Downloaded applications for BlackBerry® Smartphones and Tablets

[aeolus]

I recently switched to Rogers out of necessity for the summer from Mobilicity. When I switched I only got a plan that included BBM. The RIM BIS icon for authentication that is in the corner is there and I have a wifi connection but BB Travel is complaining that it needs an internet connection (which I have) and BIS enabled-- if I have the RIM icon in the corner of my home screen does this not mean I have BIS enabled at least for small stuff like this? How should I go about using BB Travel? What happens when I leave the country? How does BB Travel cope without a data plan but connected to wifi? Why does it require this type of connection? Seems silly and hopefully my device is configured wrong.

[JSanders Resident Expert]

ALL of RIM's apps require the BlackBerry Data Plan, or like your BBMessenger, a specific plan for that.

So in your case, obviously, you need the full data plan. That's just the way it is. You're not going to get RIM data functions for free.

[aeolus]

I'd rather pay for the app upfront (ala everyone else's model) versus RIM's business model. No wonder Google is kicking butt.

[JSanders Resident Expert]

lol, au contraire!

Droid devices also require data plans.

iPhones require data plans!

and, argh! BlackBerrys require data plans.

OH! Even if you buy a television, do you expect free cable and HBO to come with the TV purchase?

Yea, I wish someone would just give it all to me free too.

[sdgardne]

To add -- I recently tried to use Google Maps/Latitude via WiFi only...GMaps refused to launch saying it had no data coverage, even though I have full BIS/BES access via WiFi (I do it all the time!)! So, it actually may be more the fault of the app rather than the available pathway!

[Xandrex]

---

JSanders wrote:

ALL of RIM's apps require the BlackBerry Data Plan, or like your BBMessenger, a specific plan for that.

So in your case, obviously, you need the full data plan. That's just the way it is. You're not going to get RIM data functions for free.

---

I would like to add some precisions.

When JSanders talks of "RIM's apps", it does not mean "all applications on BlackBerry". It means "applications developped by RIM". That includes BlackBerry Maps, BlackBerry Protect, BlackBerry Protect, Facebook, YahooMessenger, Google Talk as well as a dozen other applications.

those applications have a great feature of PushNotification, unseen anywhere else on other platforms (even not at Apple's or Android's), and that requires a BIS account.

Applications developped by editors other than RIM are allowed to provide applications that do not usea BIS account (they will use the carrier APN directly). That is true for Opera Mini or BOLT browser. But it is not true for Google Maps (developped by Google Inc.). You can find such applications on getjar.com .

That being said, since an outstanding majority of buyers buy their BlackBerry device with a carrier subscription that contains a BIS account, developpers prefer to use BIS over APN.

I don't know in which country you are, but in Europe, several carriers provide the BIS account at the same price as the "regular" APN account. Which as seen in a previous post already excludes iPhone, Android and BlackBerry (... not many platforms left in 2011!)

[brandonnesbitt]

What about adding an option in the application that allows you to change the connection type? So people that have their devices locked down to only allow BES browsing service with all other services disabled (IBS, WAP) via blackberry it policy.

[Xandrex]

as far as I know the connection type on BlackBerry Travel is already configured to choose the best connection type available, and there is a chain of fall back. If you cannot use it, it means that the connection type choosen by BlackBerry Travel is the BES, and that your company IT has explicitly forbidden the use of BlackBerry Travel.