BlackBerry® Professional Software and BlackBerry® Enterprise Server Express

[jbw52]

Is there anything new in this update, or is it just a maintenance upgrade?

[gdpmumin]

Yes, there is something new in the way of crippled functionality. Events entered on your device are no longer automatically pushed to other devices on your Unite! network. You now have to highlight the event, click the menu button, and select Share. In addition to adding an unnecessary step, when you share an event, a message now clogs up the inbox of the other devices.

[richvie]

Can any admin or technical advisor, or anyone for that matter, comment on why the simple, streamlined calendar sych functionality (where default was shared and one could choose to make appts private) has been replaced with having to action every calendar entry to "share" after 1.0.3?  Additionally, as already mentioned, why create an Inbox entry for each calendar item also?  One of the slickest and simplest features of Unite has now been made much less so.

Anybody???

[2-1-Alpha · Accepted solution]

Some feel that having created and implemented the "Share" option has crippled a feature of the product, this is not true. What this enables the customer  to do is to manage whether or not the user want to share or keep an appointment private on a smartphone activated with BlackBerry Unite!.With that being said, this also allows the user to share or to keep contacts private.

The notification system allows users to receive an indication that either they've received a new contact or calendar appointment. From a personal perspective, I would prefer to be notified of a new appointment/event I am required to attend in advance. I would like to know that someone has added a new contact that I have access to and don't have to worry about attempting to contact and retain that information when I already have it.

After all is said and done, we've created the "Share" feature to allow the user to maintain control and have empowered the user to make the decisions on how they'd like to use our product.

[gdpmumin]

With respect, 2-1-Alpha, to say RIM hasn't crippled Unite! is dishonest. The way users controlled shared events and contacts before was by marking them Private. If it's that much of a problem for users, if they have so many private events that they MUST default to non-shared items, then shared calendars and contacts software is not the solution they require. They should use invites instead; or, they should send events they do want to share via MMS. Instead, RIM has disabled the Unite! application. So, my question is, why not just pull it from availability? The design of 1.0.3 really is as bad as that. They should have just pulled the software and done away with it.

And about the version numbering, 1.0.3 indicates a minor release. One would assume bug fixes, maybe a few minor new features thrown in. But this was a huge change in the architecture of the software. This release should be version 2.0.

So, is there a way to downgrade to the version that worked?

[7horn]

Alpha with all due respect I am going to have to agree with the others on this.

Your solution is not acceptable!

I do however see your point and therefore propose that this be a setting on the Unite server.

With the large number of people in the global Blackberry community that are adamantly against this program it would be a huge mistake to alienate anyone at this point.

My advice is to add to this program do not take away from it or be dictatorial with it.

[jimmyjay]

In all honesty I think the problem is a simple one. (or I hope so) I have a small business that I share 5 BB using Unite. On an average day I make say 20 calendar entries (roughly). Before I could enter them and if needed select 'private' when I needed to. Now, I have to select share it on every entry that I make(that I want everyone to see), not to mention it sends an email everytime I do.

The problem is that this product is trying to cater to two different users. I can see that share it is a great idea for the consumer market but not so great for the business market(well at least the calendar part of it). If you were able to chose between a consumer vs business install and have it give you options based on what you selected that would be fantastic. Then you could chose what you need ie a calander that meets your needs. Just a thought.

[ry29]

I agree with the others on this thread. This change is not desirable for 2 reasons. First, it's a major change in functionality. Second, it is not intuitive. If RIM insists on changing it to be explicit share, then this option should be right within the Appointment, just like 'Mark as Private'. I have already forgotten on numerous occasions to save the calendar entry, then go back to it and click Share.  Alternatively, why not have a global setting that specifies which method the customer wishes to use?

[rocmon]

Thanks for giving me back control!

I use Unite! with my wife and 2 kids, and now I don't have to see all the nonsense my wife adds to her calendar.... she has to explicitly choose to blast it into my calendar when necessary... This is way more intuitive (for my situation anyway)!

I think the posts complaining about this may be confusing Unite! (Home BES) with something else... (from my perspective) it's not really a corporate solution ... I can monitor and disable my kids devices if used inappropriately and we can stay in each others loop when we choose to 'Share'.

[2-1-Alpha]

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gdpmumin wrote:
With respect, 2-1-Alpha, to say RIM hasn't crippled Unite! is dishonest. The way users controlled shared events and contacts before was by marking them Private. If it's that much of a problem for users, if they have so many private events that they MUST default to non-shared items, then shared calendars and contacts software is not the solution they require. They should use invites instead; or, they should send events they do want to share via MMS. Instead, RIM has disabled the Unite! application. So, my question is, why not just pull it from availability? The design of 1.0.3 really is as bad as that. They should have just pulled the software and done away with it.

And about the version numbering, 1.0.3 indicates a minor release. One would assume bug fixes, maybe a few minor new features thrown in. But this was a huge change in the architecture of the software. This release should be version 2.0.

So, is there a way to downgrade to the version that worked?

---

Hi gdpmumi,

Here is some technical background regarding your statements.

Contacts were initially synchronizing from BlackBerry Unite! to the smartphone only. Any new contact created on the smartphone would not be synchronized back to BlackBerry Unite!. All calendar information created on BlackBerry Unite! or with the smartphone would synchronize between all activated smartphones and BlackBerry Unite!.

Now, we implemented the ability of receiving updates for new calendar and contacts that have been made available to you as a user.  This only occurs when you chose to allow this action to happen and you know something new has been added. From a usability standpoint, this does make sense. If your partner makes a dental appointment for you and shares it, you are notified immediately regarding a new appointment being added. This way, you know in advance that it's there and can't be caught off guard when you receive a 15 minute notification you reminder that you have to go for a root canal.

As for transmitting information via MMS/SMS, this is not a part of the data network (i.e. GPRS/EGDE/3G or CDMA). This is actually an extension of the voice network (i.e. GSM). This tends to cost you, the consumer, money to send messages (some carriers charge $0.15 per message). You also have the option in the product to disable this feature. If you were to send/receive notifications through this method you've proposed, you would in effect be spending more money because this is a pay-per-use service.

Downgrading realistically is not an option. If you elect to do so, you will lose the database containing all of your information and will receive a notification every day regarding an update for BlackBerry Unite! being available. If you elect to uninstall BlackBerry Unite! 1.0.3, locate and install BlackBerry Unite! 1.0.2, you will face the same issues that were resolved in the latest maintenance release. Also, any support issues you raise, whether it be in the BlackBerry Community Support Forums or through BlackBerry Technical Support will be met with a request to upgrade to 1.0.3. If you elect to avoid performing this, BlackBerry will not be able to assist you.