|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
WIRELESS ACCESS
Desperately seeking wireless
By Dan Velasco
It is very rare that I give up on a project, especially one that's to be presented to a high-powered executive in my company. In fact, I can't remember doing so in recent memory. But I recently gave up, at least temporarily, on trying to implement a wireless solution using Domino Everyplace Access and a BlackBerry device.
Here's the story, which is probably familiar to some of you: an executive has friends who are using the BlackBerry device and are very happy with it. He asked our group if we could provide a similar solution for him. He wanted wireless access to both his email and calendar information from a BlackBerry device. Having worked in the past for SkyTel and being fairly familiar with wireless technologies, I thought, "Hey, I'll be able to get this working for him perfectly and will be hailed as a hero."
The first thing I had to do was decide what software to use. The two main software packages I knew of were Domino Everyplace Access and the BlackBerry Enterprise Server for Lotus Domino.
BlackBerry Enterprise Server
The first thing I found when doing my research was that the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (at http://www.blackberry.net/solutions/enterprise/professional/lotus/index.shtml) didn't provide wireless access/synchronization to Notes calendar information. They do have a wireless calendar synchronization feature, but right now it's only for Microsoft Exchange. In fact, one of the things that was really frustrating about this project was that there seemed to be more solutions for Exchange that were just what I was looking for than there are for Domino. Since wireless calendar access was critical, the BlackBerry server was out of the running. It also didn't help that the pricing was per server ($2,999) for up to 20 users, which meant that, unless or until we got more people connected, it would be one expensive solution. It also bothered me that the Microsoft Exchange version had a package for $999 for 5 users.
Domino Everyplace Access
The Domino Everyplace Access solution (at http://lotus.com/home.nsf/welcome/domeveryplace) would allow for wireless access to mail, calendar, and even address book information. This seemed to be just what we were looking for, and based on my positive experiences with other Lotus products, including Mobile Services for Domino (which I reviewed for DominoPower at http://www.dominopower.com/issues/issue200005/msd001.html), I initially hoped for an easy installation and a quick turnaround in getting the BlackBerry device up and running. I was even encouraged by the following quote from the DEA (Domino Everyplace Access) FAQ on Lotus' site:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-- Advertisement --
Find unused Lotus Notes groups and clean up your address book
Have you ever wanted to get rid of old Lotus Notes groups that were cluttering up your address book, but you weren't sure if they were used? Find Unused Groups can help.
Find Unused Groups will check your mail and ACL groups to help you determine if they are used, and who uses them.
Learn how to easily clean up your address book. |
-- Advertisement --
Mark your calendar for in-depth Lotus training, May 12-14, Boston
Join experts and peers May 12-14 in Boston for educational and networking events that deliver real-world Lotus training so you can increase productivity and efficiency in your company, advance your skills, and squeeze the most from your current environment. One registration gets you into THE VIEW's Admin2010 and Lotus Developer2010.
Register by December 31 to save $350. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
