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If your small business has its employees use BlackBerry devices, you’ll need to set it up with a BlackBerry Enterprise Server. This is a software package — middleware, for the more tech savvy — that links the company’s server software to the wireless BlackBerry devices. This allows the syncing of personal information manager (PIM) software between desktop and mobile software. PIM data includes e-mail, calendar, contacts, tasks, notes, instant messaging, and web-based applications. Therefore, it is an essential element for companies heavily reliant on BlackBerries for information and communication.

Businesses with an in-house IT department and who host their e-mail on-site may not find much trouble setting up a BlackBerry Enterprise Server. It is compatible with Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino, and Novell GroupWise, which covers most in-house servers. This is why there are many proponents of e-mail insourcing. It may cost more money up front, but it doesn’t incur the perpetual monthly charge — plus overtime — of having hosted servers.

But what if your company outsources it’s e-mail and IT resources? It is becoming an increasingly popular trend these days — when a company like Google is jumping into the fray, you know something’s up. Outsourcing the work means one less thing for the company to worry about and pay overtime for. In fact, some are even speculating that “90 percent of the businesses currently insourcing their email can’t legitimately justify the practice.”

So if you’re one of the many businesses that outsources its e-mail, how do you go about having that system synced up with your company’s BlackBerries? Well, you’d better hope that your host uses a Hosted BlackBerry Enterprise Server. If so, you’re in business. If not, well, they’re going to have to get with the times. With all of the businesses turning wireless nowadays, they’re surely losing out on tons of business — including yours.

How do you know which hosts utilize a Hosted BlackBerry Enterprise Server? Just take a look through our list, of course.

Exchange My Mail (exchangemymail.com)
USA.NET (usa.net)
Pacific Coast Information Systems (pcis.com)
Link2Exchange (link2exchange.com)
CityNet Computing (citynt.com)
MailStreet (mailstreet.com)
eOutlook (eoutlook.com)
Lanlogic (lanlogic.net)
Mi8 Hosted Exchange (mi8.com)
Intermedia (intermedia.net)
Prominic.net (prominic.net)
Host My Site (hostmysite.com)
123 Together (123together.com)
USA Mobility (usamobility.com)
Hostway (hostway.com)
Hewlett-Packard (hp.com)
MS Exchange (msexchange.org)
Alentus (alentus.com)
Mistral Internet (mistral.net)

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