BoxTone User Self-Service Module Underwhelms - Troubles with Troubleshooting (
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BoxTone also claims the USS module can help troubleshoot more complex
activation issues, like activating a BlackBerry configured by the cell carrier
for a BlackBerry Internet Service account rather than BES. Although I tried
this scenario with my own BIS-enabled
SIM (Subscriber
Identity Module) card, I was unable to experience the troubleshooting as my
device activated successfully despite its configuration.
The main dashboard of the USS shows device health, providing
guidance if certain solvable conditions exist. For instance, I exceeded the
storage capacity of my Exchange account, which by policy meant I could no
longer send e-mail. USS quickly detected the condition and alerted me that a
problem existed, although the troubleshooting guidance was less than helpful.
Rather than telling me to delete some e-mail from Exchange, USS
instead presented me with an unknown error and the advice to contact my
administrator. On the help desk side of things, this error presents itself as a
permissions problem. Now, while this scenario does technically result in a
permissions problem—BoxTone picks up the fact that Exchange will not permit BES
to send mail through for this account—information was not provided that would
allow the end user to rectify the situation. Instead, the user will contact the
help desk and generate a somewhat unnecessary ticket, thereby defeating the
purpose of the tool.
BoxTone provides a link in USS to report tickets to the help
desk through the BoxTone system, but in my tests using BoxTone's demonstration
network that link frequently did not work.
These are among the behaviors that BoxTone said may be due
to its network data corruption issues, and the company supplied screen shots of
what the behavior should look like.
USS provides users with two options for resetting a device
password. The Change My Password tab allows the user to set a new password. This
tool lets the user know what the minimum password length must be, but not any
other complexity requirements. If the password does not conform to the BES
complexity policy, USS will reject the inadequate password without specifying
how the rule was violated. This information is spelled out in BoxTone's
administrator help desk dashboard, but not to the user. Again, this kind of
unhelpful help could lead to unnecessary support calls.
The other way to change the password is via the Lost My
Device tab. From here, a user who has misplaced his or her phone can lock the
device remotely, with USS automatically generating and displaying a new
password within the tool. It worked well, but the user must remember to change
the password once the device is found, as USS will not continue showing the
password the next time the user logs into the Web tool, yet the generated password
will continue to be enforced on the device.
(Yes, I turned off the device radio and forgot the
auto-generated password, effectively locking myself out of the phone, which
required a device wipe to rectify the situation.)
From the same tab, users who know they have lost their
devices can also perform a device wipe. The wipe command is quickly triggered
on the device, provided it is on the network. However, in my tests, the USS
tool would report, "An error occurred accessing the BES User Admin tool—please
contact your BoxTone administrator." Yet the wipe would proceed on the
device.
Despite its promise, BoxTone USS failed to impress due to
these issues.
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