Click-to-call, security among RIM software updates
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Research in Motion (RIM)&#160;is stepping up its game against Microsoft, Nokia, and other rivals with several enhancements to its BlackBerry software that it will showcase at Lotusphere this week.The updates, coming in new BlackBerry devices and device and server software versions in the first half of this year, will strengthen the platform&#39;s core e-mail capability while adding new messaging, manageability, and security features.RIM pioneered enterprise handheld connectivity with the BlackBerry&#39;s push e-mail system and BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Server). Competitors have since muscled in on this territory, while RIM has invested in software and devices to expand its appeal to the consumer market. With the new features, the company is looking toward a future in which almost all communication capabilities on the desktop are available on the road through a set of capabilities often called unified communications.Among key new capabilities are features that merge voice with instant messaging. Users who run IBM Lotus Sametime or Microsoft Live Communications Server will be able to click on an IM contact on the BlackBerry phone in order to call them or convert an ongoing IM session into a voice call. They will also be able to check whether their colleagues are going to be available before they send out meeting requests.Enhanced e-mail handling will include several new features. Users will be able to search for and retrieve messages on their enterprise e-mail servers that are no longer stored on their BlackBerries. Also, the devices will be able to render HTML and rich text e-mail messages, including font colors and styles, images, hyperlinks, and other elements. After downloading Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files, users will now be able to edit them on the BlackBerry, thanks to Documents to Go software from DataViz that is being integrated into the mobile platform.Even within e-mail encrypted with PGP or S/MIME, BlackBerry users will be able to view attachments, according to the company.RIM also has some good news for enterprises that want to more easily manage and lock down their employees&#39; devices. They will be able to drill down and define which applications on a BlackBerry can access its GPS functionality as well as enable or shut down specific Bluetooth profiles and set how long the device is &quot;discoverable&quot; using Bluetooth. The less time a phone is discoverable by other Bluetooth devices, the less chance an intruder has to hack it, although this method of breaking into a phone hasn&#39;t been widely exploited.A Web-based device management console is also coming, allowing users to control settings and install software from any Web-connected computer. In addition, administrators will now be able to update users&#39; devices over the air.To help third parties develop their own applications for the BlackBerry, RIM also announced the availability of some additional Java Micro Edition APIs. They include ones to support developing mobile Web services clients, software that uses MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), and a single application that works for multiple languages and regions.RIM expects to ship its BES version 4.1.5 software for IBM Lotus Domino and for Microsoft Exchange by the end of February. They will be free upgrades for customers with BES version 4.1.0 or later, while others can buy the upgrade for $999 or purchase a Technical Support Services contract. The price of the BES for new customers will remain at $3,999 per server with 20 user licenses included.Version 4.5 of the BlackBerry device software will be required to use many of the end-user features; it will be available in the first half of the year, depending on carrier. It will be a free download from RIM and carrier Web sites. The ability to edit Word and PowerPoint documents will come with version 4.5, but Excel editing capability will be in a later release, expected in the latter part of this year.
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Secure and Reliable Email, IM, Calendaring
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Today's blog post discusses methods with which a non-technical user can secure their own instant messaging conversations such that an attacker is unable to listen in (be they the government or a nosy neighbor sniffing the wireless network from next door).
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Blog: New suite of smart phone protection includes antispam for SMS and data encryption.
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TechWeb - New Secure Connector feature gives remote users secure network-level access, including access to business applications, data, and network services.
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Trillian developer Cerulean released an update Monday to address issues within the instant messaging product, including a buffer overflow vulnerability that could give an attacker control of a user's computer.
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Blog: Popular add-ons could have their update process hijacked by man-in-the-middle attacks.
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R.I.M. has released a new version of its BlackBerry Enterprise Server, along with a new social-networking client that ties BlackBerry into a growing array of collaboration applications.
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R.I.M.  has released a new version of its BlackBerry Enterprise Server, along with a new social-networking client that ties BlackBerry into a growing array of collaboration applications.
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Here's how nontechnical users can secure their own instant-messaging conversations such that an attacker is unable to listen in (be it the government or a nosy neighbor).
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Three versions of the smart phone carry vulnerabilities that could allow access to data even when the device is locked.
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Second beta version of the upcoming browser features an improved interface, phishing protection.
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New software from Ribbit could make it easier to stay in touch.
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Blog: A number of highly critical security flaws have been found in the latest version of Yahoo Messenger, which could allow attackers to gain remote access to users systems.
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Free downloads BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) confirmed yesterday that it plans to offer a free download of IBM's Lotus Connections biz social networking software later this year.â¦
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The Symbian OS Series 80 platform is the latest system to get support for the BlackBerry Connect push server from Research In Motion (RIM).
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In what may someday may be nicknamed the MacBerry, Information Appliance Associates (IAA) announced this week a product called PocketMac BlackBerry, a synchronization application that will give RIM BlackBerry users the ability to do two-way synching of Mac and RIM data.