RIM Updates BlackBerry Server, Media Software

Research In Motion released software updates to help BlackBerry users work and play.

The company made available Monday the BlackBerry Enterprise Server SP1, and it adds multiple enhancements for companies using RIM's corporate mail deployment. The update, which is compatible with Microsoft's Exchange and IBM's Lotus Notes, boosts the IT department's ability to manage devices by adding new administrative permissions, supporting Lotus Notes ID vault, and improving the BlackBerry Administration Service by adding more options.

The BlackBerry Monitoring Service has also been improved, and the home page now features performance data, statistics, and graphs. BES administrators can also view deeper configuration data like transaction logs and index fragmentation, as well as use the database components to manage data attributes.

On the end-user side, the BES update gives BlackBerry users the ability to view BlackBerry Monitoring Service alarms, messages, and statuses from the handset. The update also improves the calendar syncing by correcting inconsistencies between the handset and the smartphone.

The company also released the 3.0 version of its Media Sync software, which enables BlackBerry users to manage and import multimedia files to their handsets. The most noticeable new feature is an overhauled user interface which RIM said is aimed at making syncing quicker and simpler. The 3.0 version also enables users to sync images, and memory management software will automatically reduce the size of large photos to let users hold more photos on their devices. As with previous versions, the software integrates with Apple's iTunes to manage and sync unprotected music files and playlists with the handset.

IT departments can download the latest BES software from RIM's Web site, and the 3.0 version of Media Sync can be downloaded here.