As I begin the migration from my trusty Treo 755p with CommonTime mNotes to my new BlackBerry Bold 9000, the first challenge I've run into is how to get multiple Notes e-mail accounts onto the BlackBerry. In mNotes, It's possible to sync up to four separate Notes mailboxes, calendars, address books, and Journals to the Treo. So far, the best information I have found on the BlackBerry is that I will get one Mailbox synched via BES and then a few additional "internet" (e.g. POP3) mailboxes via Internet Mail. Ideally, I'd like to match what I have in CommonTime. That is, I want four distinct mailboxes (and Calendars) to appear on the device that are fully in synch with those on the server. One of these mailboxes is a team mailbox that several of us sync to.

Fortunately, the people inside the yellow bubble are some of the smartest I know; I'm sure someone's already figured out how to do this. So, I'm posting this request for assistance. If you've done something like this or have some experience to share, I'd like to hear from you.

Discussion/Comments (10):

John Head (http://www.johndavidhead.com): 11/28/2008 9:15:56 AM
BlackBerry Question: Multiple Notes Mail Boxes on BB?

the answer is no. The BB is designed for a single account for the core apps outside mail ... and mail can only talk to one mailbox via bes.

Your best bet is the new ultralight UI for webmail.


Darren Duke (http://blog.darrenduke.net): 11/28/2008 9:41:52 AM
BlackBerry Question: Multiple Notes Mail Boxes on BB?

Not with the BES as it is today. There was some talk at last WES about BES 5 "maybe" adding something like this.

You can mimic the functionality in mNotes by carrying four (4) BlackBerry devices. Just make sure each has its own distinct ring tone so you answer the right one ;)


Eric Mack (www.ica.com): 11/28/2008 10:23:47 AM
re: BlackBerry Question: Multiple Notes Mail Boxes on BB?

Thanks, John. It looks like this won't be a smooth transition, at least from a productivity perspective.


Eric Mack (www.ica.com): 11/28/2008 10:24:08 AM
re: BlackBerry Question: Multiple Notes Mail Boxes on BB?

Thanks Darren, good idea on the four BlackBerries to match Commontime functionality. The benefit of your proposed approach is that I can also have multiple calendars and tasks lists in a package and I get to look like I'm wearing Batman's utility belt.


John Head (http://www.johndavidhead.com): 11/28/2008 10:06:50 PM
BlackBerry Question: Multiple Notes Mail Boxes on BB?

Eric - if you are following the lines of productivity, why would you just not forward everything to a single account? manage everything from a single email address ...


Eric Mack (www.ica.com): 11/29/2008 8:26:26 AM
re: BlackBerry Question: Multiple Notes Mail Boxes on BB?

Hi John, you bring up a good point. In terms of collecting and processing, it's usually preferred to have a single collection point (e.g. a dump all to a single mailbox); however, in my case, it's about context. It's fine for my own stuff to all be in one box where I can process it, but the other mail databases I was hoping to have are not mine and are for reference only - e.g. our team support mailbox and a shared mailbox/calendar with my wife. I would not want to merge those, let alone process them in one place, it would be out of context.

I guess I'm just spoiled. In the early days of wireless PDAs, I was happy to have a single mail account on my mobile device. Then, CommonTime raised the bar by allowing up to four accounts on the device. I got used to that. And I got spoiled, expecting that would be the norm. It certainly worked great for me to have access to multiple accounts and calendars.

Thanks for the question, though. It's a good one to ask and one I am considering as I look for work-arounds. - Eric


Sven Hauenstein (http://www.gfi.net): 12/1/2008 1:38:34 AM
BlackBerry Question: Multiple Notes Mail Boxes on BB?

Hi John,

the answer is yes! With FlowGate you can make all applications mobil on the BB. Also multiple notes mailboxes. FlowGate is CMS for the BB.


Daniel Lieber (http://iiui.com): 12/1/2008 8:52:55 AM
BlackBerry Question: Multiple Notes Mail Boxes on BB?

I actively use multiple Domino mailboxes on my Bold. Here is the key: only one (my primary) is connected via BES. The others are connected via BIS (BlackBerry Internet Service) and are accessed via IMAP. I can use a shared inbox if I wish or access each and manage them separately. It works like a champ!

I hope this helps! --Dan


Eric Mack (www.ica.com): 12/9/2008 5:53:39 PM
re: BlackBerry Question: Multiple Notes Mail Boxes on BB?

I'd like to learn more about this product, Flowgate, which you mention.

I'd like to do a demo at Lotusphere of eProductivity Mobilized.

Unfortunately, it's been 30+ years since I learned German. Is there a U.S. version of the web site or a US distributor of the product?


Eric Mack (www.ica.com): 12/9/2008 5:56:32 PM
re: BlackBerry Question: Multiple Notes Mail Boxes on BB?

@Daniel

Thanks for the tip about iMAP, I'll have to try that one out!


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