In a press release, RIM has announced a new prepaid solution powered by Alcatel-Lucent equipment that monitors data transmission in real-time, negating the need for an oftentimes expensive and sometimes unecessary data plan. The solution consists of software hosted by Alcatel-Lucent running concurrently on the operator’s network that monitors usage in real-time and charges accordingly.
The second product announced is a new service called Unite Servers.
The service turns an always on computer with an internet connection into a mail host and media server for those that do not want to pay for BES service and choose to rely on their home computer. The service is currently planned for launch in Spain on Telefonica, but no current plans exist to bring the service to the US/Canada, where the majority of BlackBerry customers are found.
