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T-Mobile, Blackberry Thawing Their Chilly Relationship
You might recall that back in February Blackberry CEO John Chen insisted he was "outraged" that T-Mobile was running a promotion aimed at selling discounted iPhones to Blackberry users. A few months of subsequent snark resulted in Blackberry stating they wouldn't be renewing an expiring licensing arrangement with T-Mobile. Comments made by both T-Mobile and Blackberry suggest that the companies are healing any rifts made by the verbal scuffle, even though it remains entirely unclear when exactly an actual deal could emerge:
quote:
Answering media questions after T-Mobile's Uncarrier 8.0 launch on Tuesday, Legere said that he's open to finding a way for T-Mobile customers to have BlackBerry phones, provided the handset maker cooperates. Chen then told CNet today at its BlackBerry Classic event that he was also open to it and should connect with Legere (although I imagine he'd like to do it in person and not over Twitter).
Chen's move was curious given that after the last few years, Blackberry still needs all the friends it can get.
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MDA
Auto Negotiating
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join:2013-09-10
Minneapolis, MN

MDA

Premium Member

Anyone still use a Blackberry?

My father who owns a small printing business used blackberry for years until I asked him why he switched to a Galaxy S5.

He said it was that the keyboard was large enough (the phablet phreed him?)

keyboard5684
Sam
join:2001-08-01
Pittsburgh, PA

keyboard5684

Member

Re: Anyone still use a Blackberry?

I was wondering the same thing. I have not seen too many companies using them anymore.

The whole BES server and other reliability issues, combined with the independance of using any other device, sealed it for BB.

I fail to see what Blackberry has to offer anymore?
mmay149q
Premium Member
join:2009-03-05
Dallas, TX

mmay149q

Premium Member

Re: Anyone still use a Blackberry?

As an Ex-BES Analyst that used to work for BlackBerry, BB now has software that work's with BB's and any other device, it just doesn't give you the full control that BES gives you over a BB :/
mikeluscher159
join:2011-09-04

mikeluscher159

Member

Why?

Short of Band 12, the Z10, Classic, and the other new one support T-Mobile completely? Box them up, and put them on the display.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
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join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

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BlackBerry is dead

Big corporations are using iOS. United Airlines is issuing all of the flight attendants iPhone 6 pluses in another corporate move into the iPhone world.

keyboard5684
Sam
join:2001-08-01
Pittsburgh, PA

keyboard5684

Member

Re: BlackBerry is dead

Some, but I see many are going with BYOD.
Apple has not dominated the corporate scene that much.

Costs are a lot nicer with BYOD and with apps allowing the secure of corporate content (keeping emails around/controlled), BYOD is being embraced.

norm
join:2012-10-18
Pittsburgh, PA

norm

Member

Re: BlackBerry is dead

The company I work for - near the top of the latest Fortune 500 rankings - is moving away from BB and towards BYOD with support for both iOS and Android.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
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join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

Re: BlackBerry is dead

If I ever work for a company that does BYOD, I'll add it as a device to my VZW MoreEverything plan and the device is POWERED DOWN when I clock out. I do not believe in taking work home with me. I believe work should stay at work and home is for family. If my employer wants me to answer client calls or e-mails, then give me time and a half as that would have me still on the clock.

Riiiight
@70.194.228.x

Riiiight

Anon

Re: BlackBerry is dead

Good luck with that.

SysOp
join:2001-04-18
Atlanta, GA

SysOp to IowaCowboy

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to IowaCowboy
Actually against the law to work off the clock because taxes are not being collected. True Story

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
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join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

Re: BlackBerry is dead

said by SysOp:

Actually against the law to work off the clock because taxes are not being collected. True Story

And the Fair Labor Standards Act. I'm wondering if the FLSA requires employers to reimburse you for use of your cell phone in BYOD situations. I know employers are required to reimburse you for mileage if you use your own car.

jeffmoss26
join:2002-07-22
Beachwood, OH

jeffmoss26

Member

Re: BlackBerry is dead

If it's your personal device, why would you be required to answer it after hours? I don't know of anything requiring you to give an employer your personal cellphone number to call after work.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
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join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

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Re: BlackBerry is dead

We're talking about BYOD employers where you need a cell phone to carry out job functions and the employer is unwilling to provide a cell phone.

