BlackBerry to get fully juiced Google Apps

In a bid to make its online Google Apps more appealing to corporate customers, Google plans to release software in July to make its email and calendar services work well on BlackBerry mobile phones.

Today, corporate users can set up BlackBerry devices to check mail from Google's Gmail service, a part of Google Apps, but it works only in relatively basic form. With a new product called Google Apps Connector for Blackberry Enterprise Server, the company is adding much tighter integration with RIM's BlackBerry technology.

Specifically, it synchronises mail so a message marked as 'read' on the BlackBerry will show that way on Gmail, and vice-versa, said Raju Gulabani, project management director for Google Apps. It also means people will be able to star, archive and file messages in folders in either location.

In addition, people's BlackBerrys will be able to tap into corporate contact information, letting people use the device to retrieve email addresses or phone numbers from the company directory. And calendar entries will be pushed to the device - though people won't be able to accept event invitations with the device until an update to the software is issued later this year, he said.

"In terms of the features we're delivering, [it's] not just nice to have, it's pretty critical," Gulabani said, because it means Google Apps users will get the full BlackBerry experience.

One reason for the change is because Google wants to make it easier for companies to switch from their own email, contacts, and calendar systems - Microsoft Exchange being the most prominent example - to the Google-hosted replacement. "We want to make that change easier, and make it easier to deploy Google apps. One way is by giving them existing interfaces", so they don't have to use Google-specific software such as the downloadable Gmail for Mobile application for BlackBerry devices, he said.

Google Apps consists of a number of online services: email, calendar and the Google Docs suite for word processing, spreadsheets, forms and presentations. Google Apps Standard Edition is free but limited to customers with 50 or fewer accounts; the Premier Edition costs $50 per user per year but doesn't have those limits. Google also offers a free version for customers in education that doesn't have any user limits.

The BlackBerry connector software comes free with the Premier or Education editions, Gulabani said.

Original article: BlackBerry gets full-fledged Google Apps support from CNET News.com