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RIM to support iOS and Android devices
by Anter Prakash Singh - May 3, 2011 - comments
RIM announced that its BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) will be able to handle the security and the IT policy of the iOS and Android devices.
In a major shift in the policies of the company, Research In Motion (RIM) announced Monday that it will offer BlackBerry Enterprise Solution to iOS and Android devices later this year.
The move signifies that BlackBerry has started to admit that it is not the only smartphone manufacturer that the businesses may be interested in.
iOS, Android support
RIM announced that its BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) will be able to handle the security and the IT policy of the iOS and Android devices.
The BES and BESX will be able to manage devices over the air, performing functions like activating the devices, locking or wiping them, distributing applications and software, enforcing and resetting device passwords, IT policies and administration of optional applications for the end users.
Besides the multi-platform support, RIM has improved security on devices for business and personal use.
RIM however pointed out that some of the features will remain exclusively available to the BlackBerry users like the push technology of the RIM, behind the fire wall access to the enterprise systems and applications, and several other 550 IT policies of BES.
The move to offer services to devices run by iOS and the Android mean businesses are no longer restricted to the BlackBerry.
Companies that have heavily invested in the BlackBerry Servers can now support Apple and Android devices with their present infrastructure.
“The multi-platform BlackBerry Enterprise Solution is designed to address a growing market and response to requests from enterprise customers who want a secure multi-platform device management solution from a company that already delivers the gold standards for enterprise mobility,” said Peter Devenyi, vice president, communications platform group, RIM.
Other developments
Besides the multi-platform support, RIM has improved security on devices for business and personal use.
Many people have a single smartphone which they use as their working device and personal phone. The problem in such a case is that enterprise data can be leaked when it is transferred to personal accounts or services.
BlackBerry Balance will not let this happen, as it will keep the enterprise data on the smart phone separate from the personal data of the user and will not allow them to mix.
In case the employee leaves the organization, that data can even be deleted, leaving aside the personal data of the user.
BlackBerry Balance will be built on BlackBerry OS 7 but OS 6 devices will also be able use it.