaller businesses, BlackBerry Internet Service allows users to access up to ten corporate and/or personal email accounts (including MS Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino and many popular ISP email accounts) from a single device.

Why are so many people subscribing? For some, having constant access to email is worth the price. Others find value in mobilizing enterprise applications such as Customer Relationship Management. More specialized applications are being developed in areas such as real estate, health care, legal, government and financial services.

Improved versatility and increased risks

In the past, BlackBerry users had to frequently return the device to its cradle attached to a PC in order to synchronize email, calendar, contacts, and data. Now, wireless synchronization is possible for those who have implemented BlackBerry Enterprise Server (4.0 and higher versions).

Although users enjoy such improvements, they are becoming more aware of the security risks and other challenges associated with wireless computing and commmunications devices. Theft, viruses, and vulnerabilities in mobile code pose threats to users of all types of PDA's and smart phones, including BlackBerries.

Monitoring security concerns

For at least a year, The CERT Coordination Center at Carnegie Mellon University (www.cert.org) has been publishing information about vulnerabilities and threats that affect PDAs. With the debut of PDA-based cell phones, security vulnerabilities to PDAs and their associated hotsync hosts will only increase over time.

Failing to secure PDAs from viruses and all the other threats that exist increases the possibility of data corruption on the PDA itself, and on the devices to which data traffic is passed. If a firm allows PDAs on its network infrastructure, then security controls and policies should be in place to keep these devices from damaging valuable data and infrastructure. If no security controls or policies are in place for PDAs, it is best to keep them off your network infrastructure until policies and security controls can be implemented.

Keep in mind that if you leave your PDA in a taxi or a restaurant, a person finding it will likely be more interested in the device itself than in the data on the device. Therefore, a simple suggestion is to label your PDA with an address or phone number so that it can be returned to you in case it is recovered by an honest finder.

There is growing concern about the lifestyle effects of having a computer with you at all times, especially one that buzzes when you have mail. While some appreciate having a constant link to their Inbox, others find that this can interfere with the quality of dinner, evening life, and even sleep. Some executives have banned BlackBerries from meetings, citing frustration with inattentive staff who are distracted by email messages.

Are you ready for BlackBerry?

If you are a business considering deploying BlackBerry or another PDA solution for your workforce, contact Leapfrog Services at 404.870.2122 or at www.ribbit.net. We can implement BlackBerry Enterprise Server and provide ongoing support for your users. Our project management team will be glad to provide an assessment and recommendations for you.

To learn more about BlackBerry, see www.blackberry.com. BlackBerry is a registered trademark of Research In Motion LTD. Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Some material Copyright © 2005 Research In Motion Limited.

This article originally appeared in the May, 2005 issue of FrogTalk.