BlackBerry on Tuesday launched a new app for Android and iOS devices called Secure Work Space for BES 10. The new offering is geared for enterprise users and promises to deliver the same level of security BlackBerry owners have grown accustomed to.
The new Android and iOS app works through BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, which allows a company to manage all the mobile devices on its network from a unified dashboard. So although you can download Secure Work Space right now in both the Google Play and iOS app stores, you'll need to have your company on board to actually get it to work.
"With an integrated management console, our clients can now see all of the devices they have on their network, manage those devices and connect to them securely," said David Smith, head of enterprise mobile computing at BlackBerry, in an interview with Reuters. "We now also have a secure work space on Android and iOS that allows our clients to secure and manage the data on those devices as well."
BlackBerry's security features are arguably the most compelling selling point that the company still has to leverage to sell its own devices. The move to export the features to other platforms reflects a growing disinterest in BlackBerry hardware, as well as a shift in the company's focus toward the software side of their business.
Secure Work Space functions by fencing off specified apps, such as email and calendar programs, and then routing all incoming and outgoing data associated with those apps through Enterprise Service 10, where the information is secured using 256-bit AES encryption.
In addition to added security, Secure Work Space offers a number of other features. Users can auto-populate the Contacts app with information from a company directory, and a secure web browser allows employees to access internal web pages.
