Software developer Bayalink Solutions recently announced the general availability of Bayalink Liberty, a virtualization solution for BlackBerry smartphones from Research In Motion (RIM). Liberty is a Bluetooth-enabled USB key enabling you to view RIM smartphone applications and documents on a PC screen and type with a full-size keyboard.
Once the necessary software is installed, Liberty allows you to access your BlackBerry mailbox and other applications like contacts and calendar information—in their native formats—and both Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers on a much larger screen, as well as type messages or commands using a normal sized keyboard. The Liberty key uses the BlackBerry data connection to access e-mail and the Web, so users can connect via most Windows-based PCs with USB ports, regardless of whether or not they’re in range of a LAN or Wi-Fi network. That means enterprise BlackBerry users who access the Internet through BES servers and connect to corporate systems via Virtual Private Networks don’t need to mess with any special VPN software when connecting with their laptops.
You can watch a demo here.
The hardware + software kit doesn’t exactly come cheap: ordering makes you $ 99 lighter, renewable at the same price every year, although the relatively high pricing isn’t likely to stop enterprise users from purchasing the handy utility. Unfortunately, Bayalink Liberty only works with PCs running Windows 2000/XP/Vista, so Mac or Linux users are out of luck for the time being. Furthermore, the software is only available for BlackBerry 8700 series devices with OS 4.2.1.101 or higher; BlackBerry Pearls; BlackBerry Curves; and BlackBerry 8830 World Edition smartphones.
[Source: Advice CIO]
Liberty uses BlackBerry’s internet connection rather than the PC, so any emails that send are sent via your BlackBerry, on any WebPages requested are fetched through the phone. It’s has an Security issues: the view has to be launched from the BlackBerry, to prevent roving Bluetooth users from stealing your data, and the data can be encrypted with AES to evade snoops. Nice working device for BlackBerry to PC data transfer and in fact very handy.
This leaves the Retired, Disabled, and Vets on limited incomes out in the cold. The disabled often have more need of organizational tools than business people and more difficulty using impossibly small keyboards. RIM is selling Blackberry’s to students and general public but only caring about Big Business’s deep pockets