The FINANCIAL — BlackBerry Limited unveiled its mobile-native approach to security with the launch of a comprehensive platform designed for the Enterprise of Things.
BlackBerry’s new platform is designed to be the foundation that drives the company’s ongoing move to software, is cloud enabled and addresses the entire enterprise from endpoint to endpoint. This platform completes the integration of the company’s prior acquisitions of key technologies such as Good Technology, WatchDox, AtHoc and Encription.
Data breaches and cybersecurity threats are some of the biggest roadblocks to realizing the greatest potential of the Enterprise of Things, which BlackBerry defines as the network of intelligent connections and endpoints within the enterprise that enable products to move from sketch to scale. It is a collection of devices, computers, sensors, trackers, equipment and other “things” that communicate with each other to enable smart product development, distribution, marketing and sales, according to BlackBerry.
“Businesses must be able to confidentially and reliably transmit sensitive data between endpoints to keep people, information and goods safe,” said John Chen, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, BlackBerry. “BlackBerry is uniquely qualified to address this emerging market now because of our deep experience, industry leadership and ongoing product innovation that addresses future business needs.”
The totality of the BlackBerry solution is called BlackBerry Secure and is grounded in the company’s mobile software security platform. It helps companies manage and secure their mobile devices and connected things and secures communications for all messaging and file types – ultimately opening up new markets for BlackBerry where multiple endpoint mobile security management and applications are critical. For example, BlackBerry’s platform helps to prevent hackers from penetrating devices and computers, provide intelligence for highly secure supply chain communications, ensure patient confidentiality in healthcare and safeguard assets in the financial industry.
Chen added, “Our customers’ investments are protected because this foundational platform is not only compatible with our current products and third-party software like Microsoft Office 365, but is also ‘future-proofed’ to address upcoming capabilities such as messaging and analytics. It allows customers to build their own apps, workflows and business processes, and will be compatible with future applications and cloud-based systems because we have plans to expand the platform’s features, market segments it supports, and our entire partner ecosystem.”
In addition to more than 80 security certifications, BlackBerry recently ranked the highest in all six use cases of Gartner’s “Critical Capabilities for High-Security Mobility Management” report. The company’s heritage in security has led to the following products that meet the highest security and regulatory requirements, accelerate key business processes and reduce total cost of ownership – ultimately giving organizations complete confidence in their endpoint management:
BlackBerry UEM (formerly BES12) – Provides the granular control and visibility that IT needs to secure all endpoints, along with the flexibility to support a wide array of productivity and other business use cases. BlackBerry UEM supports all major OS platforms (Android for Work, Samsung KNOX, iOS, Windows 10, OS X and BlackBerry 10) and device ownership models with a single console. It also supports native MDM controls for managing device policies and MAM capabilities for deploying approved business apps.
BlackBerry Dynamics (formerly Good Dynamics) – Delivers a foundation for secure enterprise mobility by offering an advanced, mature development platform and container for mobile apps. BlackBerry Dynamics is designed to eliminate the risk of data leakage by delivering proven security at the app level. It is also flexible enough to support a vast and ever-changing set of apps, workflows, and business processes.
BlackBerry Workspaces (formerly WatchDox) – Enables users to share, edit and control their files on every device with the highest level of security due to embedded digital rights management (DRM) protection in the files.
BlackBerry 2FA (formerly Strong Authentication) – Allows users to replace the cost and hassle of a physical token and typing in codes with the simplicity of acknowledging a prompt on their secured mobile device for two-factor authentication.
BlackBerry Enterprise Identity – Enables users to Single Sign-on (SSO) into a variety of third-party cloud services such as Office 365, Box, Dropbox, Workday and Salesforce. Even more compelling is Mobile Zero Sign-on (MZSO), where simply unlocking the phone grants transparent access to services without requiring a password.
BlackBerry SDK – Allows application developers to easily integrate any BlackBerry service (i.e., BlackBerry UEM, BlackBerry Workspaces and BlackBerry Dynamics) into their applications via a Platform-as-a-Service model.
As part of BlackBerry’s platform, the company is launching a new portfolio of business-class applications designed for the mobile-first work environment. Available in January, the apps outlined below are simple for IT to deploy and provide a seamless experience across smartphones, tablets and PCs:
BlackBerry Work (formerly Good Work) – Offers a secure, intuitive and integrated collaboration experience. It combines email, calendar, contacts, presence, document access, document editing and more, allowing organizations to mobilize their workforce effectively.
BlackBerry Access (formerly Good Access) – Gives your organization the ability to confidently enable mobile access to a broad range of web apps and intranet resources containing sensitive information.
BlackBerry Connect (formerly Good Connect) – Accelerates decision-making by allowing employees to securely connect and collaborate in real time on their choice of mobile device.
BlackBerry Share (formerly Good Share) – Allows employees to safely share documents and other content while on the go, on any device.
BlackBerry Tasks (formerly Good Tasks) – Provides the ability to securely create, open and prioritize tasks synchronized with Microsoft Exchange.
BlackBerry Notes – Enables users to stay on top of business workflows by creating, editing and maintaining a tile-view list of notes.
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