BlackBerry AtHoc Desktop App User Guide

: October 30, 2023
: BlackBerry

BlackBerry AtHoc Desktop App User Guide

BlackBerry AtHoc Desktop App

The BlackBerry® AtHoc® desktop app is a small desktop application that continuously runs on your computer. When a new alert targeted at user desktops is published in the BlackBerry AtHoc system, a notification screen pops up on your desktop, accompanied by an audio notification. You can then close the pop-up or click a link to obtain additional information about the alert. For emergency alerts, the pop-up screen might contain response options that you must select from in order to acknowledge receipt of the alert.
Note: BlackBerry AtHoc desktop app release 7.1 or later is compatible with BlackBerry AtHoc release 7.9 (OnPrem) and 7.14 or later release.

Install the desktop app

Note: Installing and setting up the desktop app is relevant only to the Administrator orother authorized users of the BlackBerry AtHoc system. If you are a regular user, the app should already be installed on your computer. For detailed information about how to install and configure the BlackBerry AtHoc desktop app, see the BlackBerry AtHoc Desktop App Installation and Administration Guide.

The BlackBerry AtHoc management system provides authorized users with the ability to quickly notify large numbers of people in widely dispersed locations during emergencies and other critical situations. BlackBerry AtHoc also helps those users monitor alerts for threat conditions while also providing basic notifications services for non-emergency situations.

In order to join a notification system, every desktop must have the desktop app installed so that personnel are able to receive and respond to alert messages.

In most setups, your IT group pushes the app to user desktops during off hours using an SMS package that includes the app MSI, the SMS script, and a run.bat file. Depending on the input parameters set by your IT group, the app usually runs immediately after the install or at the next start up. The MSI can also be run manually, if your IT group prefers to do it that way.

In some setups, your IT group may require you to register with a validation code before you can use the desktop app. If your system is configured for manual desktop app registration, see Register the desktop app

Register the desktop app

When the desktop app is installed on your system, if your organization is configured to use the Defer to Self Service authentication method, the BlackBerry AtHoc Desktop App Registration form opens.

Click the link on the BlackBerry AtHoc Desktop App Registration form. You are redirected to Self Service.
Log in to Self Service:
- If you have a Self Service account, log in to Self Service using your organization’s authentication method (for example, user a smart card or enter your username and password.)
- If you do not have a Self Service account, the Registration form opens. Complete all required fields and click Continue. For detailed instructions, see “Register for Self Service” in the BlackBerry AtHoc Self Service User Guide.
On the My Profile page, in the BlackBerry AtHoc Apps section, click Generate Code.
On the Desktop App Registration Code pop-up window, copy the registration code. The code is valid for 5 minutes.
Paste the registration code in the BlackBerry AtHoc Desktop App Registration form.
Click Submit.

After the registration is successful, it may take up to 2 minutes for the desktop app to connect.

Sign in to the desktop app

If your BlackBerry AtHoc administrator has configured automatic sign in, you do not have to sign in to the desktop app.

If you receive a Sign In pop-up screen, follow the prompts to sign in. The desktop app remains disconnected until you sign in. If you close the Sign In pop-up screen without signing in, you can click the (Globe) icon and click Sign In.

The Sign In pop-up screen appears each time your start up your computer

You can access the BlackBerry AtHoc desktop app at any time by clicking the (Globe) icon that appears on your screen. On Windows platforms, the icon is located in the bottom right corner of the screen. For the Macintosh platform, the icon appears in the top right menu bar.

As soon as you click , a pop-up menu appears, allowing you to check for new alerts, dismiss all pop-ups that are currently on your desktop, and access the Self Service application.

When multiple desktop app editions are running on the same computer, you must close the browser window for one edition before you can launch a browser window with a different desktop app edition.

Manage desktop alerts

Important: All actions and operations carried out within the BlackBerry AtHoc desktop app are common to both Macintosh and Windows platforms.

