BIS Seamless Sign-On Issues – BlackBerry 9630 Tour

BlackBerry Internet Server (BIS) version 2.8 Seamless Sign-on has now launched and is working fine for everyone… well, almost everyone! It seems that Blackberry Tour users are having an issue, but more than that – the default workaround directions given to the user on the device are also incorrect!.

New customers who use the Email Settings icon are not able to set up their BIS account and integrate personal e-mail accounts (for example: Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail). Instead, they receive this error message and these incorrect steps to fix the issue:

“Your Device is not registered. Please register your device and Try again.”

The on-screen help will guide you to correct this by going to the  device options, clicking Advanced Options. Click Host Routing Table. Press the Menu Key or the Trackwheel. Click Register Now

The problem? The steps listed in this error message do not fix the issue!

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Here is the correct solution:

New BlackBerry Tour Customer Instructions:

• There are 3 easy steps if a user needs to set up their BIS account immediately:
  1. Access the device Browser icon.
  2. Type www.sprint.blackberry.com into the browser URL.
  3. Agree to the Terms and Conditions.
  4. Enter the e-mail account user name and password to integrate (for example: Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail).
     • The BIS account is now set up and customers can receive their integrated e-mail.
     • If the customer needs to access their BIS account to edit their e-mail account before a fix is communicated, follow these same steps.
     • The Email Settings icon will not work – even after the BIS account is set up using this workaround – until a fix is in place.

Existing BlackBerry Tour Customer Instructions:

• Until a fix is in place, recommend customers do not delete their BIS account in order to try and set up with Seamless Sign-On on their device.
• If a customer does choose to delete their account or it is deleted by accident, follow the workaround steps.

BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) v2.8 Release Coming 9/26

On 9/26/09, BlackBerry will update their BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) from version 2.7 to version 2.8 Customers do not have to request or initiate this upgrade. It will be seamless to all BlackBerry customers on that date.

BIS 2.8 includes the following improvements to the BlackBerry Smartphone user experience.

• Seamless Sign-on: (This feature will be available 10 days after the 9/26 launch date)
  • This allows new subscribers who have a PIN, IMEI or ESN as a billing identifier to create a BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) account from their BlackBerry Smartphone without having to create a unique Login Name and Password.
  • Existing Customers who currently use a user name and password to log into their BIS and would like to take advantage of the Seamless Sign-on would need to cancel their current BIS account and create a new one once version 2.8 is live.
• The BlackBerry Internet Service Web site
• The Service Books Option will be renamed to “Help”  From the Help screen, subscribers can do the following:
  • Send Service Books
  • Open the Help Web site
  • Access BlackBerry Answers
  • Access Contact Information for Wireless Service Providers

BlackBerry Tour 9630 – July 20

Been trying this devie out for a little while now on the side.. gotta say – I REALLY like it. Looks like everyone will be able to snag one (assuming you haven’t already snagged a Pre instead) on 07/20 **updated to 07/12**

BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) v2.7 Release

Update due to be released this Saturday (06/27/09), BlackBerry will update their BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) from version 2.6 to version 2.7. Customers do not have to request or initiate this upgrade. After 6/27/09, customers who log into their BIS account, will automatically be on this new version.

BIS 2.7 improves the look and feel of the BIS interface. While the changes are not big, they are an improvement for BIS users.

The improved Help Screen now lets subscribers:

• Send Service Books
• Access the online user guide, BlackBerry Answers (similar to BlackBerry HELP, but in a Q&A format)
• Access contact information for wireless service providers
• Open the BlackBerry HELP Web site on the BlackBerry Smartphone

• The ‘Close‘ option lets subscribers close the ‘E-mail Settings‘ application at any time.
• The BIS User Interface is now available in both Indonesian and Thai language.

The Simply Everything + BlackBerry BES Blunder

Enjoying your Simply Everything plan from Sprint? Most everyone does – especially BlackBerry Users. Mostly this is because with one of the ‘everything’ plans, a seperate Blackberry data pack is not required (it’s a $30 addon with all other plans, even if standard data is already included – which is why almost every Sprint BlackBerry user has some version of the ‘everything’ plan, it’s all built in and included, truly ‘everything’. This is of course only for the standard BIS, or Blackberry Internet Service – which is what most everyone uses that doesn’t have their BlackBerry attached to their corporate/work IT department. So that’s all and good, and will continue to be. Here’s the catch…

On the flipside of ‘BIS’ (the personal version) there is BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Server/Service), which means that the BlackBerry not only connects to your company’s IT dept., but can also lets you access anything inside the  corporate firewall, direct access to your exchange server, etc… this is also the version that allows your company to ‘push’ applications and settings to your device, along with wiping its contents clean if you loose it or someone steals it, or you’re terminated (lol, seriously – I’ve had IT depts inform folks that their BB was not functioning because they were term’d – and they weren’t informed by HR until later that day… what a way to go, heh).. but anyways, it would seem that someone in the billing dept here at Sprint forgot that we actually charge for the BES addon/upgrade, which gives the BlackBerry the ability to do all off this. All of our tech docs and marketing materials have indicated this, but it would seem that only now, in this time of cutbacks and penny pinching, did someone notice that customers were indeed told and quoted the cost, but it was never billed or collected.

The process of identifying which accounts are not being charged hs started, and those impacted will get a letter in May (2009) letter explaining the error and that BES has always had an additional charge of $20 for the Simply Everything plans, they were just not being charged.

• BES is the service that allows Sprint customers, with BlackBerry phones access to their corporate e-mail account. Sprint incurs a fee to offer this service and therefore it has an additional charge for our customers.
• BlackBerry web functions and BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) for personal e-mail such as gmail, yahoo, etc. are included in the Simply Everything Plan at no additional charge.

Here’s what you’ll hear when you call care:

• I am sorry for any inconvenience, but BES access for corporate e-mail has always been an option that was available for an additional $20 per month. Sprint incurs additional charges to offer BES service so it has an additional charge. Due to a Sprint error, you had been receiving this premium service for free.
• If the customer wants to continue to have BES service, tell them there is a $20 per month charge in addition to their Simply Everything plan of $99.99.
• Apply the following SOC codes in CSM if customers wish to continue to have BES service
  CDMA: PDSBKBESE
  iDEN: PDSBKBES