BlackBerry Internet Service
Encyclopedia
The BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS)
is a service that provides BlackBerry
smartphone users with access to Internet browsing, allows email messaging, instant messaging
using the BlackBerry Messenger
service, and more.
The service also allows
users to access POP3, IMAP, and Outlook Web App (not via Exchange ActiveSync
) email accounts without connecting through a BlackBerry Enterprise Server
(BES). The service is usually provisioned through a mobile phone service provider, though Research In Motion
(RIM) (BlackBerry's developer) actually runs the service. This service uses RIM's proprietary push technology (in contrast with SyncML
-based push technologies such as Funambol
) to the BlackBerry devices over cellular carriers. BIS retrieves email from mail servers by polling
a POP3 or IMAP server and offers additional synchronization capabilities, such as calendars or contacts for some webmail providers.
, affecting millions of users. There was another outage just the next day. By October 12, 2011, the Blackberry Internet Service went down in North America.
Research in Motion
has been attributing data overload due to switch failures in their two data centres in Waterloo
in Canada
and Slough
in England
as the cause of the service disruptions.
is a service that provides BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
smartphone users with access to Internet browsing, allows email messaging, instant messaging
Instant messaging
Instant Messaging is a form of real-time direct text-based chatting communication in push mode between two or more people using personal computers or other devices, along with shared clients. The user's text is conveyed over a network, such as the Internet...
using the BlackBerry Messenger
Blackberry Messenger
BlackBerry Messenger is a proprietary Internet-based instant messenger application included on BlackBerry devices which allows messaging between BlackBerry users.It was developed by Research In Motion , maker of the BlackBerry device...
service, and more.
The service also allows
users to access POP3, IMAP, and Outlook Web App (not via Exchange ActiveSync
Exchange ActiveSync
Exchange ActiveSync is an XML-based protocol that communicates over HTTP designed for the synchronization of email, contacts, calendar, tasks and notes from a messaging server to a mobile device...
) email accounts without connecting through a BlackBerry Enterprise Server
BlackBerry Enterprise Server
BlackBerry Enterprise Server designates the middleware software package that is part of the BlackBerry wireless platform supplied by Research In Motion...
(BES). The service is usually provisioned through a mobile phone service provider, though Research In Motion
Research In Motion
Research In Motion Limited or RIM is a Canadian multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada that designs, manufactures and markets wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market...
(RIM) (BlackBerry's developer) actually runs the service. This service uses RIM's proprietary push technology (in contrast with SyncML
SyncML
SyncML is the former name for a platform-independent information synchronization standard. The project is currently referred to as Open Mobile Alliance Data Synchronization and Device Management...
-based push technologies such as Funambol
Funambol
Funambol is an American corporation that earns revenue from its dual-licensing business model that includes commercial software and free open source mobile data synchronization software based on the Funambol core project.-Funambol-based companies:...
) to the BlackBerry devices over cellular carriers. BIS retrieves email from mail servers by polling
Polling (computer science)
Polling, or polled operation, in computer science, refers to actively sampling the status of an external device by a client program as a synchronous activity. Polling is most often used in terms of input/output , and is also referred to as polled or software driven .Polling is sometimes used...
a POP3 or IMAP server and offers additional synchronization capabilities, such as calendars or contacts for some webmail providers.
Outages
At 2011-10-10 10:00 UTC there was an outage in Europe, the Middle East and AfricaEurope, the Middle East and Africa
Europe, the Middle East and Africa, usually abbreviated to EMEA, is a regional designation used for government, marketing and business purposes...
, affecting millions of users. There was another outage just the next day. By October 12, 2011, the Blackberry Internet Service went down in North America.
Research in Motion
Research In Motion
Research In Motion Limited or RIM is a Canadian multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada that designs, manufactures and markets wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market...
has been attributing data overload due to switch failures in their two data centres in Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario
Waterloo is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is the smallest of the three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, and is adjacent to the city of Kitchener....
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Slough
Slough
Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
as the cause of the service disruptions.