Orlando, FL - Organizations looking to enable greater mobile productivity for the estimated 50 million on-campus mobile workers in the U.S.* can now do so through their existing WLAN (wireless LAN) deployments using the BlackBerry® WLAN solution. Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM) is showcasing the BlackBerry WLAN solution, including the 802.11-enabled BlackBerry 7270™ handheld, at VoiceCon this week.
The BlackBerry 7270 wireless handheld connects through BlackBerry Enterprise Server™ to provide support for secure, push-based email, instant messaging (IM), organizer, Internet and intranet applications and to make and receive wireless VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) calls through enterprise telephone systems (ie. IP-PBXs) via the industry-standard SIP (session initiation protocol).
?Extending desktop productivity to mobile professionals is one of the central value propositions that made BlackBerry successful in the enterprise and similar productivity benefits can be provided to on-campus workers who spend significant time away from a desk. The BlackBerry WLAN solution lets organizations drive productivity benefits to a growing number of on-campus mobile workers by leveraging their existing investments in WLAN and IP-PBX infrastructure,? said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion. "BlackBerry WLAN addresses a new market segment within areas such as healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality, education, retail and distribution where campus-wide access to voice and data is beneficial."
In addition to providing secure, push-based integration with Microsoft® Exchange, IBM Lotus® Domino™ and Novell® GroupWise® and support for VoIP telephony through SIP, BlackBerry Enterprise Server is a robust wireless application platform that has been embraced by Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and developers. Hundreds of line-of-business applications have already been developed for BlackBerry. Examples of applications for the BlackBerry WLAN solution that can enhance productivity and customer service include:
Healthcare: Timely and convenient access to patient and drug information can reduce the risk of misdiagnosis or the improper prescription of medications that may conflict with each other.
Manufacturing: Inventory systems can automatically update new levels and push information to various stakeholders in the production process. Wireless VoIP can improve workflow for individuals and workgroups.
Hospitality: Guest information can be accessed at a glance by service and facilities staff; up-to-date information and alerts can be pushed to security personnel; wireless VoIP can enable faster collaboration and problem resolution.
Contact Center: Time-sensitive information can be pushed to mobile supervisors in place of reader boards that are often out of view, allowing faster action on alerts.
Mobile IT Staff: Phone calls can be handled on the go and helpdesk tickets can be received, updated and closed on the handheld device without running back to a desk.
Retail: Managers can access schedules and reports and front line staff can quickly access information for customers.
The BlackBerry 7270 handheld conforms to the 802.11b WLAN standard and provides VoIP capabilities through the SIP standard. In order to enable seamless integration with WLAN and IP-PBX systems, RIM has worked with industry standard protocols and leading WLAN and IP-PBX vendors to allow product interoperability and certification. The BlackBerry 7270 also supports most WLAN authentication and encryption standards and includes client software for many leading enterprise VPN gateways. Device provisioning of the BlackBerry 7270 is provided through the BlackBerry Enterprise Server in the same manner as cellular based BlackBerry devices, with added IT policy controls for setting specific smart dialing, VoIP, VPN and WLAN rules.
* Estimate based on IDC research report - entitled "Worldwide Mobile Worker Population 2005-2009 Forecast and Analysis" - Oct. 2005, IDC #34124.