session management

You can specify the number of simultaneous instant messaging sessions that the BlackBerry Collaboration Service supports. You can also specify a timeout threshold, after which the BlackBerry Collaboration Service ends inactive sessions automatically and permits new sessions to start.

You can control whether users of specific versions of the BlackBerry® Client for IBM® Lotus® Sametime® or the BlackBerry® Client for Novell® GroupWise® Messenger can see an icon on their BlackBerry devices when contacts in their contact lists are using the same collaboration clients. By default, the icon appears.

conversations with multiple contacts

Users can start and manage conversations with multiple instant messaging contacts on their BlackBerry devices.

availability status

Users can change their availability status when they are logged in to their collaboration clients. For example, users can set their availability status to away or busy.

presence updates

Using the latest versions of the collaboration clients, users can set their availability status to display as away if they do not use their BlackBerry devices for a specified period of time.

access levels

Using the latest version of the BlackBerry® Client for use with Microsoft® Office Communications Server 2007, users can set the access level of contacts in their contact lists. Each access level consists of rules that define how contacts can interact with a user through the instant messaging application. For example, users can assign the Personal access level to their contacts.

contact pictures

Using the latest versions of the collaboration clients, users can add pictures to the contacts in their contact lists. The pictures that users add using the collaboration clients on their BlackBerry devices are not synchronized with the instant messaging applications on users' computers.

synchronized contact lists

The instant messaging contact lists on users' BlackBerry devices are synchronized with the contact lists in their organization's instant messaging application.

contact alerts

Users can request alerts when specific contacts become available.

file transfer

Using the latest version of the BlackBerry Client for IBM Lotus Sametime, users can send files to contacts in their contact lists. Recipients can open supported file formats on their BlackBerry devices.

link instant messaging contacts to the contact list on BlackBerry devices

Using the latest versions of the collaboration clients, users can link instant messaging contacts to existing contact list entries on their BlackBerry devices. They can also create new contact list entries for instant messaging contacts and populate them with information from their organization's messaging server.

send email messages from contact list

Using the latest versions of the collaboration clients, users can send email messages to contacts directly from their contact lists.

call contacts

Using the latest versions of the collaboration clients, users can call instant messaging contacts directly from their contact lists. After a user starts an instant messaging conversation with a contact, the user can make a call to that contact from the conversation window. Phone numbers for contacts are retrieved from the messaging server or from the contact list on the BlackBerry device if the user is linked to an existing contact list entry.

email conversation history

Using the latest versions of the collaboration clients, users who participate in an instant messaging conversation can send the history of the conversation as an email message to other participants of the conversation and to additional contacts from their contact lists on their BlackBerry devices.

embedded links

Users can click phone numbers in instant messages to make calls. They can also click links in instant messages to view web pages.

public groups

Using the latest version of the BlackBerry Client for IBM Lotus Sametime, users can add public groups to their instant messaging contact lists.

location information

Using the latest version of the BlackBerry Client for IBM Lotus Sametime or the BlackBerry Client for use with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, users can set their current location to display in their contact information. For example, users can set their current location to "In the office". This feature is not available if your organization's environment uses IBM Lotus Sametime version 6.5.1.

announcements

Using the latest version of the BlackBerry Client for IBM Lotus Sametime or BlackBerry Client for Novell GroupWise Messenger, users can send announcements to groups or multiple contacts in their contact lists.

send messages to contacts who are not included in a contact list

Using the latest version of the BlackBerry Client for IBM Lotus Sametime, BlackBerry® Client for use with Microsoft® Office Live Communications Server 2005, or BlackBerry Client for use with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, users can send instant messages to contacts that are not included in their contact lists.

dormant mode

The collaboration clients enter dormant mode after five minutes of inactivity. In dormant mode, the applications do not receive presence updates for contacts. Dormant mode is designed to reduce wireless network traffic in an organization's messaging environment. The collaboration clients turn off dormant mode when users open or use the applications, or receive conference requests, alerts, or messages from contacts.

initial synchronization

When the BlackBerry® Enterprise Server sends service books to BlackBerry devices to turn on wireless data synchronization, an initial data synchronization process starts. The process synchronizes the data for calendar items and messages between users' BlackBerry devices and the email applications on their computers. It also resolves conflicting or duplicate entries to prevent data loss.

By default, the calendar on the BlackBerry device synchronizes up to 31 days in the past from the activation date, and up to 28 years into the future from the activation date.

synchronization settings

You can configure settings for wireless data synchronization that apply to specific users, user groups, or all users on all BlackBerry Enterprise Server instances. You can define which organizer data items the BlackBerry Synchronization Service synchronizes, how data conflicts are resolved, and whether changes are synchronized in both directions or in one direction only between BlackBerry devices and email applications. You can use IT policies to configure the settings for wireless data synchronization.

support for different types of user access

The BlackBerry Enterprise Server requires access to the organizer application databases for all users. You can define the location of the database replicas in each user’s profile, create roaming user profiles, or use web access templates in your organization's messaging environment.