New BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 5.0 “Argon” Features Leaked

It’s no secret that RIM has been working on a new version of its BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) for corporate BlackBerry deployments; we’ve known for months that the BES 5.0 update is unofficially being called “Argon” and that it will give BlackBerry administrators much more control over the deployment and management of mobile applications, among other enhancements. But today, a BES 5.0 feature enhancement summary leaked, detailing a wide variety of specific improvements.

BerryReview.com posted the leaked information this morning, and if this scoop’s anything like the BlackBerry fan-site’s previous Argon-related news posts, it may not be available for long; RIM doesn’t mess around when it comes to leaked information, and BerryReview’s no stranger to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which gives the BlackBerry maker the right to demand such information be pulled.

BES 5.0 beta was reportedly released to BlackBerry Alliance Partners earlier this month, which suggests that it won’t be too long before Argon’s officially launched.

From BerryReview:

Key product enhancements:

• Unified application management and deployment for Java and MDS Runtime applications
• More robust application deployment and management tools, simplified application control
• Active Directory integration for user management
• Scheduled deployments and updates

• Remote Option Setting

  -Capability for administrators to “Brand” a device (i.e. have the options set as per one or several corporate standards)

  –Reduction in support calls

• User Self-Provisioning

  -Simplifying Enterprise Activation even further – user initiated

• Allows more deployment options

  -Centralized in one server

  -Dispersed across servers
• New BlackBerry Administration Service

• BlackBerry support for device linked to multiple BES

  -Primary BES for Policy and Administration

  -Secondary BES(s) for specific application

• High-Availability: Active / Passive automatic failover design

  -Shared SRP key

  -Opens up technique for limited downtime upgrades

  -Upgrade standby

  -Fail over users to it

  -Upgrade primary

  -Fail users back

  -Multi-faceted strategy:

  -Fault Tolerance via Controller Service

  -Automated and Manual Failover modes between Primary and Standby servers

  -Administrator configurable failover thresholds

  -Additional features

  -SRP Lockout Avoidance

  -Service Prioritization

  -Prevention of failover looping

  -No single point of failure when running High Availability configuration

Oh yeah: Happy Birthday, Ronen!

IntoMobile via BerryReview

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