- home
- reviews
- news
- downloads
- cnet tv
On MovieTome: Leaked images from TRANSFORMERS 2?
- log in
- join CNET
- welcome,
- my profile
- log out

Electronics & Computers Deals here!

April 18, 2007 6:30 AM PDT

BlackBerry e-mail is back, but problems remain

By Caroline McCarthy
Staff Writer, CNET News
Last modified: April 18, 2007 7:24 AM PDT

Print
E-mail
Share

BlackBerry e-mail is back, but problems remain

Related Stories: Ocean smart phone could broaden Helio's appeal
March 27, 2007; Motion sensing comes to mobile phones
March 23, 2007; Everything's coming up rosy for AT&T smart phones
March 12, 2007; Cisco takes communications software mobile
March 5, 2007; BlackBerry 8800 makes its debut
February 12, 2007; BlackBerry Pearl now in white
January 16, 2007; BlackBerry betting to catch on in a New York minute?
January 12, 2007

Research In Motion is grappling with a widespread system failure that left the network for its BlackBerry devices in the Western Hemisphere unable to handle e-mails.

"A service interruption occurred Tuesday night that affected BlackBerry in North America," according to a statement from RIM. "E-mail delivery was delayed or intermittent during the service interruption. Phone service on BlackBerry handsets was unaffected."

According to an automated message on RIM's customer service hotline, the company is "experiencing technical difficulties with our BlackBerry service that may cause delays in sending or receiving messages."

This is likely due to a backlog of e-mails stemming from the service outage, which was first reported on the New York metro news site WNBC.com. The outage is believed to have originated around 5 p.m. PDT on Tuesday. WNBC then reported that service was resumed around 4 a.m. Wednesday but that problems with a backlog of data were likely.

"Root cause is currently under review," RIM said in its statement, "but service for most customers was restored overnight, and RIM is closely monitoring systems in order to maintain normal service levels."

(Editors' note: For a later, more in-depth look at the underlying technical and business issues, see this story: "BlackBerry outage: RIM a victim of its own success?)

Because the problem concerns the BlackBerry network, all cellular carriers that support BlackBerry devices have been affected, though it is believed that they were still able to make regular cellular calls through their carriers.

But on the BlackBerryForums.com discussion site, some members also indicated that they could not access Internet-browsing features in addition to e-mail.

RIM initially acknowledged the problem through a recorded message that is played when calls are placed to the BlackBerry customer service hotline, stating that the company is "currently experiencing a service interruption that is causing delays in sending or receiving messages."

No further updates have been provided, and no time frame has been given for dealing with the problem, but the automated message assured concerned callers that they would be kept in the loop.

See more CNET content tagged:
Research In Motion Ltd., service interruption, RIM BlackBerry, BlackBerry E-Mail, customer service

Add a Comment (Log in or register) 28 comments

Turbo tax spillover...
by Kings X Rocks! April 18, 2007 4:05 AM PDT: just another reason to revamp the tax laws!!; Reply to this comment

American Idol voting?
by jfalkingham April 18, 2007 5:17 AM PDT: funny how it went down shortly after american idol voting began LOL :-); Reply to this comment

Updates
by taygo14 April 18, 2007 6:19 AM PDT: For updates on the Blackberry outage, visit: www.fiscaltimes.com; Reply to this comment

The weakness of the RIM solution
by Lindy01 April 18, 2007 6:30 AM PDT: Everything must go through them. If you are using Exchange WM5 are much better since they use multiple cell providers. Its pretty much a straight shot from you device to your Exchange server.; Reply to this comment

Why is RIM even in the picture?

by mike.gw April 18, 2007 6:51 AM PDT

If I have a local BES server, why is mail going through a RIM network anyway?

Reply to this comment

All traffic goes through RIM
by sott3 April 18, 2007 7:04 AM PDT: My understanding is all Blackberry service passes through RIM at some point. Your BES server connects to RIM through one link, and your BBerry connects through its own link. Then RIM makes the connection between the two. That is why you don't need to open your firewall to allow incoming connections to your BES server.; View reply
Processing

Windows Mobile Smartphone working fine

by rasncain April 18, 2007 7:29 AM PDT

My windows mobile smartphone is working fine, gotta love not needing a BES server or depending on RIM. Just makes no sense to me.

Reply to this comment

wow
by amlis_vess April 19, 2007 10:32 AM PDT: you must have the only fully functioning Microsoft product ever invented.

Congrats.

