BlackBerry evolving to extend scope of enterprise offerings

BANGALORE, INDIA: BlackBerry, a leader in enterprise mobility segment, has come out with its new Cloud-service. This multi-platform cloud enterprise mobility management solution will enable businesses to easily secure and manage corporate and personal devices.

In a interaction with CIOL, Kash Mainra, Business lead- Large Enterprise, Black Berry India, shares the details on the BlackBerry's new market approach.

CIOL: Can you brief us about the BlackBerry's new enterprise strategy? Any specific plans/areas for the India market?

Kash Mainra: We have implemented a dual approach strategy i.e. from a solution as well as from a device perspective - The first one is focused on the enterprise and the latter on consumers. In India, we are aggressively targeting large, mid-level and small businesses alike. BlackBerry currently has some of the strongest and most robust enterprise services and solutions in the market having transitioned from the ‘push mail' image.

BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES), BES Express, BES 10, BlackBerry Balance and Enterprise Instant Messaging are some of our key services/solutions specifically designed for the enterprise segment. BlackBerry Balance allows IT heads to secure corporate information on personal devices by partitioning personal and corporate data.

The solution allows BlackBerry smartphones and tablets to be used for business and personal purposes without compromising corporate security. It offers flexibility to the workforce while having complete control over business data and prevents any unauthorized sharing of vital business information externally.

With the increased focus of enterprises on the application eco-system, we have been deploying customized enterprise applications for our clients based on their individual requirements, developed by our eco-system of over 40,000 developers in India. The BES 10 has been devised keeping the evolving needs of corporates in mind. As the Gold Standard in Enterprise mobility solutions, BlackBerry is best positioned to address the fast growing mobility needs of enterprises.

With the launch of cloud services, BlackBerry is evolving to extend the scope of its enterprise offering. The new multi-platform cloud enterprise mobility management solution will enable businesses to easily secure and manage corporate and personal devices. We plan to target Indian SMBs in a big way with our upcoming cloud solutions as well.

CIOL: What about BlackBerry's presence in India and its customer base?

KM: BlackBerry's enterprise services are its true legacy and that remains a key focus area for us going forward as well. We are one of the leading players in the enterprise mobility segment. If you look at the sheer adoption of BlackBerry, we currently continue to service about 90 percent of the Fortune 500 companies and 75 percent of ET 500 companies in India.

 

BES 10 represents a consolidation of BlackBerry's enterprise mobility management (EMM) product portfolio, which includes Mobile Device Management (MDM), Mobile Application Management, and Security solutions leveraging the BlackBerry infrastructure.

BES 10 has witnessed a remarkable response from the market both globally and in India. Our worldwide implementations have increased from 12,000 in May 2013 to 25,000 in September 2013. There have been over 1,000 implementations of BES 10 in India since January 2013.

CIOL: How are you planning to tap the market with the new BlackBerry cloud-based EMM solution?

KM: BlackBerry recognizes how critical the cloud is for today's modern enterprise. We will soon launch the new multi-platform cloud enterprise mobility management solution which will enable businesses to easily secure and manage corporate and personal devices. The cloud service will minimize the complexity of managing a fleet of disparate mobile devices, beneficial for IT departments that are strained in today's business environment and essential for teams or businesses without an IT department. With this service, BlackBerry is evolving to extend the scope of its enterprise offering.

We are creating an opportunity for BlackBerry to become a trusted "one-stop shop" for secure enterprise mobility solutions. This new solution will give existing clients the choice to expand their EMM strategy with BlackBerry.

The cloud service will be available through a single monthly subscription which covers both the license and technical support. Subscription pricing means no big upfront costs so long-term cost savings even as it offers comprehensive device and app management for iOS, Android, and BlackBerry 10 users. All this will be in a flexible package that will cost less than a cup of coffee a month and its availability dates will be announced shortly.

CIOL: Investing on servers or software is one of the biggest financial investments for any organization. How can BlackBerry help organizations with the strong server presence? What can be the return on investment for the organizations?

KM: For organizations with strong server presence, our key offerings are BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES), BES Express, BES 10. BES 10 represents a consolidation of BlackBerry's enterprise mobility management (EMM) product portfolio, which includes Mobile Device Management (MDM), Mobile Application Management, and Security solutions leveraging the BlackBerry infrastructure. Our BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express solution is very popular with the SMEs. The zero-cost software provides SMEs the Mobility platform to deploy corporate email and applications on BlackBerry devices and manage them securely, without the need of any additional license cost.

BES 5, BES Express and BES 10 can be deployed on existing servers using Virtualization via Vmware or Microsoft HyperV. Additionally, BES 10 can be deployed on existing BES 5 or BES Express Server by adding additional memory.

The cloud service will deliver enterprise-grade features and security in a secure, low-cost and easy to use service. With flexible controls for users, groups, apps and content, each organization can define the level of management that's right for their business and users at subscription pricing.

CIOL: What are the advantages that an IT administrator can look for with the new cloud-service?

KM: The cloud service is a fast, cost effective and secure device and app management solution. For management that goes beyond basic Microsoft ActiveSync, BES 10 Cloud is purpose built to satisfy both business and end user needs. We see a huge opportunity in the SMB market along with Enterprises across verticals with respect to cloud service adoption.

IT administrators will be able to use the following features on the cloud: Comprehensive device and app management for iOS, Android, and BlackBerry 10 users; easy to setup and use online management console for defining individual and group email, WiFi, VPN, compliance settings and more; ability to publish recommended apps to a private app storefront from App Store, Google; companies can monitor the devices and automate action to enforce compliance; and the self-service portal saves time and cost - users can easily manage their own devices without relying on an administrator.

For CIOs, the cloud service will deliver enterprise-grade features and security in a secure, low-cost and easy to use service. With flexible controls for users, groups, apps and content, each organization can define the level of management that's right for their business and users. The subscription pricing will also result in low upfront costs and long-term cost savings with the added benefits of a comprehensive device and app management platform for a fleet of disparate mobile devices.