There's a new push purveyor on the mobile scene, come to show the competition what's what -- despite being completely dependent on that competition, at least for the moment. Hot on the heels of RIM
adding a push API, Google is enabling some BlackBerry users to get their Gmail and Google Calendar goodies shoved straight to their handsets. However, there are a number of shortcomings here that make this addition somewhat limited in usefulness. For one thing users have to be connecting to BlackBerry Enterprise Server instances, and furthermore those instances have to be backed by Microsoft Exchange. Additionally, only 250 users per Enterprise Server instance can get their mobile Gmail on, changes made to appointments on a handsets cannot be pushed back to Google Calendar, and to top it all off searching for Gmail messages still requires a separate app. Updates and improvements are coming, but until then it's caveat emailor.
posted May 5th 2009 8:19AM
How about this feature for BIS?!
I'm pushing multiple Gmail accounts to my phone over BIS and my email always arrives instantly. It's worked that way for years, and it's precisely why I continue to use a Blackberry.
POP and IMAP are polling protocols, not push protocols, so I don't know what magic they're using to make it work, but my Gmail messages always arrive on my phone within seconds.
For a time I had my Gmail account forward its incoming mail to my BIS account, which is *real* push email, and both my Gmail account and BIS account mail would arrive on my phone at the same time, so for all intents and purposes BIS already supports push Gmail.
Why can't google do something like the third party exchange clones (kerio, xchange..etc) so we can just connect to gmail as if it's an exchange server with push email, contacts and calendar?
already available for non-corporate blackberry users.. I have a 8330 on a normal Verizon consumer account with the $30/month BB data package (required BTW) --- no BES or corporate stuff --- and I simply put in my gmail address on the device setup, and I've had push gmail since day one.
I dunno, I've got a BB on BIS and I've been getting push gmail for a long time... probably since last summer. This is just allowing integration of google services through a BES server. And I figure that the vast majority of BES users aren't using gmail for corporate email anyway.
Yeah, Gmail is pushed to my Blackberry on BIS, so...
What exactly is a "BES Server"? Do you need a "PIN number" to access it?
And Google Sync syncs my calender off Gmail as well. Don't know what the news is...
BES is BlackBerry Enterprise Server. It's only for corporate environments, not something a consumer would use. BIS is BlackBerry Internet Service, which is what you pay the $30 (around) to your wireless carrier for Internet and eMail on your BlackBerry.
You can get push Gmail on your BIS BlackBerry now without any changes.
Same here. I've had my BB Bold since last September on BIS and I've had full push service with GMail ever since.
So let's get this straight...Google is trying to get some of the Exchange users to want to use Google Apps instead but will only allow people who have already invested in an Exchange and BES server to utilize it? Wouldn't those people already be committed? Seems odd to me. If anything they should be targeting the normal GMail and Google Apps users.
The normal gmail users already have the ability to use the built in email app for the bberry through pop3. Otherwise there is another app so that you get the nice features of gmail (message threading, labels, etc) that works just fine. I was hoping that this second app could get the nice push features to make it a bit faster to use. Otherwise I haven't ever had any problems.
In relation to the calendar integration, it should be noted that the Google Sync app for BB does allow for adding events from phone to Google Calendar. Without a doubt the most useful feature on mine anyway.
We used to use hosted Exchange and payed ~$15 per user per month. We recently switched to Google Apps. Google supports two way sync on Calendar and Contacts. I then used IMAP on my WinMo phone for mail. This is pretty close to what ActiveSync does. The price is great too. I see Google being able to natively sync to any device by the end of the year. They have been making pretty good progress in this area.
So Google, any idea when we can get email pushed to the iPhone?
Quite true. This would totally kill. I think the problem might be that this feature would be something that existing users would love but that won't bring a lot of new heads. Also it would kill MobileMe.I almost wonder if Google hasn't flipped the switch on ActiveSync gmail because of the backlash they might get from Apple.
Side note: I think it would be awesome to have a Google notifier app for the iPhone that just receives alerts when you get mail or calendar notifications and then opens the awesome new gmail web app or calendar app when you tap it.
I agree completely! They already have the Exchange/ActiveSync servers running for the Calendar/Contacts. Email would seal the deal with going all Google for my personal accounts. We're already using Google Apps at my school (workplace as well) (not email...yet) and it's fantastic with Google Sync on my Bold.
as soon as you have a centralized server that will actually 'push' to your device. Any other means is nothing more than a local app polling the server for updates.
Exactly! I'd been waiting for push Gmail for ages, until I decided I couldn't put up with it anymore and switched to Yahoo as my primary account instead (where I can finally get some push lovin').
This might be bought to the iPhone with OS 3.0, what with the Push Notifications Server. Depends what Apple allow it to do, and if they even allow it at all - heck, you have to pay for it on a Blackberry - so don't expect it straight away, or for free.
