Ina Fried

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RIM’s Server Now Manages iPhone, Android Devices, Too

Acknowledging it is no longer a BlackBerry-only world, Research In Motion on Tuesday released the first version of its server software to manage other company’s mobile devices.

The update to BlackBerry Mobile Fusion, as promised, can help businesses keep tabs on Android and iOS devices in addition to BlackBerry phones and PlayBook tablets.

“For businesses and government, managing a mix of mobile devices on any scale is chaotic,” RIM VP Alan Panezic said in a statement. “Organizations face pressure to allow employees to bring their own devices into the workplace, and they are looking to RIM as the global leader in the enterprise mobility space to solve that problem.”

RIM has been talking about such a move since early last year.

The BlackBerry Mobile Fusion server can be downloaded for free, with businesses paying $99 per year or $4 a month per phone being managed. There is also a 60-day free trial.

In order to work with iPhones and Android, the server requires a piece of software to be installed on those devices — the reason RIM says it is hiring more people with iOS experience.

The new software will also be able to manage BlackBerry 10 phones when they ship later this year.

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Another gadget you don’t really need. Will not work once you get it home. New model out in 4 weeks. Battery life is too short to be of any use.

— From the fact sheet for a fake product entitled Useless Plasticbox 1.2 (an actual empty plastic box) placed in L.A.-area Best Buy stores by an artist called Plastic Jesus