| When the BlackBerry debuted in 1999, carrying | | | | |
| one was a hallmark of powerful executives and | | | | First, the software senses that a new message |
| savvy technophiles. People who purchased one | | | | has arrived or the data has changed. Then, it |
| either needed or wanted constant access to | | | | compresses, packages and redirects the |
| e-mail, a calendar and a phone. The | | | | information to the handheld unit. The server |
| BlackBerry's manufacturer, Research in Motion | | | | uses hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) and |
| (RIM), reported only 25,000 subscribers in | | | | transmission control protocol (TCP) to |
| that first year. But since then, its | | | | communicate with the handhelds. It also |
| popularity has skyrocketed. | | | | encrypts the data with triple data encryption |
| | | | standard (DES) or advanced encryption |
| In September 2005, RIM reported 3.65 million | | | | standard (AES). |
| subscribers, and users describe being | | | | |
| addicted to the devices. The BlackBerry has | | | | Image courtesy RIM |
| even brought new slang to the English | | | | |
| language. There are words for flirting via | | | | A person can send and receive messages and |
| BlackBerry (blirting), repetitive motion | | | | phone calls on a BlackBerry from virtually |
| injuries from too much BlackBerry use | | | | any location. |
| (BlackBerry thumb) and unwisely using one's | | | | |
| BlackBerry while intoxicated | | | | The software determines the capabilities of |
| (drunk-Berrying). While some people credit | | | | the BlackBerry and lets people establish |
| the BlackBerry with letting them get out of | | | | criteria for the information they want to |
| the office and spend time with friends and | | | | have delivered. The criteria can include |
| family, others accuse them of allowing work | | | | message type and size, specific senders and |
| to infiltrate every moment of free time. | | | | updates to specific programs or databases. |
| | | | |
| In this article, we'll examine the "push" | | | | Once all of the parameters have been set, the |
| technology at the center of the device's | | | | software waits for updated content. When a |
| popularity, RIM's former dispute with patent | | | | new message or other data arrives, the |
| holder NTP Incorporated and its current | | | | software formats the information for |
| dispute with Visto Corporation. We'll also | | | | transmission to and display on the |
| explore BlackBerry hardware and software. | | | | BlackBerry. It packages e-mail messages into |
| | | | a kind of electronic envelope so the user can |
| "Push" Technology | | | | decide whether to open or retrieve the rest |
| | | | of the message. |
| A PDA does a lot of the same things a | | | | |
| BlackBerry does, and the PDA made its debut | | | | BlackBerrys in the United States |
| several years before the BlackBerry. But | | | | |
| until recently, the only way to make the | | | | 70 percent of BlackBerry subscribers live in |
| information on most PDAs match the | | | | the United States. Source: Washington Post |
| information on a person's computer was to | | | | |
| automatically or manually sync the PDA. This | | | | The BlackBerry listens for new information |
| could be time-consuming and inconvenient. It | | | | and notifies the user when it arrives by |
| could also lead to exactly the conflicts that | | | | vibrating, changing an icon on the screen or |
| having a PDA is supposed to prevent. For | | | | turning on a light. The BlackBerry does not |
| example, a manager might schedule a meeting | | | | poll the server to look for updates. It |
| on the PDA, not knowing that an assistant had | | | | simply waits for the update to arrive and |
| just scheduled a meeting for the same time on | | | | notifies the user when it does. With e-mail, |
| a networked calendar. | | | | a copy of each message also goes to the |
| | | | user's inbox on the computer, but the e-mail |
| A BlackBerry, on the other hand, does | | | | client can mark the message as read once the |
| everything a PDA can do, and it syncs itself | | | | user reads it on the BlackBerry. |
| continually through push technology. | | | | |
| BlackBerry Enterprise Server or Desktop | | | | People describe BlackBerry use as an |
| Redirector software "pushes," or redirects, | | | | addiction, and this is why. Not only do they |
| new e-mail, calendar updates, documents and | | | | give people constant access to their phones, |
| other data straight to the user over the | | | | they also provide continual updates to |
| Internet and the cell phone network. | | | | e-mail, calendars and other tools. |