BlackBerry Docs Service enabling secure managed backups to SharePoint and more

For our customers using BlackBerry UEM we are proud to announce the general availability of BlackBerry Docs Service (Docs) as part of the CAPTOR for BlackBerry v3.6.0 (iOS) update. Docs enables secure, managed backups to Microsoft SharePoint, Box, and FileShare repositories. This new option unlocks the ability to make CAPTOR content available on any device that the user can authenticate BlackBerry secure services on, including mobile devices and laptops running BlackBerry Access or BlackBerry Work. This integration will dramatically simplify the task of establishing and supporting content backups from employee devices to file repositories, as it leverages existing, proven and secure infrastructure (BEMS and BlackBerry Dynamics).

If your organization already has a BlackBerry Enterprise Mobility Server (BEMS) and connected file repository, then establishing the service connections to CAPTOR is extremely easy. The first step is to refresh the Apps page in UEM to pull down the latest changes to the CAPTOR app configuration.

Open the CAPTOR for BlackBerry app listing and either edit an existing app configuration or tap + to create a new one. Go to the tab labeled “Backup” and ensure that Enable Backup is checked. There is a dropdown selector for Data Transfer Protocol. If you select Docs, it will disable any other backup protocol you may have had in place previously and establish Docs as the new backup provider.

Further down on that same screen you will find the DOCS settings for URL, Path, User, Password, Domain, and Repository. These fields support wildcard values, such as $EMAIL$ or $USERID$. Any field that is left blank will be configurable by the end user within the app. If the user only has access to one repository through BEMS, you may leave this field empty as the user will have the ability to select if from a list populated by the service. You can also leave the URL field empty since the app has the ability to find the BEMS server associated with their user account.

As with all existing CAPTOR backup protocols, you have the ability to establish the process to occur manually or automatically, and separately you can have the content permanently deleted from the CAPTOR container once it has been backed up, either immediately or on a delay. For initial testing we recommend a manual backup (do not check the Automate Backup box).

The content deletion settings will only delete content that the app deems to have been successfully backed up to your file repository. Enter a numeric value to specify how many days the content should remain in the app after a successful backup before being deleted.

Finally, the Content Quality option will allow you to specify the quality of CAPTOR content that is backed up. If the goal is to have the highest quality photos, videos, etc. exist on your file repository, then select High. In our testing, Medium seems to be the optimal value that we would recommend for most customers, especially considering the longterm costs of storage.

Don’t forget to Save the app configuration AND the app listing itself to apply the changes!

On your test device, ensure you have installed CAPTOR for BlackBerry v3.6.0 on iOS or v1.2.7 on Android. Launch the app and go to Settings and then Backup Config.

Select the DOCS option. Any settings that were configured in UEM will be populated. If you left the URL and Repository fields empty in UEM, toggle the setting for “Find DOCS Server”. Select the server, and the available repository options will populate. When everything is set, tap Test Configuration.

If you see a “Success” message you can advance to testing the service. A manual backup can be conducted by going to the main Folders screen. Either tap Backup to copy all of the CAPTOR files, or swipe left on a folder to copy only that specific folder. If you use Docs as part of BlackBerry Work, you can launch that app and verify that your CAPTOR files are now copied over.

We hope you find the combination of CAPTOR and the BlackBerry Docs Service to be extraordinarily useful. If you have questions or feedback please do not hesitate to contact us.

CAPTOR 3.5.7 (iOS) and 1.2.5 (Android): Open PDF Files in CAPTOR

New versions of CAPTOR on iOS and Android are rolling out over the next two weeks with some significant updates to process threading, file management, and two great new features.

Beginning with iOS v3.5.7 and Android v1.2.5 you will be able to use CAPTOR to open and annotate PDF files. Previous to this release, CAPTOR supported importing media files (photos and videos).

For example, if you receive a PDF as an email attachment you will now have an option to open it in CAPTOR, which saves the file in the CAPTOR “Imported” folder. Once the file is in CAPTOR, you can re-arrange or delete pages, add new pages via the scanning feature, and apply annotations (arrows, text labels, etc). When the PDF is then shared again (attached to a new email, uploaded to a secure file storage, etc) it will be assembled based on the same policies that apply to scanned documents (watermarking, PDF version, etc).

Future releases will include new annotation options specific to PDF files, including e-signature.

Also included in this release are new prompts for the user to complete backup settings. For example, if the app configuration includes all backup settings except the password, the user will be prompted to enter the password and test the backup settings.

As always we appreciate your feedback. If you experience any issues or have suggestions on how we can improve the CAPTOR apps please drop us a note.