Blackberry Frequently Asked Questions
General Service Questions
1. How do I get a Blackberry?
WVU faculty and staff should contact their Expert Business Office. Students
should contact AT&T directly. WVU’s representative with AT&T is April Beard, April.Beard@dobson.net or AT&T National Business Services (800) 999-5445. She can assist you in explaining the different services, plans, and devices, as well as have it configured for your WVU GroupWise account and provide training upon delivery. Blackberry contracts are handled in the same manner as department-funded cellular phones. For more information on the WVU/AT&T contract, see the Division of Finance's AT&T Contract information page.
2. My account is on the Health Sciences GroupWise system. Will it work with a Blackberry?
UPDATE: As of late September Health Science will be deploying their own Blackberry Enterprise System that will enable HSC users to access their GroupWise accounts on Blackberry devices. For more information on this, contact April at AT&T or the HSC Help Desk, 293-3631.
3. I have a Blackberry contract with another vendor other than AT&T. Can I connect it to the BES system?
No, due to contract restrictions, only Blackberry devices obtained from AT&T can be connected to the BES system.
4. Can I pop my GroupWise email on my Blackberry or GSM phone without going through BES?
While our GroupWise system is configured to allow popping or IMAP configurations, these two configurations are not supported by OIT.
5. How often is my Blackberry synchronized with my GroupWise account?
Your Blackberry checks for new items on the BES system approximately every five minutes. You may notice that some items are received sooner, or slightly longer than that average refresh rate.
Blackberry Application Questions
1. What applications that run on the Blackberry does OIT support?
Currently, OIT only supports GroupWise email and calendar.
2. If I delete an email from my Blackberry, will it be deleted from my GroupWise account?
By default, email deleted from your Blackberry should not be deleted from your GroupWise account. The following steps will allow you to check or modify this setting: While looking at your list of messages, press the scroll wheel. Scroll down and choose Options, and then choose Email Reconciliation. With “Delete On” selected, press the scroll wheel and choose Change Option. Scroll and select “Mailbox and Handheld” and then click the back button (button under the scroll wheel). When prompted, choose to save the changes.
3. Will sent email and appointments sent from my Blackberry show up in my Sent Items folder in my GroupWise client?
Yes. This will allow you to keep track of all sent items in your client's Sent Items folder, no matter if you have sent the item from the Blackberry or using the client. All items sent from your Blackberry will show up in your message list, as a way to confirm what you have sent from the device. You will also notice, as a default setting, that sent items from your desktop will show up in your Blackberry inbox. This can make for unwanted clutter on your Blackberry, so if you wish not to see these items, you can make a simple setting change. Open the Messages icon on your Blackberry and click the scroll wheel and select Options. Highlight Email Settings and click on the scroll wheel and select Folder Redirection. Click the + symbol next to your mailbox name to expand your folder list and uncheck the box next to Sent Items.
4. Upon initial setup, how many email and appointments from my GroupWise account will show up on my Blackberry?
Only email received after your Blackberry device is configured will show up on your Blackberry. However, all calendar items will be available at the time of initial configuration.
5. Will I be able to access my GroupWise address books?
Users will be able to search their GroupWise System Address Book on their Blackberry devices. Here is how to search for contacts: Open the Address Book on the Blackberry. Click the scroll wheel button and select Options. Change Sort by option to Last Name and Save the change. Close that screen. Now, back on the main address book screen, in the Find field, type in the last name of a WVU user and it will bring up all matching entries. For example, Baker brings up 14 matches. You then select which one you would like to contact.
You can also request to have a personal address book displayed on a Blackberry device. You can choose one of your personal address book to have synchronized to your Blackberry. Please note that this cannot be the Novell GroupWise Address Book and we do not recommend using the Frequent Contacts Address Book as it changes very frequently. You will continue to be able to search the Novell GroupWise Address Book as you do now. To request a personal address book to be synchronized with your Blackberry, contact Cellular One. They will need to know the name of the address book that you would like to view on your Blackberry.
6. I checked my email on my Blackberry this morning, and I have some email that was sent yesterday showing up as it was sent today.
What happened?
If you turn off your Blackberry device, email that is passed from GroupWise to the BES system will be held, and "delivered" to the Blackberry when it is turned on again. There are two workarounds that will solve this. First, you can leave the Blackberry device on 24 hours a day. Second, you can set the Blackberry to power off late at night, and power up early in the morning, essentially powering off the device during times you are less likely to receive the majority of your email.
7. Can I password-protect my Blackberry? What other security procedures are in place?
Yes, the device can be password protected as well as the ability to apply other security features. On the main Blackberry screen, select the Options icon (looks like a wrench) and select Security from the list of options. If you forget your password, call CellularOne for assistance. If your Blackberry device is lost or stolen, contact the OIT Help Desk immediately. Your device can be locked remotely.
8. Do I need to install the Blackberry Desktop software from the cd that came with my device?
No. It is not necessary to install and run the Blackberry Desktop software to enable synchronization with your GroupWise account. OIT does not recommend the use of this software. There have been instances where using the desktop software has inhibited access to GroupWise email. Documentation for your specific device can be found on this page on RIM's site.
Updated June 4, 2008