The Network Administrator

I wrote an article a while back about BES 5.0.1 as we upgraded our BES 4.6 server after installing a new email server with MS Exchange 2010. However, today i learned that there is a free version of BES 5.0.1. I was thinking the express version would probably be very limited, but to my surprise it offers almost all of same functiionality as the enterprise version. The express version is really designed for small to mid-size organizations and provides the same security, management, and push technologies of BlackBerry Enterprise Server. The only cost outside the blackberry software is the microsoft server(s) to run it.

I have come accross admins who use Express to manage personal BlackBerry phones that employees purchase and bring to work, while letting BES handle the corporate BlackBerry devices that are deployed in large numbers.

I should also note that both versions have the new BlackBerry Administration Service, which is a Web-based console. This is where most of the user, device and server management and configuration happen.