James Delahunty
29 Nov 2011 9:25
RIM aims to cash in on switch to other smartphones.
Security features offered by BlackBerry handsets have been a selling point for corporations and governments over the years. Employees have been armed with the devices, which offer encryption and other useful features, such as the ability to remotely wipe data from stolen handsets.
In recent times, there has been a shift away from BlackBerry phones to iPhones and smartphones running the Android operating system. Some hesitation remains for corporations due to security concerns with the new models, but RIM is offering a solution to that problem.
The company said today that it will offer a new Mobile Fusion device management software solution next year. The new software allows corporate IT staff to set and monitor rules for passwords, applications and software across many devices.
The software will allow the IT staff to remotely lock or wipe a stolen device and many other features that have made BlackBerry's attractive. "What our enterprise customers are looking for, and the opportunity for us, is to become the de facto platform," Alan Panezic, RIM's vice-president for enterprise product management, told Reuters.
"We will take full advantage of whatever security capabilities are provided by the core operating system. We're not going to hold that back in any way, shape or form."