BlackBerry Optimizes Mobile Security Platform for IoT

BlackBerry is shipping updated security and productivity for its BlackBerry Enterprise Mobility Suite (BEMS). The upgrade comes to meet an expected flood of IoT devices – with estimates hitting 20 billion in three years.

by Yves de Montcheuil (@ydemontcheuil)

Tags: analytics, Android, BlackBerry, BYOD, iOS, mobile, IoT, security, unified endpoint management,

As the number of connected IoT [Internet of Things) devices speeds toward an estimated 20 billion by 2020, a growing number of businesses are looking for stream-friendly security solutions to let them reliably transmit sensitive data between endpoints.

 

BlackBerry is shipping its entry, having recently updated security and productivity for its BlackBerry Enterprise Mobility Suite (BEMS) enterprise software platform.  BEMS provides secure, management policies and controls across platforms (iOS, Android, Windows 10, macOS, and Samsung Knox) as well as device ownership models such as BYOD and corporate-owned.

 

"The explosion of devices and consumer applications is making it increasingly difficult for enterprises to balance information security and compliance with productivity and connectivity," said Billy Ho, BlackBerry’s executive vice president of enterprise software. 

 

In a nutshell, the latest version of BEMS is designed to tackle many of the vulnerabilities – without compromising performance or scale, Ho noted.  To achieve this balance, BlackBerry sports a unified approach and adds embedded intelligence to its platform secure IoT traffic data and apps, he added.

 

The BEMS approach aims delivers many benefits to IoT-facing businesses, Ho said, including: 

  • Keep hackers out
  • Provide secure supply chain intelligence
  • Safeguard customer information
  • Offer highly secure mobile communications
  • Connect mobile devices
  • Manage crisis communications
  • Protect proprietary data

 

He explained that MDM [Mobile Device Management] and EMM [Enterprise Mobility Management] are “simply not enough to balance security and productivity.”   That is why BlackBerry’s approach offers what Ho called a ‘unified endpoint management platform’ to let companies secure and manage devices -- plus their associated applications. “By making it easier to use, we are removing one of the biggest IT challenges - getting employees to use corporate applications,” he added.

 

In specific, BEMS offers these productivity and security improvements:

 

Manage and Secure Microsoft Office 365 Mobile Applications: IT can manage and apply protection policies to Microsoft Office 365 mobile applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint from BlackBerry UEM.

 

Access Business Data on Unmanaged Laptops: Users of BlackBerry Access, will now be able to securely work with business data on their personal or BYOL (Bring-Your-Own-Laptop) Windows 10 and MacOS computers.

 

Provide In-line Comments, @Mentions and DocuSign: BlackBerry's secure Enterprise File Synchronization and Sharing (EFSS) solution, BlackBerry Workspaces, has been updated to allow in-line comments, @mentions and alerts. DocuSign has also been integrated, adding a key workflow for legally binding documents such as loan applications and financial transactions.

 

Leverage Application Analytics: BlackBerry Analytics can now track daily and monthly active users, daily minutes used, usage by OS type and version, daily launch count and user engagement by feature (such as 1:1 chat vs group chat). This application analytics capability gives IT and developers the key insight they need to increase business productivity, such as modifying UX flow, modifying training or altering maintenance schedules.

 

Manage More Wearables: BlackBerry has extended its endpoint management software capabilities to include modern workforce devices such as smart glasses. Applications specific to wearables, such as Ubimax and Atheer, can also be securely managed.

 

The latest BEMS enhancements are designed to power what BlackBerry execs call the ‘Enterprise of Things.’  Chris Hazelton, BlackBerry’s director of enterprise product marketing, talked about this ‘Enterprise of Things’ in a recent blog post:

The Enterprise of Things has arrived. Enterprise Mobility Management is no longer sufficient – to secure, manage, and connect your business and its users, you need to take a new, unified approach.

With comprehensive support for a wide range of devices and a powerful, intuitive management console, Unified Endpoint Management allows IT managers to protect their organization and its people from the vast array of cyber threats the business faces.

BEMS is part of BlackBerry Secure, the company’s secure and comprehensive platform to connect people, devices, processes and systems.  BEMS can be delivered on premises or as a cloud service.




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