What's new in

BlackBerry AtHoc

7.21 (Cloud)

Alerting

Call bridge field validation update
: The validation rules for the Call Bridge and Passcode fields when creating alerts was updated. The Call Bridge and Passcode fields are now restricted to accept only numbers (digits), dashes, periods, parentheses, and commas. This is the same validation used for phone number fields, as the call bridge field is intended to be used for providing phone numbers and conference codes to allow users to connect to a conference call.
An alert is not publishable until the call bridge number and passcode are successfully filled out with the correct characters or removed from the response option. If invalid characters are input into the Call Bridge or Passcode fields, an error message appears in red, stating "Invalid Phone Number" for the number portion and "Invalid Number" for the passcode field.
This change is intended to prevent operators from attempting to input webinar links, URLs, or anything other than a phone number and passcode for a telephone conference as the Call Bridge and Passcode fields are designed to work only with phone numbers.
Locale search for delivery templates
: A new "Locale" search pull-down list was added to the Delivery Templates settings screen. This enables operators to search for delivery templates assigned to a specific locale. This new "Locale" search can be used in conjunction with the existing search capabilities on the Delivery Templates settings screen to enhance the ability to find and manage delivery templates.
Localized delivery templates
:
BlackBerry AtHoc
now supports desktop and email delivery templates for the following delivery locales:
Arabic
Chinese
Greek
Japanese
Korean
Polish
Portuguese (Brasil) 
Portuguese (Portugal)
Russian
Swedish
Turkish
This update ensures that users can select any of the supported delivery locales and receive fully translated desktop and email notifications. The desktop and email delivery templates are available for the five severity levels (High, Moderate, Low, Informational, and Unknown) and match the associated delivery colors.
New delivery locales
:
BlackBerry AtHoc
now supports 5 new delivery locales: Malay, Vietnamese, Slovak, Hindi, and Indonesian. The 5 new locales are also available for bilingual alerting and can be selected from a pull-down menu in the
BlackBerry AtHoc
management system at General Settings > Customization > Delivery Locales.
BlackBerry AtHoc
now supports a total of 24 delivery locales. Desktop and email templates to support all delivery locales were added. A new Locale search pull-down menu was added to the Delivery Template settings page.

Alert templates

API

AtHoc

Account

Account folders
: Account folders were introduced to help operators manage their accountability templates more efficiently before, during, and after accountability events. Key features include:
A System Default folder that all out-of-the-box and new accountability templates are assigned to.
A new Account Folders manager that can be accessed from the General Settings and Account sections of the
BlackBerry AtHoc
management system.
Operators with access to AtHoc Account can create, edit, and delete account folders.
Operators can assign accountability templates to account folders, with folders inherited from the enterprise and super-enterprise levels.
For more information, see "Manage account folders" in the
BlackBerry AtHoc
Account
guide.
Account folder restrictions
:
BlackBerry AtHoc
now supports the ability to organize accountability events with account folders. This enables administrators to restrict groups or divisions to an account folder that contains their specific accountability templates. Account Managers, Enterprise Administrators, Plan Managers, and Plan Incident Managers can be assigned access to specific account folders. An Account Folder section was added above the Distribution Lists folder section on the Operator Permissions page, allowing for restricted or unrestricted access to accountability events. Folder restrictions limit operators to view only the accountability events assigned to the folders they have been granted access to.
Accountability Officer organization subscriptions
: When granting an existing operator the Accountability Officer role from the External Operator Permissions screen, the Organization Subscription section is displayed only if the operator account exists in the same enterprise organization. If the operator account is from a different enterprise, the Organization Subscription section is not displayed.
Accountability Officer initial email delivery template update
: The Accountability Officer initial email delivery template was updated to include a deep link that allows Accountability Officers to access Self Service and update user information for accountability events started at the enterprise or super enterprise levels. This deep link provides AOs with the ability to update user responses and add notes for accountability events that originate at the enterprise and super enterprise levels, based on their assigned AO roles, subscriptions, and restrictions. The Self Service page accessed through the deep link allows AOs to search for users by name and status, view User Status and Comment fields, and update the status and comments while the accountability event is still active. Once the accountability event ends, the edit functionality is longer available. This update ensures that AOs have the necessary access and tools to effectively manage user information for accountability events across all organizational levels.
Accountability Officer role enhancements
: In a super enterprise configuration, the Accountability Officer role can now be assigned at the suborganization level. Accountability officers can respond on behalf of users from accountability events started at all levels of the enterprise (suborganization, enterprise organization, and super enterprise) without needing additional roles to be assigned.
Operators granted the Accountability Officer external operator role and subscribed to a suborganization can be targeted in accountability events and can respond on behalf of users from accountability events at all organization levels in a super enterprise organization.
Accountability Officers can respond on behalf of users based on their roles in the suborganization, enterprise organization, or super enterprise organization. Any user base restrictions assigned to the operator with the Accountability Officer role are applied at the organization level where they were assigned and from the organizations above (enterprise and super enterprise organizations.)
If you assign an operator the Accountability Officer role in a suborganization, that operator can access the enterprise or super enterprise organization so that they can respond on behalf of other users during an accountability event. When the Account Officer role is assigned, the first time an operator logs in to the management system, they are taken automatically to the Change Organization page and must select an organization. On subsequent logins, the operator will automatically be logged in to the organization where they last logged out from.
Accountability Officers can log into the organization where the accountability event was started, access the Account and All Events tabs, view events, and update users from the
BlackBerry AtHoc
management system and from the mobile app during a live event. User base restrictions are applied, and only allowed users are visible to the Accountability Officer.
API support for placeholders for accountability templates
: Operators can now add placeholders to their accountability templates to customize the event name and details. The following JSON payload fields were added to support placeholders in accountability templates:
<Placeholders>: This field contains one or more Placeholder nodes. The Placeholder tag searches for placeholders added in the header, body, and response options fields and replaces them with the provided values.
<Placeholders.Key>: The name of the Placeholder.
<Placeholders.Value>: The replacement value for the placeholder. The placeholder value can be one of these types: Text, Date, Timer, DateTime, Single-selection, Multiple-selection.
Enhanced web API for Accountability Officers to respond on behalf of others
: Accountability Officers can now respond on behalf of users for accountability events published at the enterprise and super enterprise level using the BlackBerry AtHoc mobile app. Accountability Officers can update the User Status and Comment fields for accountability events at the enterprise or super enterprise level even if the Accountability Officer role is only assigned at the suborganization level. The user experience for Accountability Officers remains the same when managing users through the mobile app, regardless of the organization context of the accountability event.
Placeholders for accountability event templates
: Operators can now add placeholders to Accountability Event templates. Using placeholders enables customizing the event name and details to the specific situation. Operators can select from existing alert placeholders and add them to the Event Name and Event Description fields. When publishing an Accountability Event, a new "Custom Fields" section enables operators to fill in the placeholder values, which are then resolved and included in the event messages.

