BES getting enhanced security, collaboration, communication

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BlackBerry's further enhancing their enterprise standing with the release of cross-platform new management and productivity tools for BlackBerry, iPhone, and Android. The Secure Productivity bundle for businesses using BlackBerry Enterprise Service (BES10 or BES12) and offers support for using a device as a two-factor VPN authentication token, BBM Protected for secure and encrypted messaging, BlackBerry Blend, and enhanced customer support.

The Enterprise Communicator bundle is all about secure mobile communications and collaboration. BBM Meetings is mobile-designed collaboration app for voice and video conferencing for up to 25 participants and will be compatible with iOS, Android, BlackBerry 10, Windows, and Mac OS X. Also included is enhanced "Advantage Level Support" and online resources and training.

The Secure Productivity bundle will cost $6/user/month, while the Enterprise Communicator bundle will be $12/user/month. For more details, check out the complete press release below.

Press release:

BlackBerry Offers New Enterprise Solutions Bundles to Increase Productivity and Collaboration

WATERLOO, ONTARIO--(Dec. 17, 2014) BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ:BBRY)(TSX:BB), a global leader in mobile communications, today announced the availability of two new enterprise solutions bundles that provide increased productivity and collaboration benefits to enterprises at a reduced cost. The Secure Productivity bundle for BlackBerry 10 smartphones and the cross-platform Enterprise Communicator bundle are available today.

"BlackBerry's new enterprise solutions represent a unique offering to enterprises that are looking to extend more productivity benefits to their employees," said Rob Enderle of Enderle Group. "As mobile computing continues to change the way employees work, these solutions will enable increased collaboration between users as well as access to critical company information, without compromising security and control."

The Secure Productivity bundle has been designed for organizations using BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 or BES12: a cross-platform EMM solution by BlackBerry that need to protect mission-critical business data while offering employees seamless access to company information on their BlackBerry 10 smartphones. The bundle includes the following solutions:

  • VPN Authentication by BlackBerry® allows employees to use their iOS, Android or BlackBerry smartphone for two factor authentication, for a great user experience. This solution eliminates the need for the issuance, management and use of costly and inconvenient hardware tokens, helping minimize overall expenses and improve employee productivity.
  • BBM™ Protected offers an enhanced security model for BBM messages sent between iOS*, Android, and BlackBerry smartphones that protects corporate data in transit by adding an additional layer of encryption to BBM.
  • BlackBerry® Blend for Enterprise allows employees to securely access corporate data on personal devices without a VPN, and streamlines IT administration through simple IT policies that govern how corporate data is shared across devices. BlackBerry Blend is now available for BlackBerry Classic and BlackBerry Passport smartphones, Porsche Design P'9983 smartphone from BlackBerry, and coming soon to all BlackBerry 10 smartphones.
  • Advantage Level Support helps keep an enterprise's demanding cross-platform mobility environment up and running smoothly, with 24x7x365 phone support and access to online resources and training.

The Enterprise Communicator bundle extends secure communications and mobile collaboration to iOS, Android and BlackBerry devices enabling employees to be more productive on the go. The bundle includes the following BlackBerry enterprise solutions:

  • BBM Meetings is a mobile-first collaboration app that allows voice and video conferences for groups of up to 25 people on iOS, Android, or BlackBerry 10 smartphones, and also on Windows PC or Mac. BBM Meetings provides better productivity through a user experience built for mobile. BBM users can turn chats into meetings at the touch of a button and schedule a meeting, host or present on the go.
  • BBM Protected offers an enhanced security model for BBM messages, protecting corporate data in transit by adding an additional layer of encryption to BBM and bringing security-conscious organizations the most secure and reliable real-time mobile messaging experience. BBM Protected is now available for iOS* and Android devices as well as BlackBerry smartphones.
  • Advantage Level Support, with 24x7x365 phone support and access to online resources and training.

"BlackBerry's portfolio of enterprise solutions goes beyond traditional EMM capabilities to enable enterprises to solve the security and productivity challenges they face every day," said Billy Ho, Executive Vice President, Enterprise Product and Value Added Solutions, BlackBerry. "Organizations can take advantage of BBM Protected and BBM Meetings to enhance the security of their messages and the productivity of their users. Additionally, VPN Authentication by BlackBerry reduces IT overhead by eliminating one-time password tokens and PIN reset costs, and BlackBerry Blend for Enterprise seamlessly brings messaging and content from BlackBerry smartphones to employees' computers and tablets."

Pricing and Availability

The Secure Productivity bundle is available for enterprise customers with BES and BlackBerry 10 smartphones for $6 USD per user per month. The Enterprise Communicator bundle is available to customers with iOS*, Android and BlackBerry smartphones for $12 USD per user per month. No BES is required for BBM Meetings or for BBM Protected on iOS and Android devices. Bundles will be billed on an annual basis. Enterprises can purchase either bundle today through their BlackBerry account manager, licensed distributor and online through the BlackBerry Enterprise Store at https://store.blackberry.com/direct/.

For more information on the Secure Productivity bundle, visit http://global.blackberry.com/en/enterprise/products/secure-productivity-bundle.html.

For more information on the Enterprise Communicator bundle, visit http://global.blackberry.com/en/enterprise/products/enterprise-communicator-bundle.html.

*Availability for BBM Protected on iOS pending App Store approval.

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