BlackBerry Internet Service down; outage continuing
BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) is said to be down in several parts of the globe, the second BlackBerry data outage in three months. BlackBerry fan sites and support forums are littered with complaints from BlackBerry users from across the world that they are unable to use data services on their BlackBerrys.
Matthew Miller, a blogger on ZDNet expressed disgust at the continued outages plaguing the BlackBerry service. He gave up after several hours trying to use his BlackBerry Bold 9700 at a tech conclave in Seattle, and complained: This type of service outage is one reason I will never go back to using a BlackBerry device. I prefer to have more control over my connectivity and information and think these types of data outages are unacceptable today.”
BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) is a service offered by Research In Motion. This enables BlackBerry users to access Internet on their handheld. BIS us required to use data services and products on the BlackBerry like apps for Facebook, Google Maps, BlackBerry Instant Messenger, BlackBerry Weather and so on. Research in Motion, the Canada-based manufacturer of BlackBerry has not officially spoken about the complaints of BlackBerry outage so far.
Affected users say that they are unable to send and receive email, browse websites, downloads apps, check weather and navigate with maps. Voice services (phone calls & SMSs) are not affected in the latest outage, say reports. BlackBerry Internet Service is a network-independent service; which means it doesn’t matter whether you’re on Verizon or AT&T – if BIS is down, it is down for users regardless of their carrier.
Difference between BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) and BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES)
If you have a BlackBerry, you can choose between two types of connectivity: BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) or a BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES). BIS is targeted at the individual user, while BES is meant for corporate usage. Individual buyers prefer BIS, while coporates usually hand out Blackberry handhelds for their employees with BES. While BlackBerry Internet Service offers data access and multiple email accounts, BlackBerry Enterprise server offers email syncing, more control for IT systems and more email accounts which can be configured on the handheld. BlackBerry Internet Service uses Research In Motion’s proprietary push technology for email. On the other hand, BlackBerry Enterprise Server links to mail software like Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino and Novell GroupWise on enterprise networks. BlackBerry Enterprise Server also includes BlackBerry Internet Service. A BlackBerry Internet Service user has full control over his handheld; while for a BlackBerry Enterprise Server user, it is not the case: His BlackBerry usage can be controlled or deactivated by his company’s systems administrator.
I am using my BlackBerry Internet Service in India. I have been in Mumbai and New Delhi in the last few days, but I haven’t experienced any BlackBerry data outage in either city. My friends using BlackBerrys in India have not been affected either. However, BlackBerry users in North America and Canada don’t sound amused.
Some users said that they were unable to open BlackBerry App World, where one can download third-party applications which can be used on BlackBerry handhelds.
Outages on the BlackBerry service are not uncommon. Sometimes, operators have planned outage of BlackBerry services, before which they inform their customers. Unplanned outages, when BlackBerry networks are down for an extended time happen too. As recently as April and September this year, BlackBerry users experienced data service outages in several parts of the world.
During data outages, data users are unable to use any data-dependent service on their handheld, and the smartphone becomes a dumb phone, capable of little more than voice service.