The rumor is that the next set of phones using QNX will support ActiveSync. The issue was with BIS, not BES, so I assume that's what you meant.

Which Torch? The original 9800 was still pretty weak, but the new line is much better. Also, I'd suggest you setup a BES Express for your company. It's free and its not that complicated to setup. Not sure how big your infrastructure is, but I run it on a virtual machine and it works great. In fact, I had no issues with my BES email coming through during the outage. I had a problem with my Gmail though during that period. Another user on an old 8830 didn't get his BES emails though, so it might have been my good luck, or the fact I have a new device (Torch 9850) which runs the newer OS and may be more fault tolerant.

What's wrong with the apps? A good number are quality games, but there are some real good tools in there too. I've been using BlackBerry effectively for years and I was running apps before iPhone even came out. The apps may not always look as pretty, and there may not be the sheer bulk of quantity, but there are some nice quality apps that I rely on and work great. But I get it you don't like BlackBerry. Regarding BES, I've rarely had any issues with BES. Most issues stem from a bad configuration (easy to do due to the complexity, but still). Other issues stem from sys admins being too lazy to update the software (or too fearful).

There are only a few of us BB users left at my company, but I had no BES issues (just issues with Gmail during the last day), and another user had no service at all. Of course, I have a new BB Torch 9850 and he had an ancient 8830, so that may have played a role. Both on the same BES.