BlackBerry Protect beta, BlackBerry App World Test Center
RIM today announced the availability of BlackBerry Protect beta. This beta is currently available in North America and some of Latin America only, although there will be further country rollout to come in the next couple of months! If you live in North America or Latin America and you weren’t able to be part of the original limited beta, you can now install BlackBerry Protect for free from the BlackBerry App World Test Center. You can also find it at the BlackBerry Protect web page, which is where you’ll need to go if you ever need help finding a misplaced BlackBerry smartphone once the BlackBerry Protect device software has been installed (note: it may take up to 24 hours for BlackBerry Protect to appear in BlackBerry App World for some users. It will be available immediately on the BlackBerry Protect web page).
BlackBerry Protect helps you find your smartphone and protect your important information by:
Assisting in locating your BlackBerry smartphone on a map via GPS and cell-tower triangulation
Locking and setting a device password
Activating a special loud ring to help find your smartphone, even if it’s in silent mode
Displaying a custom message on the home screen so that anyone who finds it knows how to return it
Forcing an instant wireless backup of data even when you don’t have the smartphone with you
And as a last resort, securely wiping all information from your BlackBerry smartphone, including the data from your SD card.
Additionally, the new wireless backup and restore features include:
Automatically, periodically and wirelessly backing up your contacts, calendar appointments, memos, tasks, browser bookmarks, and text messages
Optionally restricting backup to when within Wi-Fi coverage or disable backup when roaming
Wirelessly restoring backed up data to a new BlackBerry smartphone
And finally, some of the key feature improvements we’ve incorporated based on your beta feedback:
Easier discovery and highlighting of BlackBerry Protect-related system messages
Better clarity in status messages
Unique and improved Loud Ring ringtone
Clearer, simpler and more descriptive UI icons and graphics
BlackBerry Protect is a really great example of how BlackBerry Beta Zone members help to make BlackBerry smartphone applications and experiences better. If you’re not already a BlackBerry Beta Zone member, be sure to join so that you too can start testing out new products before they’re released.
Install BlackBerry Protect for free today, and be assured your smartphone data is protected even when you are busy and on the go! Let us know right here in the comments or in BlackBerry App World what you think of the open beta (speaking of BlackBerry App World, BlackBerry Protect leverages BlackBerry ID, so if you’re already using BlackBerry App World 2.0, you’re already set up with an ID!).
