The world of Google Apps meets the world of BlackBerry

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 06 May 2009 11:47

IT Industry - Strategy

Google is planning to release software for the BlackBerry Enterprise Server that will enable BlackBerry users to access Gmail, Google Calendar and Contacts using their existing built-in BlackBerry smartphone applications.

The software, Google Apps Connector, runs on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, connecting it to the Google Apps cloud and synchronising email, calendar and contacts for BlackBerry smartphone users on the server.

They will be able to receive Gmail messages within the built-in email client on their Blackberry and use it to manage those messages in the same way as messages delivered from the BlackBerry server.

New meeting invites and event changes in Google Calendar will be immediately reflected the BlackBerry Calendar, keeping both calendars in sync and personal and business contacts saved on Google Apps will automatically synchronized over the air to users' BlackBerry smartphones and integrated into the native Blackberry smartphone applications.

According to a Google blog posting from Raju Gulabani, product management director, "The transition for IT administrators is also seamless. Admins are given full control of the solution and can continue to manage BlackBerry smartphones using BlackBerry Enterprise Server. Google Apps Connector installs on BlackBerry Enterprise Server, connecting it to the Google Apps cloud and synchronizing email, calendar and contacts for all BlackBerry smartphone users.

Gulabani said that Google Apps Connector for BlackBerry Enterprise Server is currently in beta testing with select companies and universities, and will be available free of charge to all Premier and Education Edition customers in July.

He claimed that 3000 businesses per day are adopting Google Apps. "They range from ten-person companies who switch in a few hours to large companies and universities that plan their move from on-premises servers over weeks and months."