The Blackberry Web Desktop Manager is a free download from the Blackberry web site and is a bolt-on to the Blackberry Enterprise Server enabling users to manage their handhelds via a web interface without the administrator needing to get involved.
Version 4.0 SP6 or later of the BES software is required, but it can also be used with the BES Express and Blackberry Professional Software versions. It has actually been available for a while now, but somehow slipped under my radar.
The installation process is straightforward and installs two additional services to the BES Server:
Blackberry Administrative Service - AS
Blackberry Administrative Service - NCC
The installation process does require that you configure an LDAP authentication source for connecting to the Exchange Server, but detailed information is included in the accompanying PDF installation guide.
Once installed, users can access the web interface by browsing to:
https://<BES_Server_Name>/webdesktop/login
NOTE - Internet Explorer 5.5 or later is required, Firefox is not supported. For users to access this web interface externally, the BES will need to be assigned a public IP address and port 443 opened on the firewall. The Administration Services can be installed on a machine other than the BES if external access directly to the BES itself is not permitted.
The initial web interface prompts the user to log in using their Active Directory domain credentials:
When logging in for the first time, the browser will require that some ActiveX controls are installed, select the option to install them.
Once logged in, the following screen will be displayed:
The web interface allows users to activate and deactivate their own handhelds, setting their own activation passwords.
Users can also install, update or remove applications on the handheld.
Email filters can be applied, governing what mails are pushed to the handheld.
The entire data held on the device can also be backed up to the server and restored at a later date by the user via the web interface, or an automatic scheduled backup can be configured.
Finally, users can also edit the default signature via the web interface, rather than having to do it on the device.
This web interface approach is a precursor to the release of BES 5 which will provide full administrator access to the Blackberry Server via a web interface rather than via a WIN32 console application, and also removes the need for users to install the Blackberry Desktop Software on their PCs which is a major plus for network administrators.
BES 5.0 is slated for release in Q4 2008 (it has already slipped a few times), so watch this space for more information.