Check your ability to receive alerts

After the desktop app launches successfully, the appears on your screen, indicating that you are connected to the BlackBerry AtHoc server and are ready to receive alerts.
Check your ability to receive alerts

If the desktop app has been installed but it is disconnected from the BlackBerry AtHoc server, the icon is grayedout with a red circle with a white “x”.

When the desktop app is disconnected, the app cannot receive alerts.

Windows: If your account has been disabled, the icon appears in gray with a yellow circle ( ) and you cannot receive alerts

Manually check for new alerts

The BlackBerry AtHoc desktop app automatically checks for new alerts at an interval that is configured when the app is set up. The default interval is every 120 seconds. It is possible, however, to check for new alerts manually at any time by completing the following steps:

Right-click the (Globe) icon.
In the menu that appears, select the Check for New Alerts option.

The desktop app then polls the BlackBerry AtHoc server asking for new alerts or updates. If there are new alerts, each will appear as a separate pop-up on your desktop.

Respond to alerts

Desktop alerts display as popup windows. After reading the alert, click the Acknowledge and Close button. Click Acknowledge and Close to send a response to the BlackBerry AtHoc system, which tracks, compiles, and reports all recipient responses.
Respond to alerts

You can also click the Inbox link to go to Self Service to view and respond to the alert. If the alert includes response options, select an option and then click Respond and Close. If the alert includes a map, clicking on the map takes you to an interactive map in the alert in Self Service.

Respond to alerts

Close alerts

Desktop alerts display as popup windows. After reading the alert, click the Close button (for informational alerts) or the Acknowledge and Close button (for emergency alerts).

In the following example, clicking the Acknowledge and Close button sends a response to the BlackBerry AtHoc system, which tracks, compiles, and reports all recipient responses.
Close alerts

Close full screen pop-ups

When you receive a full screen pop-up, you can close it in any of the following ways:

Respond to the alert by selecting a response option, then click Respond and Close.
If your BlackBerry AtHoc administrator has enabled this capability, right-click the pop-up to close it.
Right-click the (Globe) icon, then select Dismiss All Popups in the menu that appears. The following image shows how this would be done in a Mac environment:

Close multiple pop-ups

It is possible to close multiple pop-ups at once by completing the following steps:

Right-click .
In the menu that appears, click Dismiss All Popups

Troubleshoot desktop client issues

This section describes issues you might encounter after installing the BlackBerry AtHoc client on users’ desktops. In most cases, the solutions provided in this chapter will resolve these problems. If they do not, contact BlackBerry AtHoc customer support.

Workaround for the Self Service validation error

If you are using Internet Explorer (IE) 10 or newer with Windows 7 or newer, you might receive a validation error when you try to view the Self Service screen. To fix this error, complete the following steps:

Go to Control Panel > Internet Options and click the Security tab.
With the Internet zone options displayed, select the Enable Protected Mode checkbox.
Click the Trusted sites icon.
With the Trusted sites zone options displayed, deselect the Enable Protected Mode checkbox if it is selected.
Click Sites.
On the Trusted sites screen that appears, enter the BlackBerry AtHoc website address in the Add this website to the zone field.
Click Close.
If the Self Service screen is blocked by Active X—indicated by a yellow bar at the top of the screen requesting permission to display images—click Yes to unblock it and allow Active X to display the Self Service screen.

Access desktop app details

Before contacting BlackBerry AtHoc customer support for help with problems you are having with the BlackBerry AtHoc desktop app, you should open the application details screens for the particular version of the application that you are running. The information contained on these screens will be useful for the Support team as they work to diagnose and fix the problem you are encountering.

The application details screens can be accessed by right-clicking and selecting About from the menu that appears.

The System Information tab allows you to see if the app is currently connected to a BlackBerry AtHoc server and the server URL. The Connection Status field displays Connected if you have a connection and the Server Base URL field displays the URL of the server to which you are connected.

The Connection Settings tab, which appears only on Windows platforms, provides options for automatic configuration and use of a proxy server. Because these settings are not used for most installations, it is unlikely you will need to review this information.