BlackBerry feed service

Browser support

Collaboration

Live map

Location pins on the Live Map

: Alerts and accountability events can now be displayed on the Live Map with location pins. Location pins can be added when creating an alert or event template or when publishing an alert or event. A pin icon () was added to the Create Custom Locations toolbar on the publisher map to add location pins.

Location pins are indicated by a on the Live Map and are displayed only for live alerts and events. Operators can add a brief description of up to 30 characters for each location pin and can click on a pin to move it to a different location. Multiple location pins can be added as part of a single alert or event.

Management system

CSV Export for User Tracking Report - with Events
:
BlackBerry AtHoc
now enables operators to export the "User Tracking Report - with Events" advanced report to a CSV file. An "Export this Report" option has been added, which allows users with the appropriate permissions to download the full report contents to a CSV file named "UserTrackingwithEvents.csv". The exported CSV file includes all rows and columns from the report, with date fields displayed in date/time formats.
Distribution list folders
: The Distribution List Folders section is now available on the Users tab on the top navigation bar, making it more accessible for operators. This change ensures that operators with the appropriate roles (Enterprise Administrator, Organization Administrator, or System Administrator) can access and manage distribution list folders more easily. Operators without these roles will not see the Distribution List Folders section.
Mobile App Work and Personal devices
New Mobile App - Work device
: Two distinct device types are now available for the mobile app: Mobile App - Work and Mobile App. End users who register through MDM can automatically be assigned to the Mobile App - Work device type. Users who register manually are assigned to the Mobile App device type. This separation of devices types enables operators to send alerts to either work devices, personal devices, or both, ensuring that sensitive content can be sent only to users' work devices.
Publishing and user response tracking for Mobile App - Work device
: Alerts and accountability events can be sent to the Mobile App - Work device. Operators can target the Mobile App - Work device and configure notification settings such as repeat notifications, pause between notifications, and sound delivery. Operators can also view and track alert responses from the Mobile App - Work device. The Mobile App - Work device is displayed in the Sent Alert Details, Delivery Distribution by Devices, and User Tracking reports.
Advanced search support for Mobile App - Work device
:
BlackBerry AtHoc
now supports searching for the Mobile App - Work device. Users can target advanced queries based on the status (Active, Inactive, or Select all) of the new device. The Mobile App - Work device can be selected as a column in table views and displayed in user profiles, showing the status and details of the device.
The Mobile App - Work device is searchable in these advanced search areas:
Alert template - user targeting
New alert - user targeting
Accountability template - user targeting
Accountability template - Accountability Officer targeting
New accountability event - user targeting
Static Distribution Lists - user selection advanced queries
The Mobile App - Work device is also searchable in these areas:
Accountability event summary
Users manager
Dynamic distribution lists (when selecting membership criteria)
Auto disable and delete users
User base restriction
API support for the Mobile App - Work device
: The following APIs support the Mobile App - Work device:
GET /devices and GET /devices/{deviceId}
: Returns the details of the Mobile App - Work device.
GET /orgs/{orgcode}/devices
: Returns the details of the Mobile App - Work device if it is active.
POST /orgs/{orgCode}/users/search/advanced
: Supports user search for the Mobile App - Work device. Conditions include equals, not equals, is empty, and is not empty for the Active, Inactive, and Not Available values.
GET /orgs/{orgCode}/users/{loginId}/profile
: Returns the device status for the specified profile with values of Active, Inactive, or Not available.
POST /orgs/{orgCode}/alerts
: Supports the Mobile App - Work device  as a targetable device by its common name in the request format of TargetUsers.PersonalDevices.Devices.DeviceCommonName and TargetUsers.PersonalDevices.DeviceGroupOptions.
GET & PUT /orgs/{orgCode}/alerts/{auId}
: Supports the Mobile App - Work device as a targetable device by its common name in the request format of TargetUsers.PersonalDevices.Devices.DeviceCommonName and TargetUsers.PersonalDevices.Devices.Options and TargetUsers.PersonalDevices.DeviceGroupOptions.
GET /orgs/{orgCode}/alerts/{auId}/reports/devicesummary
: Support for the Mobile App - Work device that displays its tracking summary for a specified alert.
GET /SelfService/{orgCode}/Devices
: Supports the Mobile App - Work device as a device that displays its details in this endpoint if it is enabled.
GET & PUT /SelfService/{orgCode}/{loginId}/Profile
: Supports the Mobile App - Work device as a device that displays in this endpoint if it is enabled.