I'd be glad to BYOD but I'd demand the employer reimburse me the $40 device access fee to add the device to my Verizon MoreEverything plan or they'd be in court under the fair labor standards act. I just wouldn't make them reimburse me the edge payments on the device so I could keep it. Kind of like getting reimbursed mileage on a personal car.
itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Carlisle, PA

itguy05

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Re: BlackBerry is dead

said by IowaCowboy:

We're talking about BYOD employers where you need a cell phone to carry out job functions and the employer is unwilling to provide a cell phone.

I'd be glad to BYOD but I'd demand the employer reimburse me the $40 device access fee to add the device to my Verizon MoreEverything plan or they'd be in court under the fair labor standards act. I just wouldn't make them reimburse me the edge payments on the device so I could keep it. Kind of like getting reimbursed mileage on a personal car.

LOL. Good luck with that. It's a condition of employment. Don't like it, work somewhere else. Once you're on a salary, it's all work time.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
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join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

1 edit

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

Re: BlackBerry is dead

There are still laws limiting the work week to 40 hours. I'm surprised there hasn't been FLSA litigation over employees being tied to their work phones after working hours.

When my grandma was in the hospital they couldn't discharge her without the report from the physical therapist and that hadn't been completed. Unfortunately the PT had gone home for the day and they just couldn't call her at home, they had to follow a certain procedure and had to go to the supervisor who had then follow a certain protocol to call her at home.

I'm sure the PT got compensated for being interrupted at home even though it was her fault that the report wasn't completed.

keyboard5684
Sam
join:2001-08-01
Pittsburgh, PA

keyboard5684

Member

Re: BlackBerry is dead

What laws? Please provide a link to such a law.
Here, if I want to work 168 hours in 1 week, I can do so.
If my employer says "You work 90 hours per week and I pay you x amount", that is the deal.
If I chose not to do so, then I can quit.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
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join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

Re: BlackBerry is dead

You haven't heard of fair labor standards act. They cannot just declare any employee salaried, and any work over 40 hours in a 7 day period is entitled to time and a half aka overtime.
itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Carlisle, PA

itguy05

Member

Re: BlackBerry is dead

said by IowaCowboy:

You haven't heard of fair labor standards act. They cannot just declare any employee salaried, and any work over 40 hours in a 7 day period is entitled to time and a half aka overtime.

I suggest you read up...

»www.dol.gov/whd/overtime ··· tive.htm

So basically they can write your job description in such a way that you are doing "administrative duties" and bam, you're salaried. And Bam, that doesn't apply.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
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join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

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Re: BlackBerry is dead

Again I'd be in court questioning what administrative duties or authority do I have. If the boss is making those decisions and I'm not making administrative decisions, employer slapped with lawsuit and back pay.

Failure to pay overtime and misclassification of workers (either as independent contractors or salaried when entitled to hourly) has landed employers in court many times. And they've been slapped with hefty fines by the DOL and favorable judgements to plaintiffs (workers) and their attorneys.

Another boiling pot is worker's compensation is an employee is treated like an employee and is injured or killed on the job and is suddenly labeled an independent contractor when it comes time to pay worker's compensation as independent contractors are on their own if they're injured or killed.

keyboard5684
Sam
join:2001-08-01
Pittsburgh, PA

keyboard5684

Member

Re: BlackBerry is dead

While there is no doubt employers break the law, the majority do not.
It is more likely that an employer ends up in civil court, usually due to agressive ambulance chacers and workers comp.

When you sign on to be a salaried employee, you sign an acceptance letter that usually lays everything out.
From the typical hours per week, pay amounts and all the juicy details. If the employer wants you to do something you did not sign up for, then there are a bunch of ways to go.
It also goes both ways; if you are not doing something you signed on for, you can be fired.