I'm still on WinMo (ducks the throng of tomatoes) but with Google Calendar Sync (works both ways - just not over the air) and IMAP already on my phone - this doesn't seem all that wowable. No Enterprise necessary even.
ummm.....my gmail has been getting pushed to my blackberrys FOR YEARS...... WTF is up with this article?
Just a note of technical clarification. Gmail does not actually push to the Blackberry, it uses IMAP Idle, which is very similar.
Other features that they are taking about from above, that are currently not available, is the ability to star and archive a message.
Actually, it is a RIM server that retrieves your e-mail for you and then pushes it to you with a proprietary RIM technology. The server does use IMAP IDLE though.
@B and im
I am not sure if the OP is referring to the Google apps for the BB, but you can configure the RIM servers to poll standard POP emails, and configure Gmail to work over POP - that's how you can get your gmail pushed to your BB...
Yahoo is reporting a story about (competing) GMail.. Oh the irony!
This is not new. I have gmail, sync to calendar and contacts. No Enterprise Server. No Microsoft Exchange.
There's already a free Gmail/Google Sync for BlackBerry which offers offline support, push e-mail, contact support, and calendar sync. So this really isn't anything new, it's just offering the existing functionality to people who have a legacy Exchange server in the mix.
Maybe you guys should have someone who actually owns a BlackBerry fact-check your postings?
This is good news. Right now GMAIL is not being pushed to any system. This is why this is the begining of something good. Yahoo on the other hands does push to the iPhone and any other phone that supports the push technology.
Uhh... gmail's been pushing to blackberry for a long time. Just have to set up BIS to send it to your phone. And I don't care if they call it IMAP IDLE or whatever BS. I get real-time email updates from gmail, that's all anyone actually means by "push".
So... yeah. Maybe there's some other added functionality like starring and labels or something, but actual push email for gmail->blackberry already exists. I wouldn't be using a blackberry without it.
I want true 2-way sync for gmail...like Yahoo actually offers...for free none the less.
I'm tired of having to manually mark messages as "read" on my BB or delete them after I have from the Gmail webpage.
thank god, finally someone who understands how this works and how inadequate 1-way sync is in 2009
RIM = obsolete if they don't figure this out, is it that hard to get 2 way push sync for BIS?! wtf
Um... RIM released 2-way sync about 2 months ago for BIS users. Where have you been?
Delete and re-add your accounts.
@BrownBear - download the (free) GMail app for BlackBerry for two-way email sync. It is NOT push email; it checks every 20 minutes (if the program is inactive) or every 5 minutes (if you have GMail open and active on your BB screen). No email forwarding, and you get a nice rich client instead of having your emails jumbled with your text messages in your BB Inbox.
Google Sync (also free) will two-way sync your Google calendar.
Yeah, I know about the Gmail app...thanks though (also have Google Sync installed). What I want is what Yahoo offers. I don't understand why I should have to use a separate application to get email on my BB.
You don't need to have another application you fucking moron. Did you read what I said? BIS pushes your Gmail for you. If you created your accounts over 1-2 months ago, delete and re-create them in BIS and you'll have two-way sync.
I don't get push it I've always forward my gmail to my email cell phone address and always get it instantly is push like milliseconds faster or something?
ummm... push, idle or whatever my blackberry gets my email most times before my GMail inbox.
I've abandoned RIM's idiotic mail client for Blackberry months ago and just use the Gmail app. As much as I dislike its fonts and lack of true push, at least the app is functional, gives me access to my contancts, and has true 2-way sync.
Ya, I wish the blackberry mail app worked like the iPhone mail app where I could connect to any POP or IMAP server I want without having it dump all my email in the same inbox. Then I wouldn't have to use the gmail app for gmail sync and tiggit for other imap account sync.
As others noted, I already get my gmail pushed to my blackberry.. I'm not on any kind of corporate system nor did I do anything special. I just put in my gmail address during the blackberry setup when you first get your phone.
***I would love an update from Engadget***
I, along with everyone else, do not understand this post.
Gmail and BlackBerry have worked well with true push for a long time. What significance does this news have?
This post applies to BES, if you have BIS then you're fine.
I've had Gmail pushed to my Blackberry for almost 3 years now. I get my mail instantly, never takes more than 2 seconds, and hits my blackberry before it even hits my Gmail inbox.
To everyone who is saying that GMail has been availabel on their Blackberry for years, yes, it has, to all Blackberry users. The difference here, that this article very poorly portrays, is that this is inegration directly with the BES server, which means the traffic is triple DES encrypted. You've been getting GMail on your Berry, but now that it's integrated with the BES, it has the same level of encryption as your corporate email. That's the news.
Eh no thanks! I don't want my company now monitoring my personal e-mails too!