I was told that in order for my blackberry app to connect to my service (a server) it needs to be done over BIS. Otherwise it will not work with a large number of bb users as they actually have a "data plan", they just have a BIS plan. And for them to connect to my service, I have to pay for the expensive alliance program. Is this true? Can anyone clarify?
+1
A:
It depends what region you're supporting. For the North American carriers, most support Direct TCP and some support WAP2. If using Direct TCP, it should work quite easily over CDMA but for GSM carriers you will need to specify an APN in the URL because many people do not have the APN configured in their device.
Marc Novakowski
2010-06-16 22:29:47
Jonathan
2010-06-16 23:01:55
CDMA networks do not require an APN, so you never have to worry about it. GSM networks do require it. Some carriers set the APN in the device from the factory, and some do not. Even those that do set it don't do it consistently, so it's not something you can count on.Believe me, APN issues are the #1 support issue for any BlackBerry application that uses Direct TCP. If you plan on deploying and supporting your app for a large audience, it may be worth your while to look into BIS.I forgot to mention, Wi-Fi is also an option for those devices that support it (assuming they are connected)
Marc Novakowski
2010-06-16 23:43:44
@Marc you seem very knowledgeable can I ask you, is it true that there is a large number of users in certain region where Direct TCP connections are just not possible because users only have a "BIS plan"? Is this is true, how do they use apps? No apps would be able to communicate on the internet (if the developer does not pay the alliance)
erotsppa
2010-06-17 05:18:35
Marc Novakowski
2010-06-17 05:30:10
A:
FYI: you can make BB network client forcibly bypass BIS/BES. I'm not sure about other protocols (and raw sockets as well), but for HTTP simply place ";DeviceSide=true" at the end of the URL.
That, by the way, is the reason why older BlackBerries would come with two different browsers - "Internet Browser" and "BlackBerry browser". The latter would go through the proxy, the former would work directly (i. e. in device-side mode).
Seva Alekseyev
2010-06-27 23:05:24