Per topic: if the employer says you are expected to be on call and they will provide a phone for that, then it is done.
If you start and they say "Oh by the way, give us your cell phone and be ready to answer 24/7", then you probably have a crappy employer and need to move on.
If you are so inclined to sue, knock yourself out.
You can sue for anything, and I mean anything, anytime in America.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

1 edit

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

Re: BlackBerry is dead

Again an employer cannot have you agree to terms of employment that are illegal. If your employment agreement says you'll be doing administrative duties but you find after six months of working there you're the one having orders shoved down your throat you can file a misclassification lawsuit against the employer for classifying you as salaried (FLSA-exempt) when you're entitled to hourly.

Not that we use phone books anymore but around here the old phone books had lawyers advertising there services for employment law left and right as part of their practice in the yellow pages. Ever heard of wage theft. Many employers now are making the news around here for litigation for wage theft. One high profile one was Amazon and the security screenings that Amazon won but not every employer is lucky in court.

Massachusetts is an employees rights state, not only do federal employment laws apply but state labor laws do too. And many employers have their hands tied by collective bargaining agreements as we are a union shop state.

Edit: It's very easy to win a wrongful termination suit around here, despite our at will laws. Just claim the employer discriminated against you for some reason, you win your job back, back pay, punitive damages, and attorney's fees.
ImpetusEra
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join:2004-05-19
00000

ImpetusEra

Premium Member

Re: BlackBerry is dead

Taking legal action against your employer doesn't end well for you in the long run. More so in an economy where someone else is waiting in the shadows to gladly take your job off your hands. You can sue and get some small victory but they'll know how to make your future employment there legally suck a lot. There's unwritten give and take between employee and employer. If it isn't working out for you and your superiors won't budge then best to just give notice move along on good terms.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
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join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

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Re: BlackBerry is dead

Yeah and then a bunch of employees sue the employer class action.

I swear there are lawyers around here that dedicate their law practices to employment law, and they don't represent employers. I myself am not a fan of unions but unions have a chokehold on employers around here. That's why there is a lot of employment law litigation around here. Walmart is an example of an employer that has been sued many times for labor law violations. And they've been fined many times. As an employee you're entitled to breaks, days off, and vacation time. And Massachusetts voters just passed a voter initiated law where you get paid sick time. I myself voted against it as it will just drive jobs out of this freaking state.

If I were an employer, I would not make my workers work outside of working hours, work through breaks, or miss meal breaks. It's cheaper to lose productivity than to lose a lawsuit. And defending a lawsuit isn't cheap even if you win. A lawsuit can kill a small business with just one day in court.

keyboard5684
Sam
join:2001-08-01
Pittsburgh, PA

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I believe the word you are looking for is "exempt".

»www.dol.gov/elaws/esa/fl ··· en75.asp

jeffmoss26
join:2002-07-22
Beachwood, OH

jeffmoss26

Member

Re: BlackBerry is dead

Correct! Salary-exempt (exempt from overtime)

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
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join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

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Link
»www.dol.gov/whd/regs/com ··· /hrg.htm
itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Carlisle, PA

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That's probably more of a union thing than a government thing.

Maybe I've worked in IT too long but I work some long, odd hours. And there's no OT.

Eagles1221
join:2009-04-29
Vincentown, NJ

Eagles1221

Member

Re: BlackBerry is dead

IT is the worst job. Everyone seems to hate you, crappy hours and low pay for the stress you deal with

keyboard5684
Sam
join:2001-08-01
Pittsburgh, PA

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In my experience, BYOD is an employee choice and the employer is embracing that choice.

Where I am employed now, I had the option of using my own device and I chose not to. The employer then provided me with an iPhone.

Some of these posts make it seem like we are a slave to our employer yet I do not feel that is the case. I do not see employers being cheap telling us to work horrible hours, answer emails immediately and always answer the phone.

In your example, had you chosen to accept my job and do what I am paid to do, they would have said "ok, here is an iPhone for when you are on call". They are not breaking laws or even requiring something I was not aware of when I accepted the position.

tmh
@71.244.132.x

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I don't think you'll be working for very long if that's the case.
schwarzwald
join:2001-12-24
Severna Park, MD

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said by keyboard5684:

Some, but I see many are going with BYOD.
Apple has not dominated the corporate scene that much.

