Executives, financial advisors and insurance representatives at City Securities Corporation are BlackBerry users.  They rely on BlackBerry smartphones to stay in touch with their customers and colleagues on a day-to-day basis and while they travel.  While developing a back-up plan in case of a communications blackout or natural disaster, they realized  how would people keep in contact if email wasnt available? 
A core part of the continuity plan was to use BlackBerry smartphones to send PIN-to-PIN messages between users. If regular email is down users can send data messages to each other by addressing them the PIN number that is unique to each device.  Using PIN numbers circumvents the need to go through the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, because the messages can still be sent between two BlackBerry smartphones.  The only hitch was City Securities only distributed their disaster recover guide once a year, so if a BlackBerry changed hands within that year  then the PIN number would be out of date.  With this factor in mind, City Securities wanted a way to keep a mobile directory of PIN numbers up-to-date and accessible to users, without having to assign an IT person to maintain the list.  City Securities implemented PINpoint - an auto updating feature that searches the SQL server via the BlackBerry Enterprise Server and automatically pushes out changes to the mobile directory  Including the PIN numbers for all end users.  Now, with just a few clicks, they know people will still be able to reach each other if there is a problem.
City Securities is seeing major benefits because of PINpoint. In contrast to a paper system that wasnt updated often enough, City Securities employees have a mobile emergency contact list on their smartphones, without taxing the IT Team.  Because PINpoint is an automated solution, no one from the IT team has to be assigned to maintain the contact list.  This frees up resources to take on other tasks that help end users.  The executive team can also rest easier, because if they do face an emergency they know their BlackBerry smartphones will have a readily accessible list of company personnel that will keep them connected.  

Busy executives on the road were the original driving force behind bringing the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution into the company. These industry leaders rely on their BlackBerry smartphones for mobile email   keeping them in touch, sharing important attachments and collaborating with each other on behalf of the company.   By implementing the BlackBerry solution the City Securities IT Team gained a solution that came with multiple IT administrative controls and advantages.  For example, SMS messaging and Instant Messaging are not permitted within the corporation and the IT Team could easily disable these features of the BlackBerry smartphone from their IT console, without ever visiting a single user at their desk because of the IT policies that can be enabled within the BlackBerry solution.  City Securities was also able to implement and enforce a password feature on the blackberry devices through the IT policy.  This security policy would force devices to lock after a specified period of inactivity.  If a device was lost or stolen, this feature would aid in ensuring that sensitive information contained on the BlackBerry smartphone would be secure.  Also, with PINpoint from the Tenent Computer Group, they can auto update changes to the mobile directory, which saves the IT Team a tremendous amount of time.  If they didnt have PINpoint, they would have an Excel spreadsheet with everyones PIN numbers listed and a hard copy would have to be printed every week! It was a headache that City Securities was able to avoid because PINpoint does everything in the background and publishes a new directly every morning automatically. Employees now have the current PIN numbers stored locally on their smartphones.

Yes

Yes

Executives now have current PIN numbers stored locally and can easily communicate using their BlackBerry smartphones with PINpoint, an application from Tenet Computer Group. The solution is designed to maintain a current and updated list of contact information that is automatically updated. In an emergency, users would be able to just click on the icon on their devices and find the PIN numbers of the entire company.  Users also use this solution when calling each other even when there is not an emergency.  Because mobile to mobile calls are free within the same carrier, many of the BlackBerry smartphone users can quickly call each other using the PINpoint solution without incurring any cellular usage charges.

If we didnt have PINpoint, I think wed have an Excel spreadsheet with everybodys PIN number listed and then print a hard copy every week. It was a headache we were able to avoid because PINpoint and the BlackBerry solution does everything in the background and publishes the new directory every morning without anyone doing a thing.
Marty Peterson, VP and Director of Information Technology

Previously, if City Securities changed any BlackBerry smartphone owner, their contact information list, with the PIN numbers, would be out of date.  Now with BES and PINpoint, City Securities is able to automatically update the list of PINs of their user base and the IT team isnt tasked with manual contact list maintenance.

City Securities felt that the PINpoint solution was reasonably priced for the value they are receiving from the solution.  They also experienced very few difficulties during implementation.  The technical installation instructions were straight forward and easy to follow.(In 600 words or less)

Because of the value that PINpoint can provide, City Securities had no trouble getting approval or funding for this initiative.

Exceeded

Security and Disaster recovery management are top of mind for organizations across the globe. The value of having easy and fast access to a current contact list is immeasurable in times of disaster. Organizations looking for a maintainable avenue of communication will look to the BlackBerry solution and the PIN messaging component. Add PIN point to that and you have a clear cut advantage.

The IT Team appreciates the ease-of-use of the BlackBerry solution and PINpoint. Because PINpoint is an automated solution over the BlackBerry system, no one from the IT team has to be assigned to maintain the contact list. This frees up resources to take on other tasks that help end users.