Update: Astute reader MXH070 noted that BB10 became the first MDM solution to receive Full Operational Capability (FOC) from the U.S. Department of Defense today. The designation enables government workers on a BB10 smartphone running BES10 to securely access email, data, apps and other DoD network resources.
BlackBerry took a big step yesterday towards winning back enterprise services revenue, announcing that BlackBerry Secure Work Space has received FIPS 140-2 certification. Secure Work Space, which BlackBerry released in June of last year, allows enterprise IT admins to manage iOS and Android devices via BES10. With Secure Work Space, all BES 10 protocols can be applied to the non-BlackBerry devices, giving admins the security corporate environments require while employees get to enjoy their preferred mobile device.
FIPS 140-2 is a security standard issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and is essentially a prerequisite for security conscious governments, including the U.S. and Canada. FIPS 140-2 certification for Secure Work Space greatly improves the odds of BES10 – which itself is already FIPS certified – becoming the MDM (Mobile Device Management) option of choice for governments around the world, and thus a much-needed revenue source for BlackBerry.
Of course, FIPS certification of Secure Work Space could also lead to government agencies purging their remaining BlackBerry smartphones in favour of other brands, a move the White House is said to be considering for U.S. President Barack Obama. One battle at a time, I guess.
[source]BlackBerry[/source]
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