Costs are a lot nicer with BYOD and with apps allowing the secure of corporate content (keeping emails around/controlled), BYOD is being embraced.

Blackberry's BES supports iOS, Android (Lollipop), and Blackberry 10 now. So, even in a BYOD situation you would still be covered. This is the way they are trying to stay relevant.
itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Carlisle, PA

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said by keyboard5684:

Some, but I see many are going with BYOD.
Apple has not dominated the corporate scene that much.

Costs are a lot nicer with BYOD and with apps allowing the secure of corporate content (keeping emails around/controlled), BYOD is being embraced.

»venturebeat.com/2014/11/ ··· -6-plus/

69% iOS is pretty significant.

And I'll never understand the reluctance for Macs. Seriously better platform in almost every metric.

kamm
join:2001-02-14
Brooklyn, NY

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UA is pretty far from a big corporation. SOme big multinationals use iOS, a lot of them do not. Stop making stupid sweeping aassumptions and present them as statements.
Anyone with security as priority would never touch iOS with a 10-ft pole.

norm
join:2012-10-18
Pittsburgh, PA

norm

Member

Re: BlackBerry is dead

said by kamm:

UA is pretty far from a big corporation. SOme big multinationals use iOS, a lot of them do not. Stop making stupid sweeping aassumptions and present them as statements.
Anyone with security as priority would never touch iOS with a 10-ft pole.

What's a big company then? I would have guessed that a company with billions of dollars in revenue and nearly 100k employees across the globe would constitute large but I guess that's just a small mom & pop in your world of giants.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
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join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

A lot of you posting on here in favor of employers must be from the south and I hear you. I know the regulatory environment is shifted in favor of employers in the south but here in the Northeast the regulatory environment is shifted in favor of the employees. Around here you always here in the news about an employees of a company winning a wrongful termination suit and back pay plus a payday for their lawyers, you here about companies getting fined for labor law violations, you here about towns proposing ordinances mandating fast food workers getting $15/hour minimum wage (this was proposed in Amherst, MA), you here about Fast Food workers walking off the job over low pay (they don't even deserve $5 an hour when they screw up your order), you here about workers with expired contracts going work to rule, and the list goes on.

I wouldn't want to own or run a business here.

C0deZer0
Oc'D To Rhythm And Police
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join:2001-10-03
Tempe, AZ

C0deZer0

Premium Member

"Blackberry? I thought it was a dead berry. lol"

Seriously, I'm astounded that there are people still using blackberry phones anymore.

The keyboards on most of them are amazing in practice. But it makes no sense at all when companies that still support them want to charge an extra $10-20/month just for using one.

So unless it's required for your job, I just never saw why anyone would have one at all.
schwarzwald
join:2001-12-24
Severna Park, MD

schwarzwald

Member

Re: "Blackberry? I thought it was a dead berry. lol"

said by C0deZer0:

Seriously, I'm astounded that there are people still using blackberry phones anymore.

The keyboards on most of them are amazing in practice. But it makes no sense at all when companies that still support them want to charge an extra $10-20/month just for using one.

So unless it's required for your job, I just never saw why anyone would have one at all.

I can see why you would be astounded. However, it just might be that the many millions of people that still use and buy new Blackberries, just happen to like Blackberries and nothing else.

It's a brand not that popular in the states but in other ignored parts of the world, it still is a desirable platform.
AmericanMan
Premium Member
join:2013-12-28
united state

AmericanMan

Premium Member

Ahhh, the memories

My very first smartphone was a T-Mobile Blackberry 7230. Man I liked that phone, but I had to eventually give it up when the rest of the family had moved onto Verizon and they were able to make and receive calls while I was just sitting there

Texts would come days (not hours) late. But I liked my phone!

I even remember the call when we canceled, I think we had some crazy good plan (I wanna say $10 or $20 a month), and the sales rep said something like "wow that's a really good plan, it's not even offered anymore!".

I oughta charge up the old battery to see if it still works