BlackBerry Protect wirelessly backs up and restores your data, locks or wipes your smartphone remotely
By Vlad Bobleanta on 12 Jul 10RIM has developed a new security and data sync application for its BlackBerry line of smartphones.
BlackBerry Protect is both a web-based service and an on-device application, and can help you manage the security of up to five devices.
It’s part-security application, part-data synchronization service, and will be available in closed Beta in the next few days.
Features:
- wireless backup and restore of your data, including contacts, calendars, tasks, memos, bookmarks and text messages
- locate your device via cell tower triangulation and/or GPS
- remotely lock your device
- remotely wipe all the data on your device
- remotely activate a very loud beeping sound (so you can presumably locate a misplaced device)
- a “lost and found” screen that you can remotely trigger to be shown on your device, asking the finder to return it (this screen can contain any message of your choosing, 120 characters maximum)
The official launch of BlackBerry Protect may coincide with the launch of AppWorld 2.0, the next iteration of RIM’s app store, and a new BlackBerry ID infrastructure, that may replace the famous PINs with more human-readable account information. That would definitely be a win for BlackBerry addicts, and the addition of desktop clients for the BlackBerry Messenger might help even more.
However, this service still puts your data in a RIM-protected silo. It would be very nice to see some compatibility with Google Sync, for example, for the data sync operations. By the look of things though, this will certainly not come in the first version of BlackBerry Protect.
To be able to test this new service, you need a BlackBerry Beta Zone account and a bit of patience, invite codes will be showing up later this week.
Compatible phones include the Storm (9500 and 9530), Storm 2, Bold (9000 and 9700), Tour and Curve (8520 and 8900). You should also have OS 5.0 running on your device, except if you have the Tour or the Curve 8900, in which case 4.7.1 and 4.6.1 are ok, respectively.
Looks like a pretty compelling service, and at the amazing price of free, will surely gain many users in no time.
Via IntoMobile and PhoneDog
If you liked the post, you might find these interesting too:
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- Google Sync for BlackBerry updated with Android-like Contacts feature
- Which Blackberry Devices are Getting 5.0?
- Sprint launching the BlackBerry Tour on July 12 too
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