BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) is a software package made by Research In Motion (RIM), makers of the BlackBerry solution, to allow individuals to get email on a BlackBerry smartphone even if the user is not connected to a company BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES). BIS is “the out-of-the-box service that comes with every BlackBerry® smartphone that is activated with a data plan,” according to RIM’s site.
But how is BIS different from regular, corporate email using BES? The pieces are still similar, but they are owned by different organizations. There is still a mail server, but instead of an employer’s mail server, the mail server belongs to the email provider (such as Google, Yahoo, AOL, or even the carrier if you have an @carrier.blackberry.net email address). And there is still a BlackBerry server, but it is hosted by the cell phone carrier instead of by the smartphone user's employer.
