BPOS Rocks: Connecting BlackBerry to BPOS (2/3)

In previous post I described the resources needed and pricing involved to get your BlackBerry's connected to Microsoft Online Services.

Once you have made your decision to go ahead with BPOS and BlackBerry you would need to order the Hosted BlackBerry Service from Microsoft. After that is all setup you can go ahead and migrate from your existing solution to the Hosted BlackBerry Service from Microsoft. I'll talk about the actual migration process in my next post which I'll write next week. First in this post I'll handle the contracts and service details.

The process in short is as following:

Make sure you have all the right info
Go to the Microsoft Online Administration Portal and create a Service Request stating you want to purchase the BlackBerry Hosted Service.
Review and sign the contract
Submit all information needed to a Microsoft support agent.
Supply Tier 1 with the needed information

Preparations

In order to get everything up and running you'll need the following:

SRP ID
SRP Authentication Key
CAL ID
TX2 Support Contract ID
(BlackBerry phones)
(BlackBerry Data Plan)

If you don't have all these components, don't even start the process. So where can you find this info?

Retrieving the SRP ID and SRP Authentication Key

There are several ways in which you can find the SRP ID and SRP Authentication Key. First of all the were supplied to you when first purchasing the software. If you don't have that information present anymore you can also find the needed info by using the BlackBerry Manager or the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Management console. As a last resort you could use the Blackberry Configuration Database or Cached Property File.

If you don't have a BlackBerry Enterprise Server license yet you can order it from RIM or your reseller.

Retrieving the CAL ID's

Next to the BlackBerry Server you need CAL (Client Access Licenses) for each devices used to connect to the BES Server. The BES CAL´s have been supplied to you when first purchasing the software. The CAL ID would start with BES35X or BESCAL.

If you don't have the official document anymore you could do one of the following:

1. The BES Admin can use the BlackBerry Resource Kit (BRK) to export the list.

2. The BES Admin can use a much easier SQL tool (if they know SQL) called Query Express. If the BES database is MSDE (usually resident on the BES itself), then Query Express would most likely be installed on the BES (it's a single file application and I have it on 3 of my servers). If the BES database is a remote SQL 2003/2005 database, then Query Express can be installed on a workstation on your network (like on the BES Admin's PC) and they just connect remotely to the database and run a SQL query). select * from licensekeys This will give you a dump of all the license keys through a sql client interface. Look for everything starting with BESCAL and BES35X ...

If you need (more) licenses you can purchase them via RIM or a reseller.

TX2 Support

Lastly you would need the Support Contract ID (named support). In some Microsoft it is stated that TX2 support is needed. However this support option is now longer available. You now need BlackBerry Support Services for Enterprise. A complete description of this service is available from the blackberry website.

Again if you don't already own a support contract you can either purchase it via a reseller or the BlackBerry website.

Submitting a request to Microsoft Online Services

As soon as you have all needed information you would need to send out a request for the contracts needed to Microsoft.

You can either put in the request via phone or via the Support tool within the Administration Center. Once you have done that you will receive a mail (and issue in the system) stating the following:

The Hosted BlackBerry Service requires customers to bring the BES licenses they have already purchased to Microsoft to provide hosting and operational support within the Microsoft Online Services data centers. The service is purchased and billed separately from Exchange Online or the BPOS through a separate agreement in countries that can purchase BPOS online.

If you are interested on contracting this service, please provide the following, which will help us to to request for you a Hosted BlackBerry service agreement:

-The licenses' information

-Name of the contact person to whom the contract has to be sent

-E-mail address of the contact person

After you submit all the requested info (when you state the licenses' information be sure to write it down, don't reply with an attachment) and state the mentioned SRP ID, SRP Authentication Key, CAL ID and TX2 Support Contract ID.

You will then receive an e-mail from someone getting all the contacts in place. He (or she) will send out the BlackBerry Service Supplemental Agreement and BlackBerry Licensing Management spreadsheet. Once you have signed the BlackBerry Service Supplemental Agreement and filled in the BlackBerry Licensing Management spreadsheet you can mail them back.

The contract states several terms, describes the service delivery model and describes the services. The Service Description for Service Delivery states the following:

Features

• Personal information management

– Email

– Calendar

– Contacts with GAL integration: Contacts supports lookup across multiple domains for users in the same GAL (e.g., single Microsoft Online account)

– Tasks

• Device management

– Device wipe

– Password reset

Standardized Policy and Version Support

• All policies and settings are as listed in the Policy Reference Guide at http://na.blackberry.com/eng/deliverables/3801/Policy_Reference_Guide.pdf with the exception of the choice of password and no-password policies as follow:

– No password required policy – this is the default policy which will be applied unless customer specifically requests the Password protected policy

