Advantages of 3G:

- Overcrowding is relieved in existing systems with radio spectrum
- Bandwidth, security and reliability are more
- Provides interoperability among service providers
- Availability of fixed and variable rates
- Support to devices with backward compatibility with existing networks
- Always online devices – 3G uses IP connectivity which is packet based
- Rich multi media services are available

Disadvantages of 3G:

- The cost of cellular infrastructure , upgrading base stations is very high
- Needs different handsets.
- Roaming and data/voice work together has not yet been implemented
- Power consumption is high
- Requires closer base stations and are expensive
- Spectrum-license costs, network deployment costs and handset subsidies subscribers are tremendous.

- Packet data speed is higher in 3G, and it is up to 384 KBPS
- Voice and sms speed is also 384 KBPS in 3G
- 2G utilizes different switching techniques for voice and data, where as  3G uses single switching, irrespective of data
- 3G has at least 2MB of data link of a mobile, where in 2G the data rate is in KBPS
- 3G has WiMAX facility for faster VOIP and internet
- 2G uses GSM TDMA technology with narrowband 200Khz.
- 3G uses CDMA technology with broadband 5Mhz, with same frequency carrier and time.

Definition: 3G, known as 3rd Generation, is a standard for mobile / cellular phones. It provides the services that fulfill the International Telecommunication Union specifications.

The application services of 3G include wireless voice telephone, mobile internet access, video calls and mobile television – all in a mobile environment.

3G allows simultaneous use of speech and data services
3G provides peak data rates of at least 200 KBits according to the IMT-2000 specification.
Mobile broadband access of several MBits to laptop computer systems, smart phones is provided by latest 3.5G, 3.75G versions.

3G standards:

UMTS:

  -  Universal Mobile Telecommunications System – One of the 3G mobile telecommunications technologies, also being developed into a 4G technology.
  -  Most common form of UMTS uses W-CDMA as an underlying air interface.
  - UMTS also covers Radio Access Network – UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), and Mobile Application Part (MAP).
  -  Users are authenticated via USIM cards (Universal Subscriber Identity Module).

CDMA2000

   -  Also known as IMT Multi-Carrier (IMT-MC), uses CDMA channel access for sending voice, data and signaling data between mobile phones and cell sites.
   -  The standards are CDMA2000 IX, CDMA2000 EV-DOR Rev.0, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev.A and CDMA2000 EV-Rev.B. They are approved radio interfaces for the ITU’s IMT-2000.

The handheld device is used as a network device, which always connected to the data account of the user via redirector software. The software is installed on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. The communication between the software, BE Server and the hand held device’s software is always a two-way street. BES immediately updates the mobile device or the email or the calendar account, whenever a change in email account occurs.

The push technology of BlackBerry keeps the device instantly in “synch” without any effort by the user. 

Research in Motion, a Canadian company provided a proprietary operating system for BlackBerry.

The operating system provides support for Java MIDP 1.0 and WAP 1.2.

The current version supports Novell Group Wise and Lotus Notes.

Third-party software can be developed using BlackBerry APIs as well, with certain restriction functionality must be signed by RIM digitally, so that it can be associated to a developer account. 

Benefits for organizations :

The BlackBerry Connect technology allows the organizations for standardizing BlackBerry platform and leverages their existing BlackBerry solution investments. The employees’ productivity and performance can also be boosted by providing them the mobile access for their emails and calendars.

Benefits for IT :

IT departments are provided with a solution that is easy to utilize, manage and deploy by using BlackBerry Connect technology. Strict requirements for security and manageability will be satisfied and several devices can be connected to the BlackBerry Platform. 

BlackBerry Enterprise Server: The BlackBerry handhelds are integrated into the e-mail system of the organization through software BlackBerry Enterprise Server. The BES versions are available for MS Exchange, Novell GroupWise and Lotus Domino. A connector was made by Google for BES for making BES available for Google Apps. A new feature is added which enables to track the current location of an individual through trailateration.

BES provides handhelds with the connectivity of TCP/IP which can be accessed through a component known as “Mobile Data Service – Connection Service – MDS-CS. This allows the development of custom application development using data streams on BlackBerry devices which are based on the Sun JME platform.

BES also provides network security in the form of Triple DES or AES encryption standard of all data including e-mail and MDS traffic, which travels between the BlackBerry hand held devices and a BES.

BlackBerry is nothing but a handheld wireless device that is just like a two way pager.

It supports the features like mobile telephone, push e-mail, text messaging, web browsing, internet faxing.

In addition to these, all types of wireless information services and multi-touch interfaces are also included.