The About tab displays the version of the desktop app that is installed on your machine. If the Support team requests that you send them your system details, you can export that information by clicking the Export System Information button on the screen. You can also open your log file or copy and mail your log file path by clicking the corresponding button on the screen.

Incorrect or missing software on your computer

In order for the BlackBerry AtHoc desktop app to work correctly, the following software must be installed on your computer:

BlackBerry AtHoc release: Desktop app release 7.0 or later is compatible only with BlackBerry AtHoc release 7.14 or later releases.
Windows: The desktop app software supports Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit) and above.
Supported browsers:
Internet Explorer: The 7.0 desktop app supports Internet Explorer versions 10 and above.
Safari: The Macintosh client supports Safari versions 6.x and above.
Microsoft Edge
Firefox
Chrome
Macintosh: The desktop app software supports Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion and above.
Installation files: BlackBerry AtHoc provides the installation files required for the app.

Desktop app does not connect

The (Globe – connected) icon displays when it is connected to the BlackBerry AtHoc server. The (Globe – disconnected) icon displays when the desktop app is disconnected. Windows: The (Globe – disabled) icon displays when the user account is disabled in the BlackBerry AtHoc system.

The app might not connect to the BlackBerry AtHoc server due to the network configuration. To resolve the problem, do the following:

Ensure the app workstation is connected to the network.
Verify that proxy and firewall settings are not blocking access in your browser and the Connection Settings for the app.

To verify that your app is connected to the correct server, complete the following steps:

Click .
In the menu that appears, click About.
On the About screen, click the System Information tab if it is not already open.

The Connection Status should be Connected and the Server Base URL should point to the BlackBerry AtHoc server. If the base URL is wrong, the usual fix is to uninstall the app and then install it, inputting the correct set of input parameters, which includes the base URL for the server.

Validation error message (Macintosh only)

If your account has been disabled, the following error message appears when you click the Desktop App icon and select Access Self Service from the drop- down menu that appears: Error: Error encountered retrieving User Attributes Info.

To correct this problem, contact your BlackBerry AtHoc administrator and have them re enable your user account.

Desktop app is not receiving alerts

If you do not receive any alerts after installing the desktop app, check the following:

Was your User ID targeted? To find out if it was, contact the Operator who created the alert and ask them to confirm that your User ID was part of the target group. You can find your User ID by clicking and selecting About from the menu that appears. Your User ID is listed at the top of the Value column on the System Information tab.
Is your BlackBerry AtHoc desktop app connected to a server? Is it the correct server?
Was your account enabled in the BlackBerry AtHoc system? If the desktop app icon appears in gray with a yellow circle ( ), your account is not enabled.

To view the server settings, follow the steps in Desktop app does not connect.

BlackBerry AtHoc Customer Support Portal

BlackBerry AtHoc customers can obtain more information about BlackBerry AtHoc products or get answers to questions about their BlackBerry AtHoc systems through the Customer Support Portal:

https://www.blackberry.com/us/en/support/enterpriseapps/athoc

The BlackBerry AtHoc Customer Support Portal also provides support via computer-based training, operator checklists, best practice resources, reference manuals, and user guides.

Documentation feedback

The BlackBerry AtHoc documentation team strives to provide accurate, useful, and up-to date technical documentation. If you have any feedback or comments about BlackBerry AtHoc documentation, email athocdocfeedback@blackberry.com. Please include the name and version number of the document in your email.

To view additional BlackBerry AtHoc documentation, visit https://docs.blackberry.com/en/id-comm-collab/ blackberry-athoc. To view the BlackBerry AtHoc Quick Action Guides, see https://docs.blackberry.com/en /idcomm-collab/blackberry-athoc/Quick-action guides/latest.

For more information about BlackBerry AtHoc products or if you need answers to questions about your BlackBerry AtHoc system, visit the Customer Support Portal at https://www.blackberry.com/us/en/support/enterpriseapps/ athoc

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