Communicatons Failure redux

by RussJr April 18, 2007 7:32 AM PDT

I administer a BES server with about 150 or so addicted users. My biggest gripe is their lack of communication with their end users (Although being a single point of failure is fundamentally poor design.). They have know about this outage for over 12 hours and their is STILL nothing on their website about it. One has to call to get a canned, nearly useless message.

We have upgraded to a Silver Support agreement and we still do not get notifications. But, we ALWAYS get their promotional literature via email. Furthermore, on three prior occasions we have had our srp suspended by RIM and, after wasting time troubleshooting our side, find outthey turned us off ONLY after opening a support call. Why could they not script a notification into their security protocol?

I am at a loss to understand why a communications company fails to communicate. If this were the first time it would be understandable, but it is not.

We too support WM5, but we have not had neither great experience with the devices nor Enterprise management tools (lack thereof).

Russ

Reply to this comment

CNET is First Stop
by robertl30 April 18, 2007 7:58 AM PDT: Whenever I get outage reports from my BES users, my first stop now is CNET news as they always seem to have reports up about the outage. RIM used to have a Network Status page but it no longer works. Sad.

CNET is First Stop
by robertl30 April 18, 2007 7:58 AM PDT: Whenever I get outage reports from my BES users, my first stop now is CNET news as they always seem to have reports up about the outage. RIM used to have a Network Status page but it no longer works. Sad.

This is why an Exchange/WM5 solution is better...

by PhillyBoy919 April 18, 2007 9:03 AM PDT

I can't believe all of these businesses depend so heavily on the RIM servers and it absolutely blows my mind that emergency services depend on them as well. I use an Moto Q hooked up to an Exchange 2003 server. Now, its entirely possible that could go down as well, but if my server goes down it affects 20 people until the fail-over kicks in, RIM's server goes down and half the business people in the country lose mobile email. Doesn't seem like a very intelligent model to me.

Reply to this comment

Yeah it works great...
by starch_y April 18, 2007 2:43 PM PDT: if you want to be stuck with support for one mail system (Exchange
only), minimal remote management, and zero security. Not
everyone uses Exchange.

RIM may not be for everyone, and it's a huge pain sometimes, but
there's a reason it's the gold standard.; View reply
Processing

Thank god for Windows Mobile/Exchange!

by explorer5 April 18, 2007 9:07 AM PDT

Wow, I never felt comfortable knowing that all Blackberry users - no matter who their phone provider is, is at the mercy of one company. At least with an Windows Mobile/Exchange solution, its network agnostic, and the service isnt run by MS, or one large firm - it's all based on an individual installation.. If one installation goes out, everyone else will work.. Its a much better solution in the way its implemented and also it just works SOOO much better with Outlook/Exchange, rather than having to have a blackberry server act as a go-between.
I feel bad for all those RIM users, but I'm not suprised.

Reply to this comment

Haza!!
by ZeroJCF April 18, 2007 10:21 AM PDT: I agree. Of course you are dependent on your wireless providers network, but still you never see this type of outage, save a natural disaster. Blackberry's are usually very stable, but I was glad to be one of the few at my company still able to send and receive emails last night and today.

As opposed to...
by starch_y April 18, 2007 2:45 PM PDT: being dependent on Microsoft instead for all your needs.

Given their record, I'll take RIM.

I wondered WTF happened

by dansterpower April 18, 2007 9:20 AM PDT

ARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH.

I wondered *** happened last night as I struggled to find an
address.

iPHone.

IPhone.

Go ahead and flame me, but "it just works."

Reply to this comment

iPhone What ??
by regulator1956 April 18, 2007 10:18 AM PDT: Hate to call someone I don't know an idiot, but the iPhone isn't out so no one can say anything about its reliability.

Get real.; View reply
Processing

DOH! Can you Say Exchange 2003 w/ SP2 or 2007
by jessiethe3rd April 18, 2007 10:22 AM PDT: Hahahaa... why pay flippin' Blackberry subscription fees when you can get a greater level of phone flexibility, better application development base, and better PC integration??

Most people already have Exchange 2003 (Exchange 2000 is End of Life)... simply update to SP2 and BAM - FREE PUSH!; Reply to this comment

Get real

by chpdx April 18, 2007 1:19 PM PDT

To all the folks looking at exchange/MS as a an alternative to RIM, just this note: I've had my crackberry for three years. In that time I've dropped on the concrete innumerable times, drowned it a couple of times, and only turned it off when I'm on a flight. It has worked constantly and consistently all that time. In the US, Canada, Europe, India, and the middle east.
Can any of the rest of you claim that with any device?

