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New features unlocked by BB10 make BES into far more attractive sale

BB10 works well with BlackBerry Exchange Server to create a ubiquitous business and mobile solution, says Greg Pothitos, head of BlackBerry services at Tarsus Technologies.


Johannesburg, 20 Aug 2013

South Africa remains a pivotal platform for the BlackBerry brand. Here, according to research by the independent ad network, InMobi*, devices made by BlackBerry dominate the South African cellular market, and in separate findings, BlackBerry's main channel partners* have said the Z10, the platform for the freshly minted BB10, has been well received.

"BB10 is a bold and exciting move from BlackBerry and it gives the channel something new to crow about when looking to bolster the mobile market," says Greg Pothitos, head of BlackBerry services at Tarsus Technologies. "What's encouraging is how well it works with BlackBerry Exchange Server to create a ubiquitous business and mobile solution."

BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) software is deployed on-premises and acts as a proxy between the device and the server. Here, the e-mails, contacts, calendar appointments and other snippets of vital data are whipped back and forth seamlessly.

The latest version of BES - BES10 - works either independently or in conjunction with the older software of BES v.5, the latter being an ideal solution for organisations that have already deployed older BlackBerry models, and are not looking to outfit all their employees with the new system anytime soon.

"Thanks to this backwards compatibility, the channel can offer a complete solution to the organisation," explains Pothitos. "BES10, also known as BlackBerry Mobile Fusion 6 Server, will drive control of both the newer and older devices, using BES v.5 as a go-between. What BES10 brings to the party is a new configuration simplicity, thanks to Exchange ActiveSync protocol."

Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) may be reliant on a commercial licence, but it also gives BlackBerry's new server a far more scalable and adaptable infrastructure. This means less fuss and mess for both user and organisation, and makes it a strong selling point for the latest in BlackBerry devices and solutions.

"For organisations that already have a BES solution in place, the addition of BES10 into their system is a no-brainer," concludes Pothitos. "The customisable options, the additional features, the improved security and the increasingly scalable and flexible infrastructure all show how far BlackBerry has come. It is an ideal upgrade that's not, for once, more complex than its predecessor to deploy."

Enterprise customers also get help in the form of the BlackBerry 10 Ready Program, which offers plenty of support for the transition period. Overall, the system looks set to deliver an interesting solution to the enterprise and one that few organisations can afford to ignore as their old BES v.5 systems stagger under their weight and complexity.

Sources:
* InMobi [http://www.bandwidthblog.com/2012/05/11/blackberry-use-in-sa-on-the-increase-inmobi/]
* Channel partners
[http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=63362]

Tarsus Technologies

With more than 28 years of experience in the ICT industry, Tarsus is the leading value-added distributor in South Africa, specialising in the supply of the world's foremost PC and peripheral hardware brands to the local reseller channel.

Tarsus strives to meet the channel's needs for credit funding, stock availability and efficient logistics, ensuring that resellers are able to deliver the highest quality service to their customers, focus on support and compiling the best overall solutions for their end-user customer base at the lowest possible cost.

The company prides itself on its flexibility, adaptability, knowledge, skills and successful track record combined with an industry-leading ability to manage large roll-outs. These are the reasons Tarsus has consistently been rated as the top distributor in the country by international vendors, resellers and the IT media alike.

With its strong commitment to the South African channel, Tarsus is able to not only make the reseller channel more efficient, but more importantly, it plays a vital role in dramatically reducing the costs of doing business in the local ICT market.

Tarsus distributes a range of products from the world's leading manufacturers, including Acer, AOC, APC, ASUS, Cisco, Dell, Gateway, HP, Lenovo, Meissner, Microsoft, NETGEAR, OKI and Samsung.

Tarsus' head office is situated in Johannesburg with branches in Cape Town, KwaZulu-Natal, Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein and Nelspruit. Tarsus has also extended its footprint into Africa with branches in Namibia, Botswana and Mauritius.

More information about Tarsus is available at :http://www.tarsus.co.za.

Editorial contacts

Gavin Moffat
puruma business communications
0860 PURUMA (787 862)
tarsus@puruma.com
Emma Blewitt
Tarsus Technology Group
(+27) 11 531 1000
eblewitt@tarsus.co.za