Google has announced the upcoming release of the Google Apps Connector for BlackBerry Enterprise Server. The goal is to make it easier for mobile users to use Google Apps on BlackBerry smartphones.
“More than 3,000 businesses adopt Google Apps every day,” says Product Management Director Raju Gulabani on the Google Enterprise Blog. “They range from ten-person companies who switch in a few hours to large companies and universities that plan their move from on-premises servers over weeks and months. Ensuring a smooth change is a big priority for us, and we’re making the transition a little easier for mobile users.”
The release allows users to access Gmail, Google Calendar and Contacts (there is a new standalone contact manager) using the already built-in BlackBerry smartphone apps. Users can receive Gmail messages within the build-in email client for example.
“New meeting invites and event changes in Google Calendar are immediately updated on the BlackBerry Calendar, keeping both calendars in sync,” explains Gulabani. “Users can also access the email addresses and phone numbers of their co-workers using a company wide Global Address List. Both personal and business contacts saved on Google Apps are automatically synchronized over the air to users’ BlackBerry smartphones and integrated into the native Blackberry smartphone applications.”
Google also notes that the transition should be seamless for IT administrators. They are given full control of the Google apps connector, and can continue managing smartphones with BlackBerry Enterprise Server.
The release is still in beta testing. It will be widely available in July.