More Info link field update
:
The automatic "http://" prefix was removed from the "More Info" link field when a placeholder (indicated by $) is used as the first character. When an operator enters a standard URL in the "More Info" link field, the "http://" prefix will continue to be added automatically. When an operator uses a placeholder in the "More Info" link field, the "http://" prefix is no longer added automatically. Any placeholder entered in the "More Info" link field are saved as-is, without any additional prefixes or text. This ensures that when a receiving organization sets up an alert template with a placeholder in the "More Info" link field, it can correctly display the URL provided by the sending organization's alert template.
The "Test URL" button continues to function, but displays an error if a placeholder is used instead of a valid URL.
Organization contact information
:
Administrators can now provide the name, email, and phone number of an organization's administrator or help desk to assist users with administrative tasks such as resetting or retrieving their passwords.
Administrators can customize the Organization Contact Info section in the
BlackBerry AtHoc
management system at Settings > General Settings.
Organization contact information is displayed on the login, username retrieval, and password retrieval pages to assist users in the
BlackBerry AtHoc
management system, Self Service, and on the mobile app.
Organization contact information is also displayed at the bottom of the
BlackBerry AtHoc
management system homepage welcome message.
For more information, see "Customization" in the
BlackBerry AtHoc
System Settings and Configuration
guide.
Organization hierarchy values for users in subscribed organizations
: An issue where stale organization hierarchy values were displayed in the user manager for users in subscribed organizations was resolved. Additionally, users in a subscribed organization could be incorrectly targeted using advanced queries that referenced the organization hierarchy node they previously belonged to.
Organization hierarchy values displayed in the user manager list view are now kept up-to-date and advanced queries in the subscribed organization only target users based on their current organization hierarchy assignment.
Operator audit trail logging for recovered deleted users
: When a deleted user is recovered, a "Deleted Users Recovered" entry is recorded in the operator audit trail.
Password reminder notification updates
:
Operators and users can now receive email reminders prior to their password expiring.
Administrators can configure the number of days before expiration that the reminders are sent (15, 10, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 days.)
By default, reminders are sent 7, 5, 3, 2, and 1 days before expiration.
Enable the password expiration reminder in the
BlackBerry AtHoc
management system at Settings > Setup > Security Policy > Password Update Rules.
For more information, see "Send a reminder before a password expires" in the
BlackBerry AtHoc
System Settings and Configuration
guide.
Prevent operators from deleting or disabling their own account
:
BlackBerry AtHoc
was updated to prevent operators with user manager permissions from deleting or disabling their own user accounts through the "Disable and Delete Users" settings page. Operators with any of these roles can no longer delete or disable their own account even if they have included it in a disable or delete rule: Alert Manager, Advanced Alert Manager, End Users Manager, Enterprise Administrator, Organization Administrator, and Basic Administrator. If an operator attempts to delete or disable their own account, a warning message is displayed informing them that they cannot perform this action on their own user account. The "Selected users" count excludes the operator's own account, and the "Deleted or Disabled users" count will be reduced by 1 to account for the operator's account being skipped. This change ensures operators cannot accidentally or intentionally remove their own access to the
BlackBerry AtHoc
system, improving security and preventing service disruptions.
Recover deleted users
: End Users Managers, Organization Administrators, and Enterprise Administrators can now recover deleted users for up to 7 days after deletion. The recovery period is dependent on the Purge Deleted Users setting in the Disable and Delete Users settings section. Deleted users cannot be recovered after they are purged from the system. Operators cannot delete their own user accounts. The operator audit trail captures the names of deleted users and the operator who performed the deletion.
Status attribute for deleting users
: The Status attribute is now available for selection in the Delete Users section on the Disable and Delete Users settings screen. This enables organizations to use the Disabled status as a criteria for deleting users. Users with a Disabled status can now be automatically deleted. The Status attribute is available with the following operations: equals and not equals. The available values for the Status attribute are: Select All, Disabled, and Enabled.
The Status attribute is not available in the Disable Users section.

Server platforms