Reply to this comment

likewise
by ngnr April 19, 2007 6:32 PM PDT: I'm on my second BB due to an upgrade and my old one at 3 years of age was passed along to a colleague. It was dropped multiple times and took an unintintional swim with me once. Other than this outage and minor problems created by our own IT group, it just works. Best business tool I have ever owned.

Hmmm..
by myth90045 April 19, 2007 9:03 AM PDT: Granted lots of people couldnt get email from their bb. and some still can not. But how often do these servers crash? this is the 1 major time that I have read of the whole system crashing and effecting all these bb users. How many times has WM crashed on your phones? as opposed to crashes on blackberries?; Reply to this comment

Most of the service is back
by 123together April 19, 2007 10:29 AM PDT: Most of the BlackBerry service is now back up and running, but some customers may experience delays as the company processes the backlog of e-mails. Millions of customers in the Western hemisphere were without the use of their BlackBerry devices for 9 hours Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. A system failure knocked out service and e-mail delivery was delayed or intermittent. Even after the initial problem was resolved customers still experienced delays due to the large amount of emails in their systems that needed to be processed.

This is a perfect example of why more and more businesses are thinking about hosting their messaging systems externally. Some hosting companies like alerted their customers to the problem early and the solution/interaction with RIM happened automatically in the background. They also pointed our customers to a readily available workaround that few IT departments were aware of or had deployed.; Reply to this comment

Is RIM Checking on everyone?
by RTFT April 20, 2007 6:25 AM PDT: I am curious to know why every RIM device went down? Definitely a good water cooler topic around corporate offices.
Are they checking for licensing? counting messages? or?
What is their DR plan?
What if the network to their office goes down?
Is the US customers dependent on a link to a Canadian company?
Can the Canadian Government use it as a negotiation tactic with the US?
And the list goes on.

Sure be interesting to know as mail is definitely mission critical.

J; Reply to this comment

See all 28 Comments >>

Latest tech news headlines

Lifestreaming in Obamaland
Posted in Outside the Lines by Dan Farber

November 21, 2008 11:59 PM PST
Judge orders Ballmer to testify in Vista suit
Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried

November 21, 2008 7:35 PM PST
Army backs Hydrogen Highway
Posted in Military Tech by Mark Rutherford

November 21, 2008 5:50 PM PST
See all headlines

RSS Feeds

Add headlines from CNET News to your homepage or feedreader.

More feeds available in our RSS feed index.

Markets: Market news, charts, SEC filings, and more; Related quotes; Research In Motion (7.90%) 3.28 44.80; Dow Jones Industrials (6.54%) 494.13 8,046.42; S&P 500 (6.32%) 47.59 800.03; NASDAQ (5.18%) 68.23 1,384.35; CNET TECH (5.95%) 56.25 1,002.00

Inside CNET News

Scroll Left Scroll Right

Business Tech
Five reasons Sun won't be acquired
Amid a tight credit market and skepticism about the computer company's product lineup, a dramatic restructuring might be the only way to make investors happy.
Gallery
Photos: Gadgets we're thankful for, Part 1
Military Tech
Army backs Hydrogen Highway
US Army has awarded a $1.8 million contract to develop hydrogen filling stations.
Outside the Lines
Lifestreaming in Obamaland
The technologies that helped Obama reach the White House are going to make the president-elect's life more transparent and scrutinized than any previous White House occupant.
Video
The BlackBerry Storm touches down
Digital Media
MySpace Music to name Courtney Holt chief next week
The lengthy CEO search at MySpace Music is finally coming to an end. Now let's see what the new guy can do against Apple.
Video
SF Bay Area plugs in
Politics and Law
The key to innovation: Privately owned fiber?
A paper released by the New America Foundation proposes encouraging consumers to purchase their own fiber lines.
Cutting Edge
Water ice glaciers spotted on Mars
NASA scientists find what they believe are huge water ice glaciers sitting just beneath the Martian surface.
Gallery
Photos: Nokia, Navteq team up as traffic monitors
Crossfade
Hearts Revolution, 'Switchblade': Free MP3 of the Day
Download a free MP3 of "Switchblade" courtesy of CNET Download Music.
Green Tech
Google crunches numbers on clean-energy policy
Search giant pressures policy makers with an analysis arguing that government and business can clean the U.S. energy supply while stimulating the economy.