Business Challenge

The customer, an application service provider and owner of advanced email infrastructure, required a wireless messaging solution for email synchronization between mail server and BlackBerry mobile devices.

Project Description

The solution was developed as an alternative to BlackBerry Enterprise Server and GoodLink Wireless Email software packages. Basically, it is a middleware that connects BlackBerry devices and enterprise infrastructure to synchronize emails between server-side and mobile software.

The solution delivered by Intellias consists of two parts:

• Server-side J2EE application
• J2ME Midlet for BlackBerry devices

The former maintains permanent connection with email server and checks for new messages on a regular basis.

When new message arrives, the software performs a "push" of respective BlackBerry device. Thus the system generates and sends MIDP "push" compatible text message (SMS) that triggers J2ME Midlet installed on a wireless device. In its turn Midlet application connects to server-side part via GPRS and downloads email message(s) to BlackBerry device.

Consequenly, message synchronization utility developed by Intellias provides a number of advantageous features, among them efficient remote access to email messages and push-based email synchronization.

Technology Evaluation

Intellias Team performed technology analysis and evaluation of two possible alternatives:

• To maintain scheduled communication between BlackBerry device and server-side application in order to continuously check for new messages
• To develop push-based connectivity between client- and server-side applications

Eventually the second option was chosen for the project as more efficient alternative. It doesn't require permanent GPRS-connection, thus saving both traffic and battery-life of the mobile device, and activates
GPRS connection only to download new messages when they are available on the server.

Supported Devices

Email synchronization utility supports all BlackBerry devices with OS version 4.0 or later.

Technology Behind
Operation systems/ handheld devices:	Client-side: BlackBerry MIDP 2.0 Server-side: J2EE (servlet)
Development Platform:	J2ME (CLDC 1.1, MIDP 2.0)
IDE:	Eclipse platform 3.1/MyEclipse workbench 4.0/EclipseME 1.5
SDK:	BlackBerry JDE 4.x
Other Technologies:	SOAP 1.1, WSDL 1.1, kSOAP 2 Web Services client library for J2ME, Spring Framework 1.x, Hibernate 1.x, Opensymphony Quartz, JUnit, servlets
Methodology:	RUP
Project Team:	Project manager (12%), 2 Developers (65%), QA Engineer (23%)
CASE Systems Used:	MS Project 2003 Rational Rose 2000 TestTrack Pro 6 MS Visual SourceSafe