13°c Light rain showers
17°c Cloudy with showers
The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION
BlackBerry maker opens up its secure enterprise system to other smartphones
In this Nov. 8, 2011 photo, a Blackberry employee holds a mobile phone of Blackberry in Berlin. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, dapd, Berthold Stadler
TORONTO - Smartphone owners who want to use their personal phones at work can now pick whether it's a BlackBerry, iPhone or Android device.
Research In Motion made the latest update to its secure enterprise service available for download to IT professionals on Wednesday, which it said gives IT departments the flexibility to accommodate a growing trend of bring-your-own-device in workplaces.
"It's a single platform, from an IT perspective, that can manage the full suite of mobility devices they may need to support inside of their organization," said Jeff Holleran, senior director of enterprise product management of RIM in a recent interview.
The move comes as competition heats up for the highly lucrative corporate smartphone market, which has largely been a stronghold for RIM for years, but other players in the industry are making their own plans.
RIM chief executive Thorsten Heins has said more than 90 per cent of Fortune 500 companies deploy BlackBerry in their enterprise system.
However, the company has lost market share to Apple Computer Inc. (Nasdaq:AAPL), whose iPhone smartphone and iPad tablet use Apple's iOS operating systems, and devices using Google's Android operating system.
On Tuesday, an investment wing of Samsung Group — the leading Android smartphone maker — said it was making a "strategic investment" in the enterprise market. It picked up a stake in Toronto-based Fixmo Inc., a software maker that specializes in data and device security.
Fixmo has partnered with the U.S. National Security Agency to develop technology like its SafeZone encrypted email technology and Sentinel, which monitors mobile phone security. The company is home to several former RIM employees, including chief marketing officer Tyler Lessard.
Details on how much Samsung invested in the company were not disclosed, though Fixmo has said it is a "small equity stake."
The announcements come as RIM prepares to unveil its new BlackBerry smartphones and operating system on Jan. 30. The company hopes to attract a large set of the business market with features like its BlackBerry Balance technology, which allows one phone to operate as both a business and personal device entirely separate from each other.
But the move to open up its enterprise service also protects RIM from the possibility that its new devices could be considered a sales flop. With a system that invites both the Apple and Android operating systems into the fray it could continue to operate no matter the outcome of the new product launch.
The enterprise management system, called BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, will also allow corporations to manage and remotely install apps for their employees through the BlackBerry World app store.
More FP News Top Story
- Back to Top
- Return to FP News Top Story
More FP News Top Story
(1 of 43 articles for this week)
Duffy expense controversy sent back to closed-door Senate committee
05/21/2013 10:02 PM 0
Poll
Most Popular FP News Top Story
- Dates set for recreational food fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador
- Polar bear webcam captures live images of Hudson Bay migration in Canada
- Former NHLer Keith Primeau believes helmet device can cut down on concussions
- A closer look at the 3 new game consoles from Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony
- 15 die as boat sinks in Vietnam during toddler's birthday party; 5 kids among dead
- Afghan army gives donated rifles back to Canada in favour of U.S. weapons
- Alberta recruiting hundreds of staff for giant new Edmonton Remand Centre
- Accountable self-government long term goal for aboriginal communities: Harper
- Alaska woman, 85, uses shovel to fend off agitated moose attacking her husband
- Shafia, guilty of murder, literally washed his hands of his daughters
- Dates set for recreational food fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador
- Pakistani model's tattooed nude photo in Indian magazine causes uproar
- Unidentified victims of Bangladesh collapse buried as more graves are readied; toll now 420
- In unusual pattern, Oklahoma tornado tracked path of 1999 monster twister with record winds
- Israeli archaeologists discover ancient clay seal in Jerusalem, suggest link to Temple ritual
- A closer look at the 3 new game consoles from Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony
- Car bomb at French Embassy in Libyan capital wounds 3 in latest sign of deepening lawlessness
- Military ombudsman appeals to defence chief over home-equity losses
- Sens-Habs series gets ugly:Eric Gryba suspended two games for Lars Eller hit
- First lady: Jobs program has led to training or hiring of 290,000 veterans, military spouses
- ESPN says it regrets that reporter described gay NBA player Collins as a sinner
- Pakistani model's tattooed nude photo in Indian magazine causes uproar
- Unidentified victims of Bangladesh collapse buried as more graves are readied; toll now 420
- Dates set for recreational food fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador
- Census 2011 makes history: population in the West surpasses that in the East
- As Boston mourns, suspected brothers' radicalism comes into focus
- Car bomb at French Embassy in Libyan capital wounds 3 in latest sign of deepening lawlessness
- Israeli archaeologists discover ancient clay seal in Jerusalem, suggest link to Temple ritual
- Still no winner for $50 million Lotto Max jackpot, but Manitoba has a $1 million winner
- Police: Boston Marathon bomb suspect fired shots from boat, hospitalized in serious condition
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.