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BlackBerry intros mobile security platform for enterprise IoT

Dubbed BlackBerry Secure, the platform folds together BlackBerry's acquisitions of Good Technology, WatchDox, AtHoc, and Encription into a comprehensive software suite.
Written by Natalie Gagliordi, Contributor

BlackBerry's transition to a software and services-based business took another step forward Thursday, with the announcement of what the company described as an "Enterprise of Things" management platform.

Dubbed BlackBerry Secure, the platform folds together BlackBerry's acquisitions of Good Technology, WatchDox, AtHoc, and Encription into a comprehensive software suite designed to connect and secure all devices and endpoints in the enterprise, including mobile devices, computers, tracking sensors, and vehicles.

In terms of what's really new inside BlackBerry Secure, it seems like most of the nuts and bolts were already offered as disparate products. For instance, the BlackBerry Dynamics product stems from the Good Dynamics platform acquired from Good Technology, and the secure file-sharing tool BlackBerry Workspaces comes from BlackBerry's acquisition of WatchDox.

These products will now be packaged more tightly from a deployment and integration perspective, BlackBerry said.

BlackBerry insists there are some new features inside the platform, including enhancements around its collaboration portfolio and the addition of a more robust cross-platform environment that was not previously available.

"Our customers' investments are protected because this foundational platform is not only compatible with our current products and third-party software like Microsoft 365, but is also 'future-proofed' to address upcoming capabilities such as messaging and analytics," said BlackBerry CEO John Chen. "It allows customers to build their own apps, workflows and business processes, and will be compatible with future applications and cloud-based systems because we have plans to expand the platform's features, market segments it supports, and our entire partner ecosystem."

Some of the platform's other integrations include BlackBerry Work, formerly known as Good Work, which combines email, calendar, contacts, and document apps. There's also BlackBerry Tasks, formerly Good Tasks, which lets users create, open and prioritize tasks synchronized with Microsoft Exchange.

BlackBerry said the platform will be ready to ship by Jan. 10.

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