No matter when I was in business traveling in the remote areas of Indonesia’s Southeast Sulawesi like now, I could still follow the latest news from around the world. No matter that you will find harder to read national newspaper or Internet connection here, you don’t need to miss any news or just replying your business emails.

Thanks to the BlackBerry, this handheld device could always connect me to the real-time news and helped me to handle some business correspondences.

As long as you find the GSM/GPRS connection (your device even don’t need strong signal!) and already subscribed to BlackBerry Internet Service account, you will keep updated. Thanks to XL’s GPRS connection, I could follow the latest news in the U.S. elections, for instance, as well as other my favorite news like technology business and industry issues in my BlackBerry Curve 8310.

If you are a frequently business traveler or mobile professional, you might consider using the BlackBerry. Introduced by Canadian company Research in Motion (RIM) in 1999, this wireless handheld offered push-mail services as well as Internet browsing, chatting and other wireless needs.

You can count on this gadget become your mobile email. Since this service powered by its own-centralized server and joined local operators to deliver it, you can send and receive email as easy as you send and receive SMS (short message service). Oh dear, it’s done seamlessly!

I will tell you why I prefer using this device to fuel my productivity. BlackBerry has a unique feature that any other gadgets have not: the BlackBerry Messenger. It looks like the similar chatting services Yahoo Messenger or Google Talks, but it’s more private and secure. You can add you friends to your buddy list as long as they also have their own BlackBerry and have their own PINs. Yes, this application doesn’t ask your username but require PINs to start chatting with your friends.

Another coolest feature you will love in the BlackBerry is RSS (really simple syndication) reader (you can receive the real-time news you already subscribed in the plain text format). I am using Viigo, free-software that I downloaded through BlackBerry, and I think it’s really a cool stuff to follow the latest news around the globe. That’s why I never missed news I wanted.

In addition to this, I am getting more convenient using social-networking tool like FaceBook since I have a BlackBerry in my pocket. Connect to Facebook become easier by using this device. Typically, I logged-in into my Facebook account once a week in my PC, but now I can always connected to other Facebookers.

And last but not least, you can blog anytime and anywhere by using this handheld. Since all blog engines now also offer updating options by sending new post through email, yes, you can blog by your BlackBerry easily.

Actually, the BlackBerry is nothing new in Indonesia’s mobile industry. It has been introduced by Indosat almost three years ago, two other biggest operators Telkomsel and Excelcom also followed to launch this service. Except Telkomsel, both Indosat and Excelcom have launched personal or retail account as well as corporate account.

By subscribe to personal account, you can easily use your personal email like Yahoo, Gmail or Hotmail in your BlackBerry as well as your corporate email. (Two or three years ago, you just could use you corporate email, meaning that your company should have mail server as required by this service. Too complicated — that’s why I was not interested in using it at that time.)

There are many gadgets and smart-phones now, but you can choose based on your need and your business nature. If you are a mobile professional – also known as “road warrior” – you might consider this BlackBerry handheld and service as one of your choices. You can boost your productivity on the move. But if you are an entertainment-savvy or multimedia lover, maybe BlackBerry is not for you.

However, technology is not the matter of technology itself, but the matter of your need.

Welcome to the BlackBerry world!

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 Print Posted by Budi Putra on March 17th, 2008