Now that Heyman-Layne is back in Anchorage, she uses her BlackBerry to communicate with co-workers and clients when she is away from the office, enabling her to be less tied doing to her desk while still effectively doing her job, she said.

Despite Alaska's geographic isolation, its professionals can stay connected with their colleagues and southern counterparts using the latest in wireless technology.

The hand-held devices can send and receive e-mails, access e-mail attachments, update calendars and browse the Internet. The BlackBerry also doubles as a cell phone with an address and text-messaging service.

The BlackBerry's e-mail accounts and calendar are synchronized with a user's computer, eliminating the need to retrieve e-mails and transfer appointment information.

More than 1 million people use a BlackBerry device worldwide, and Alaskans are quickly jumping on the bandwith. Nearly 5,000 of Cellular One's users in Alaska subscribe to its data service for a BlackBerry device or laptop wireless modem, according to Gina McNealy, regional marketing manager for the company's Alaska operations.

Cellular One began offering the BlackBerry with unlimited data service in mid-November, McNealy said. The service extends throughout the state's most populated areas, including the areas surrounding Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and Ketchikan.

At the same time Cellular One launched its BlackBerry service in Alaska, it began offering the new service in the Lower 48 as well, said Craig Davis, a spokesman for Cellular One's parent company Dobson Communications Corp.

Heyman-Layne along with the 11 other attorneys at Dorsey & Whitney's Anchorage office began using their BlackBerry devices in early December.

Dorsey & Whitney offered all of its nearly 640 attorneys worldwide as well as some of its support staff the option of using a BlackBerry. The firm covers the service fees and offers technical support free of charge, Heyman-Layne noted.

In all, about 700 people inside Dorsey & Whitney use a BlackBerry, said Carolee Swallie, the firm's director of global communications.

Heyman-Layne said she likes the BlackBerry's typing shortcuts - the device automatically inserts a period before two spaces, among other time-savers - and the airplane function, which allows her to draft e-mails in the air that are sent when the plane lands.

On the other hand, Heyman-Layne's husband likes using her BlackBerry to check sport scores online, especially when he is out somewhere he doesn't particularly want to be, she said.

Since the BlackBerry service uses the same network as Cellular One's cell phones, Heyman-Layne can use her device to check e-mail and browse online in the same places she uses her cell phone. In addition, she no longer needs to lug her laptop around and search for places to dial up.

Heyman-Layne said she now feels more comfortable stepping out of the office midday to run an errand or leave work early to go to the gym because she is still in touch with her co-workers and clients.

In law, it's important to be easily accessible, she said. "Most clients like to know that you are always keeping an eye out for them."

The BlackBerry also enables attorneys to work during the downtime of waiting for a meeting or hearing to begin, Heyman-Layne said.

In general, the BlackBerry works well for professionals who are frequently away from their office, including sales executives, real estate agents and working parents. Military personal also subscribe to the BlackBerry service, McNealy said. "The whole point of this product is to turn downtime to uptime."

The perks of owning a BlackBerry are sometimes overshadowed by the device's drawbacks, Heyman-Layne said.

"When I need to be reached and I have something to do, I am glad I have it," she said. "But on the weekends when it buzzes, which means I have a message, I sometimes wish I didn't have it."

The device doesn't have a spell-check function and it's small keyboard makes writing e-mails a time-consuming process, she noted.

While Cellular One is currently the only wireless provider in Alaska offering the BlackBerry service, others are not far behind.

Alaska Digitel is scheduled to launch its data services March 1, which will allow a customer to purchase a BlackBerry and use it on the company's system, said vice president and general manager Clay Dover.

MTA Wireless is also working on rolling out its data services and has plans to research offering BlackBerry products when its data services are available, according to Jackie Whitstine, the company's public relations manager.

Alaska Communications Systems has been offering data services since May 2004, making it possible for subscribers with personal data assistants, such as the Kyocera 7135 smartphone, to access their e-mail and browse online among other similar features of the BlackBerry device, said vice president Mary Ann Pease.

Other phones offered by ACS and Cellular One are equipped to browse the web, download ring tones, and send and receive digital pictures. ACS offers unlimited data service for $15 per month, whereas Cellular One offers three data packages of varying megabyte usage between $7.99 and $19.99 per month.

Since Cellular One began offering data services in July 2004, about 40 percent of its customers have subscribed to its data services, McNealy said. "We can't believe how many people have migrated to our data services."