[hayden]

Bayalink Liberty has been designed from inception to be fully integrated to the Blackberry platform with convenience and security as primary foundations. Once configured, simply plug in the Liberty Key and launch the handheld software. The software communicates between your handheld and the Liberty key via Bluetooth technology giving you the features of your BlackBerry on a regular screen and keyboard.

Convenience:

• Send a message using Liberty, it gets sent from your BlackBerry
• Delete a message using Liberty, it gets deleted on your BlackBerry
• Mark a message read using Liberty, it gets marked read on your BlackBerry
• Request a webpage in IE or Firefox using Liberty and the BlackBerry fetches it for you
• Compose a lengthy email using Liberty or compose it with your thumbs, you choose
• Request an attachment, and it is downloaded for you

Security

• Bayalink Liberty requires that the Viewer be launched from the handheld; this ensures only authorized access to your handheld resources
• The Bluetooth link can be secured with the highest levels of encryption - AES - with our proprietary encryption services for enterprise customers
• No data is ever stored to the remote PC or laptop unless the user puts it there
• If you pull out the Liberty Key or walk out of Bluetooth range, Liberty detects something is not right and automatically closes the viewer
• Additional services can be provided to further lock down the Viewer to align with your enterprise architecture strategy for end user computing.

[Find out more]

Some Q&A's from a Bayalink representative:

Q: interesting. Does it work with MAC?
A: Not this release. Version 1.0 requires Windows 2000, XP or Vista

Q1.) So this enables me to control my BB from my desktop as far as email and exployer?
A1: Liberty transports the data back and forth between the handheld and the Laptop/PC. Data can be email data, webpage data, calendar data,or contact data

2.) The data sheet says "access to a virtual hot spot" what does that mean
A2: Assuming your BlackBerry has a data plan, you are essentially wearing an internet connection on your hip. Liberty allows you to launch IE or Firefox (shipped on the key) from your PC/Laptop and tunnel through the BlackBerry to the internet. Essentially your laptop/PC has a hotspot (meaning an internet connection)wherever you are if you have a radio signal on your BlackBerry.

3.) is this a way to use your BB as a teather modem then?
A3: No the Liberty architecture is completely different than a tethered modem. With Liberty your BlackBerry stays on and continues to function as a BlackBerry. For example your phone will ring and you can answer the phone while using Liberty. If you choose to tether your BlackBerry and use it as a modem it literally becomes a modem. Ie your phone will not ring while tethered.
Lastly using your BlackBerry as a tethered modem is costly. If you use tethered modem for email you are paying twice for every email. You are paying to have it come to your hip on your blackBerry and you are paying again to fetch the same email via vpn/outlook or webmail via tethered modem.

4.) there is a 99.00 yearly service fee. If the usb unit is the hardware what is the service fee for.
A4: The hardware is free and the software upgrades are free. The only charge is the $99.99 fee per year to use the service. After the end of the first years subscription you can choose to renew at the same price or discontinue the service.


Q:I like the the idea of the concept of typing long emails via my pc keyboard. In addition, I have to pay an additional 10.00 a month if I want to use my BB as a tether modem through Alltel. It sounds like this would be the same idea but wouldn't have to pay the fee.

I still don't understand though why there is a year fee when it is all ran through the usb device.

One would think if that if they are really going to sell this product and charge a yearly fee, they would offer a discount for the first year to help build a client base.

A: Our pricing model is designed to follow the carriers model. As the user here notes the carriers typically charge $10-$15 month. Liberty is about $8 per month. Also we plan 3-4 releases this year and with the subscription model all upgrades are no charge. I don’t want to be in a scenario where we sell a V1.0 and then 2 months later have a 1.1 and then charge the users for upgrades typically 15-25% of the purchase price. Liberty is targeted for people who consider the BlackBerry their primary email client (as opposed to outlook or webmail)

[yoyoboy]

interesting. Does it work with MAC?

[archer6]

Brilliant !

~ via Red BB 8310 Curve (wap.pinstack.com)~

[floridadomer]

I was going to reply to someone who must have already gotten taken off.

Ok, I have some questions....maybe I am slow but here it goes.

1.) So this enables me to control my BB from my desktop as far as email and exployer?
2.) The data sheet says "access to a virtual hot spot" what does that mean
3.) is this a way to use your BB as a teather modem then?
4.) there is a 99.00 yearly service fee. If the usb unit is the hardware what is the service fee for.

[thbassman]

Seems like a really kewl concept, but I too wonder what I am "subscribing" to?

[swamp_water]

I think it requires some further thought. Anyone have any idea how this service might be useful? I too question what the service fee is for?

[criminala]

i would also like to have more info about the concept .
We're mainly searching for a solution to use our blackberry as a tethred modem , since our provider (Proximus) doesn't have a username/password for us to "dial in" .

[sabregen]

don't we already have this capability through bluetooth sync capabilties, and Bluetooth PAM? what the hell is this useful for?

[jrusch]

It sounds somewhat useful for me. My carrier (US Cellular) doesn't allow tethering (it works but I'm not supposed to use it). This would be a great solution for when I need to access web pages that don't work on my BlackBerry (my online banking account, my work remote email, etc.).

I would be tempted if it was a one-time $100 cost, but I don't think it would be worth paying a yearly fee.

[floridadomer]

Originally Posted by sabregen

don't we already have this capability through bluetooth sync capabilties, and Bluetooth PAM? what the hell is this useful for?

I like the the idea of the concept of typing long emails via my pc keyboard. In addition, I have to pay an additional 10.00 a month if I want to use my BB as a tether modem through Alltel. It sounds like this would be the same idea but wouldn't have to pay the fee.

I still don't understand though why there is a year fee when it is all ran through the usb device.

One would think if that if they are really going to sell this product and charge a yearly fee, they would offer a discount for the first year to help build a client base.

[floridadomer]

I just emailed their sales and support and gave them the link to this thread and asked someone to answer our questions.

[justajason]

Originally Posted by floridadomer

I just emailed their sales and support and gave them the link to this thread and asked someone to answer our questions.

Good call! That was what I was going to do when I got home tonight.

[archer6]

Here is a excerpt I copied and pasted from their site:

Bayalink would like to introduce to you its flagship product Bayalink Liberty™.

Liberty will dramatically change the way people interact with their BlackBerry email. Liberty virtualizes the display of your BlackBerry to enable you to use a large screen and regular keyboard to interact with your BlackBerry.

Does this mean that I can leave my BB at home and never have to touch it again?

How sad......

[jsmall88]

Ok, I just emailed info@bayalink. I was asking about this subscription, they pretty much just said that yup there is one and its $99/year. Sounds like there hiding something/

[kane]

Originally Posted by floridadomer

I was going to reply to someone who must have already gotten taken off.

Ok, I have some questions....maybe I am slow but here it goes.

1.) So this enables me to control my BB from my desktop as far as email and exployer?
2.) The data sheet says "access to a virtual hot spot" what does that mean
3.) is this a way to use your BB as a teather modem then?
4.) there is a 99.00 yearly service fee. If the usb unit is the hardware what is the service fee for.

i was gonna post the same thing when it first came up but i was like naw i dont want to seem slow lol