If you click on that link, you'll see a pretty simple page.  I like that.  Any major version number usually brings with it some important new features, but then you get crazy amounts of marketing hype.  Not so here.  RIM is being very focused - almost -like when it focuses on:

• Easier IT Management and Administration
• Maximize Uptime

Now sure, there are other messages that expand beyond these two themes, but it's pretty clear how they are going about showing the value of the new upgrade.  But I still ask myself what RIM is as a company.  Is it a device company?  Is it in the push email business?  Is it in mobile device management?  What about the new AppStore that was launched at CTIA?

My sense is that RIM got out of the push email business some time ago.  You're gonna think I'm on crack right?  I'm actually not.  What is the value-add that RIM provides now in the world of push email when you can get it natively in Exchange?  I know there are advantages that come from the NOC (there's another acronym for you!), but that's more about bandwidth for the carrier.  Yes, the NOC also means are incredibly secure with S/MIME, but most people are perfectly content with the security you can get via ActiveSync.  For most enterprises, I don't think that's where the value is.

RIM provides value, in my opinion, to the enterprise in two places:

• The boardroom - executives LOVE their BlackBerries.  They love their CrackBerries.
• The IT department - the BES is an amazing mobile device management console.

So let me quickly talk about point #1.  I spoke about the Bold a while back - amazingly impressive hardware specs.  I'm not a huge fan of the user experience, but I haven't actually used a Bold for more than a few minutes at a time to speak intelligently about it.  I played with a Storm for a brief while, and just could not get used to its touchscreen.  But regardless of my personal opinion, people love their BlackBerries - there's no doubt about that!

But let's talk more about #2.  The BES has over 400 policies available to the IT administrator - more like 450 actually. 450!  This provides the IT administrator tremendous flexibility (perhaps too much?) in terms of how s/he can control the mobile devices and how they are touching other IT infrastructure.  If you read this blog with any frequency or regularity, you know how important I consider mobile device management, especially as it plays in the grander context of enterprise mobility management.  It also provides you baseline mobile application management - meaning you can install and remove applications on various devices as needed.  Very good stuff indeed.  The BES does however have one major limitation.  It only works with BlackBerries.

I know, DUH.  But this is a huge problem in my opinion, because few organizations have a homogeneous environment.  Sure, there will be a platform that holds a majority in any company, but it's almost never 100%.  I said almost.  So just because of that, IT departments need solutions that can support multiple platforms from one platform.  This is why I like companies like Sybase, Tangoe (Internoded) and Trust Digital - don't yell at me if you're not on this list....it's not meant to be exhaustive.  But back to the BES.  It has the same fundamental problem as SCMDM from Microsoft - it only works on one platform.  What if these two competing platforms took the extra jump and offered support for other platforms?  What if I could manage my BlackBerries from the System Center console or my Windows Mobile devices from the BlackBerry (Web) Desktop Manager.

That would stir up the pot.  I doubt that will ever really happen, though.  What do you think?