BlackBerry Bringing Security Feature to iOS, Android

BlackBerry is extending one of the key features of its new BlackBerry 10 platform to Android and iOS, a key step in its quest to remain relevant in an enterprise market that’s now comfortable supporting multiple mobile operating systems.

Come June, BlackBerry will ship Secure Work Space for iOS and Android, a security solution that allows enterprise customers to separate and secure both work and personal data on employee smartphones. Similar to the company’s BlackBerry Balance technology, Secure Work Space essentially containerizes devices, securely separating work email and apps from personal ones. Not only does it remove the need for employees to carry individual devices for work and personal needs, it frees up companies from managing the virtual private networks needed to provide secure access to workers in the field. And it can all be managed through BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 (BES).

That last bit may be the most important of all, because Secure Work Space will almost certainly make BES that much more appealing to the enterprise market that has long been BlackBerry’s stronghold. And, crucially, it allows the company to sell high-margin services to enterprise customers, even if some of their employees are using devices built on Android or iOS.

BlackBerry’s service revenue had been expected to drop this year. Perhaps, BES 10 and Secure Work Space can temper that decline.