• Device-Only Items: Password Required = False

• Global Items: Allow Browser = False

• PIM Sync Policy Group: Disable PIN Messages Wireless Sync = True

• PIM Sync Policy Group: Disable SMS Messages Wireless Sync = True

• PIM Sync Policy Group: Disable Phone Call Log Wireless Sync = True

• MDS Integration Service Policy Group: Disable MDS Runtime = True

• MDS Integration Service Policy Group: Disable Activation With Public BlackBerry MDS Integration Service = True

• MDS Integration Service Policy Group: Disable User-Initiated Activation with the BlackBerry MDS Integration Service = True

– Password required policy

• Device-Only Items: Password Required = True

• Device-Only Items: User Can Disable Password = False

• Global Items: Allow Browser = False

• Password Policy Group: Set Password Timeout = 15

• Password Policy Group: Set Maximum Password Attempts = 5

• PIM Sync Policy Group: Disable PIN Messages Wireless Sync = True

• PIM Sync Policy Group: Disable SMS Messages Wireless Sync = True

• PIM Sync Policy Group: Disable Phone Call Log Wireless Sync = True

• MDS Integration Service Policy Group: Disable MDS Runtime = True

• MDS Integration Service Policy Group: Disable Activation With Public BlackBerry MDS Integration Service = True

• MDS Integration Service Policy Group: Disable User-Initiated Activation with the BlackBerry MDS Integration Service = True

• BlackBerry handsets supported

• Blackberry OS 4.2 +

• Future Blackberry OS versions to be supported shortly after release by major US carriers

• Blackberry Enterprise Server supported

• BES 4.1.6; all BES upgrades done at Microsoft's discretion and standardized across customers

In the Excel sheet you would need to provide the following information (for each user entering into the service):

Same for all users: Company / Business Contact / Business Contact Email / ITGen or Admin / ITGen Email
License User (name of the person using the service)
License User's e-mail address (BPOS mailaddress)
Activation Requestor (List the person responsible for sponsoring the Blackberry activation)
SR (Activation): List the service request number that was opened via https://admin.microsoftonline.com to activate your initial Blackberry users per the onboarding document
IT Policy (either: No Device Password / Device Password Required)
Activation Password: Specify an activation password for the user in this field. If an activation password is not specified, a random password will be assigned and emailed to the end user.

(This whole process was taken care of within a few hours in our case)

Also the Excel sheet states the rest of the process:

Customer Preparations for Service On-boarding

You will receive an Excel file which requests the names, email addresses and other information for the employees for which you wish to use the Hosted Blackberry Service beta.
Return the Excel file to the email address from which you received it. This may be a partner, Microsoft sales person, or the service contract desk.
Make sure that you have the correct number of Hosted Blackberry beta service licenses and Exchange Online licenses for your Blackberry devices.
Make sure that the users you wish to activate for service are included in the Excel document you filled in and returned to Microsoft.
Make sure all your users are on the BES plan with your wireless carrier, and not the personal BIS plan.
Make sure all your Blackberries are activated by the wireless carriers, in working order, and have ample data connectivity.
Assign Exchange Online or Business Productivity Online Suite licenses for each of your Blackberry users in the Microsoft Online Administrator Portal. Blackberry users must have an Exchange account before Microsoft Online Services can provision them a Hosted Blackberry Service account.
If the devices are currently attached to your local BES, or any other hosted BES service, please disassociate them from that BES prior to requesting the Blackberry activation with Microsoft. Blackberries cannot be attached to multiple BES. Please allow a couple of hours to propagate through the RIM infrastructure. We cannot provision Blackberries if they are already attached to another BES.
Have the users sign into their Exchange Online account to verify that they can access their Email through either Outlook 2007 or Outlook Web Access.
Use the Microsoft Online DirSync tool, and make sure everyone in the company (BES and non-BES users) has the exact same company name in AD. Those with different company names in AD will be excluded from GAL searches performed by the BES users.

On-boarding Process

A support request to Microsoft Online Services Technical Support has been submitted on your behalf and a support representative will be contacting you to retrieve this spreadsheet as well as schedule out a time with you to onboard your Blackberry users onto the Microsoft Online Blackberry Enterprise Server .
Coordinate with support on timing via the service request to minimize your Blackberry down time.
On the agreed upon date and time, remove the users from your on premise Blackberry Server.
Users will be activated by Microsoft Online Services.
The support ticket will be returned to you to confirm activation once we have completed all users on the list you provided.
Individual users will receive their Enterprise Activation Passwords in their Exchange Online accounts.
Users need to enter the activation password into their devices for Enterprise Activation. Users will have 7 days to activate their devices before the activation password expires.
If users are unable to activate their device in 7 days, they will have to be re-activated by repeating the steps in this process (that is, opening another service request at https://admin.microsoftonline.com).

Handover to tier one support

After you have signed the contracts your application will be handed over to tier one support. They will ask you (if you haven't supplied it yet) for the following information: