AT&T and Research in Motion (RIM) announced today the availability of BlackBerry Professional Software, providing collaboration solutions with advanced security features designed specifically for small and midsize companies. BlackBerry Professional Software supports up to 30 wireless users for access to email, calendar, contacts, business data and Internet.

BlackBerry Professional Software provides advanced security features that come with the BlackBerry Enterprise Server software. End-to-end encryption protects communications and information - with simplified administration. Pre-defined IT policies easily control protection from content on the handset, owner-information settings, password use, password complexity, timeouts and more. A lost or stolen smartphone can be locked down, and information can be erased immediately.

BlackBerry Professional Software also provides control over the company's BlackBerry smartphones, allowing the owner to limit certain features on an employee's smartphone. Changes to control settings can occur in seconds as IT policies are "pushed" to the smartphone over the air.

BlackBerry Professional Software is designed so a small business owner or office manager can install it easily on an existing email server (IBM Lotus Domino, Microsoft Windows Small Business Server or Microsoft Exchange). A pre-install assistant streamlines the installation process, and configuration is automatic. Controlling security and device-management functions is accomplished through wizards and quick links.

If a small business grows beyond 30 users, the BlackBerry Professional Software solution can be upgraded to BlackBerry Enterprise Server, and the BlackBerry Professional Software Client Access Licenses (CALs) can be used with the BlackBerry Enterprise Server.

"BlackBerry Professional Software will allow our small business customers to more easily afford and implement BlackBerry service so that they have many of the controls and security features and the productivity benefits of staying connected that large business customers enjoy," said Michael Woodward, AT&T vice president, Business Voice/Data and Wireless Products. AT&T is the world's largest BlackBerry service provider.

The BlackBerry Professional Software package that supports five wireless users out of the box is priced at $499, with a 10-user version priced at $849. These packages include the server software along with CALs. Additional CALs can be purchased individually, in five-packs and in 10-packs to grow the deployment as the small business grows.