Posted on May 5, 2009, at 8:42 am .
As we have said before, WES 2009 is not the place for device launches. As much as we wanted to see the BlackBerry Niagara launch, this conference is not about hardware. The major news is BES 5.0, security updates, an alliance with HP as well as the release of RIM’s push API’s to developers.
As Mike Lazaridis took the stage, part of me was hoping that he would talk hardware for just a moment but it wasn’t going to happen. Mike took us through some figures, reflecting on the success of the BlackBerry over the past 10 years. Some measures of success include:
- 10 years of BlackBerry sales.
- 50 million sold, 26 million in this fiscal year alone.
- The BlackBerry has become “mission critical.”
Mike Lazaridis focused his keynote on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 5.0. The latest updates to BES help organizations make push services work for them more efficiently, and ultimately save organizations costs.
The part I enjoyed most about Mike’s keynote was when he quoted Rove’s ELLB movement almost verbatim. At one point Mike Lazaridis said, “what if you could leave your laptop behind?” This idea truly embodies the direction and vision at RIM. Your mobile device is become so feature rich and powerful, that eventually your laptop will become obsolete.
Mike Lazaridis’ favorite development at RIM? App World. Mike talked about how he started his career as a developer, and the development community is what makes this device so robust. App World is helping developers make more money for their work, and get their apps in front of millions of potential buyers. App World also fosters competition, encouraging developers to make better and cheaper applications.
WES has some great news for developers and enterprise but this conference has moved away from the consumer space. Perhaps device launches are going to be left in the hands of carriers.
Posted on May 4, 2009, at 10:31 am .
First thing you should know: don’t expect any hardware announcements at WES. The show is more centered around BES announcements as well as giving international press a chance to see the inner workings of their MVS, push API and systems that BlackBerry Cool readers are already very familiar with. That being said, the show will still feature some great announcements on the software side including a fairly big announcement from Google (NDA lifts at 17:30 EST).
Click through to read a roundup of announcements at WES 2009
Posted on May 1, 2009, at 7:32 am .
vPost by Vayyoo has become a great tool for covering conferences. Even RIM used the tool internally to cover the BlackBerry Developer Conference.
That’s why we’re working with them to bring you the highlights for WES 2009.
Follow our Twitter account:
Twitter.com/bestofwes2009
Also, you’re going to be at WES 2009, leave your Twitter name in the comments section and we’ll follow you back.
The idea is that each company does their pitch to the feed, and we vote on them. Companies can use vPost to send in their pitch themselves, or individuals can record them on their own device.
To contribute a pitch, download a copy of vPost for your device.
Send your vPosts to:
post@wes2009.posterous.com
Hope you can make it out this year to see what’s in store for BlackBerry.
Posted on April 29, 2009, at 9:43 am .
We’re fast approaching WES 2009 and this year BoxTone is having a daily draw of laser etched BlackBerry cases by Coveroo. To win, you just have to follow @BoxTone_Lounge on Twitter and you might get randomly selected.
Once 1,000 Twits are following The Lounge, a random winner will be selected for a special prize.
Hope you win!
Join the BoxTone Lounge on Facebook.
Follow @BoxTone_Lounge on Twitter for your chance to win!
Follow BlackBerryCool on Twitter and join the discussion.
[Via]
Posted on April 23, 2009, at 8:13 am .
Photo courtesy of BoxTone.
BoxTone will be hosting some great content at WES from their event The Lounge, sponsored by BoxTone. The Lounge will feature a variety of discussions during what they call the Birds of a Feather. Everyone is invited to stop by and hang out in The Lounge. We’ll be podcasting from The Lounge so you can also come meet BlackBerry Cool there. Check out some of the topics being discussed:
- The In’s and Out’s of Managing > 3,000 Smartphones
- Tweaking the BES Performance
- Controlling IT Policies
- Terms of Use & Employee Owned Devices
- Migrating to BES 5.0
BoxTone will also be hosting a panel entitled, “Media Predictions: Top 3 Predictions in Next 3 years.” I’ll be presenting at this panel and although it’s not available to the general public, everything will be taped and made public soon after.
Posted on April 20, 2009, at 12:52 pm .
From May 5th to May 7th, WES 2009 is shaping up to be a great conference. There have been rumors about a new BlackBerry device as well as a demo of the first 4G BlackBerry. With over 125 sessions going on, including 23 on the subject of BES 5, there will be a ton of content on the site.
Here’s just a sampling from the more than 125 sessions that will be offered this year:
- Customer Panel – An Inside Look at BlackBerry® Enterprise Server version 5.0
- Best Practices for Measuring Your BlackBerry Enterprise Server Performance
- Is Unified Communications and Fixed-Mobile Convergence Right for You?
- High Availability for the BlackBerry Enterprise Server – Up Close and Interactive
- Who’s Who? Classifying Your Employees’ Mobile Requirements
- Mobile ROI: The Trends, Facts and Fiction
- Modern Healthcare and Mobility
- Coding Shortcuts: Custom Application Development for Multiple BlackBerry® Operating Systems
Looking to get coverage of your company at WES? Email me and we’ll book a convenient time. kyle [at] blackberrycool [dot] com.
Posted on January 30, 2009, at 12:23 pm .
2009 is barely out of swaddling clothes, but it’s already time to talk about WES 2009, which takes place in sunny Orlando, Florida, from May 5th to 7th. Maybe that’s because WES 2008 was such a great show, with tonnes of people, energy and enthusiasm. Our friends in Waterloo are already banging the drum for registrations, and while I would normally ignore such requests until the last possible minute (no offense meant guys, I also have this mindset with movie rentals and filing taxes), RIM has sweetened the pot with a fairly hefty discount. If you register for WES 2009 before March 6th, you can save $400, not exactly chump change in these troubling times. We’ve included the WES registration link below, as well as links for hotel registration and a list of keynote speakers (Mikey L. and Malcolm Gladwell, yes!). See you at WES 2009!
WES 2009 Registration Page
WES 2009 Hotel Registration Page
WES 2009 Keynote Speakers List
Posted on November 26, 2008, at 12:35 pm .
While some may balk at thinking about WES 2009 before we’ve even reached December 2008, those people probably do not realize that WES is where the BlackBerry ecosystem gets its bread buttered. Besides, the early bird gets the BlackBerry, as the story goes.
RIM has posted a WES 2009 PDF e-brochure and budget planning tool at www.attendwes.com that outlines the costs of attending WES. More than a price pitch, the PDF is a useful tool to help plan for the total cost of attending WES, including registration fees and estimates for flights and hotel costs.
Registration for WES opens February 2nd, 2009. You must remember to register by March 6, 2009 to receive the Early Bird $400 discount! While you’re at it, you may as well sign up to be notified of the latest WES 2009 announcements. See you at WES 2009!
WES 2009 Sponsorship Prospectus
WES 2009 Budget Planning Tool
WES 2009 e-Brochure
|via BerryReview|
