BB – The all-rounder of business communication
BB is the abbreviation for Blackberry, which is a mobile device with extensive communication and organizer functions. The Blackberry combines all the features of common smartphones such as mail function, telephony, Short Message Service (SMS) and web browsing. In addition, the Blackberry contains typical functions of an organizer such as address book, to-do lists and calendar.
Email is the main form of modern business communication
BB is mainly used in the professional environment. The rapid spread of Blackberrys in the business world was helped by the fact that they are available worldwide without a contract and also work without problems in all networks. Many companies equip their employees with Blackberrys because they depend on fast communication and the rapid exchange of relevant information in real time to secure a competitive advantage over their rivals. Especially in e-commerce, fast responses are expected from employees and business partners. Since business communication is nowadays primarily handled by email, it is important for many companies that their employees are always available. If employees are away on a customer appointment or on a business trip, they are often unable to receive emails. Gaps in business communication can, in the worst case, result in the competitor being awarded a contract.
BB transmits data only in portions
Using a network connection established via GPRS/EDGE, UMTS or WLAN, for example, e-mails can be retrieved virtually anywhere. The Blackberry uses a push-forward system that forwards the email to the device in real time. As soon as the customer sends the email, an acoustic signal indicates that a new message has arrived. This can be retrieved immediately, even with attachments, and responded promptly. An enormous advantage of the BB is that data volumes to be transmitted are only sent to the end device in portions, in 2 kB-sized packets. Thus, the transmitted amount of data remains small and does not block the BB with the loading process.
Easy handling due to real hardware keyboard
Except for some touch screen variants, the Blackberry usually has a real hardware keyboard, on which emails can be written significantly faster and without annoying typos. This is precisely why companies have long relied on Blackberrys; they enable immediate e-mail communication on the go. In addition, various other file formats such as Microsoft, PowerPoint, etc. can be opened and edited with a BB. Despite the pocket format, email content is displayed in an easily recognizable manner.
Smartphones have reduced BB penetration
The Blackberry, as well as the client-server architecture necessary for its function, was developed by the Canadian company Research In Motion (RIM) and was considered a pioneer in mobile communication for a long time. However, the advent of smartphones caused the company’s sales to decline. Currently, the company is trying to make its devices attractive for the market again through various measures.
