10 Apr Manage iOS and Android devices… with Blackberry software
Last Tuesday, Research In Motion (RIM) launched mobile device management software that enables large enterprise to secure and manage not only their blackberry fleet, but also iOS and Android devices through the same servers they use for the Blackberry smartphone and Playbook tablet (Business Enterprise Server). The software, dubbed “Mobile Fusion”, is believed by some to be RIM’s recognition of the declining popularity of blackberry’s within both the overall smartphone market and within their main market; enterprises. The appeal of RIM’s blackberry devices has resided namely within the highly secure nature of the devices, which RIM endeavours to continue to provide to its customers for iOS and Android devices as well.
“For businesses and government, managing a mix of mobile devices on any scale is chaotic. 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,” said Alan Panezic, Vice President, Enterprise Product Management and Marketing at RIM said in a statement.
There are five management and security components within RIM’s new software:
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- BlackBerry Mobile Fusion Studio, a web-based interface that lets administrator manage mobile devices, users, configurations, policies and more.
- BES software, which will still be used to manage corporate-liable BlackBerry smartphones running BlackBerry OS 7.1 or earlier
- BES Express, free software used to manage personal-liable BlackBerry smartphones running BlackBerry OS 7.1 or earlier
- BlackBerry Device Service, which is used to manage BlackBerry PlayBook tablets
- Universal Device Service, which provides mobile device management tools for Apple iOS and Google Android smartphones and tablets.
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The software is free to download, but is priced according to the number of devices being managed:
“Client access licenses (CALs) start at $99 per user or $4 per user per month (billed annually); volume discounts are also available,” the company said.
The Mobile Fusion app is now available in both the App Store and Google Play.
For more information on Mobile Fusion visit Blackberry’s website.