Press Release

WATERLOO, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – May 14, 2013) – BlackBerry® (NASDAQ: BBRY)(TSX: BB) today announced BlackBerry® Enterprise Service 10 version 10.1, an update to BlackBerry’s multi-platform Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) solution that provides device and app management for BYOD and corporate-owned BlackBerry®, iOS® and Android™ devices. Today’s update brings new “Regulated-level” IT policy controls and settings for government agencies and customers in regulated industries who require an advanced level of security, control and logging of BlackBerry® 10 smartphones. It also allows customers to support BlackBerry 10 and Bla ckBerry OS smartphones from a single server.

BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 version 10.1 is free to download and existing BlackBerry® Enterprise Server 5 customers can exchange their client access licenses for free through 2013(i). To date, 12,000 BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 servers have been installed by customers around the world.

Key features of BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 version 10.1

• Regulated-level EMM. BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 version 10.1 provides customers with an optional set of extended IT policy settings and controls that restricts the use of a BlackBerry 10 smartphone for work only (does not allow personal apps and content).
• Simplified deployment for a lower total cost of ownership. Following a simple installation process, customers will be able to use BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 version 10.1 to manage BlackBerry 10 smartphones, BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablets, iOS and Android devices, as well as earlier model BlackBerry smartphones. Upgrading to BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 version 10.1 is simple and intuitive, and existing BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5 customers can quickly upgrade to BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 version 10.1 with no firewall changes.
• Dashboard & reporting. New dashboard capabilities provide an “at-a-glance” graphical view of information and statistics associated with the customer’s complete fleet of devices, providing administrators with immediate access to the information they need. The dashboard displays a high level overview of information such as a device deployment summary by platform and carrier, device compliance state, application deployments, and more.
• High Availability. All components of BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 can now be deployed in a highly available active/passive configuration, similar to the high availability support offered by BlackBerry  Enterprise Server 5.0. It offers simple, easy to configure threshold settings and improved failover performance.
• BlackBerry Support is now included as standard. Care(ii) now comes as standard with BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 deployments(iii), providing 12×5 telephone access to BlackBerry experts, responsive online support, access to training, productivity and diagnostic tools. Extended technical support offerings are available.

“The new Regulated-level EMM options in BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 version 10.1 give our government and high-security customers the advanced settings they need to have complete control of the BlackBerry 10 smartphones connected to their networks,” said David J Smith, EVP, Enterprise Mobile Computing. “Extending BlackBerry security, device and application management to iOS and Android frees our customers from the need to invest in multiple device management technologies, giving them an easy and cost-effective upgrade path to a solution that supports their entire mobile environment globally.”
“BlackBerry remains the only mobile solution that has a significant focus on security and business,” said Rob Enderle, Principal Analyst, Enderle Group. “This allows BlackBerry to stand out positively in a market dominated by consumer focused solutions and appeal to those that rank work and productivity as more important. They also provide the fastest solution which has proven critical to those where seconds mean dollars or lives.”

On the Road Map for Enterprises

Announced in March 2013 and scheduled to be available at the end June 2013, a further update of BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 is intended to extend BlackBerry security capabilities for data-at-rest and data-in-transit and provide complete separation between work and personal data and applications for iOS and Android devices. Subject to approval by the Apple App Store and Google Play, as applicable, the new BlackBerry Secure Work Space for iOS and Android solution would include client applications that secure email, calendar, contacts, tasks, memos, browsing and document editing for the device provisioned with BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10. It would also introduce BlackBerry’s single outbound port solution, aimed at greatly simplifying firewall configuration and giving customers a more secure, simple, cost effective and VPN-less infrastructure to reliably manage all of their mobile devices. Additionally, customers would be ab le to “app wrap” to secure additional applications to run within BlackBerry Secure Work Space through simple interfaces made available with the product. The solution is currently in closed beta with BlackBerry customers and partners worldwide.

For companies that don’t require behind the firewall app and browsing access, application management, or advanced security and controls, BlackBerry 10 smartphones support ActiveSync, providing organizations a fast and easy solution for synchronizing with Microsoft® Exchange®, IBM® Notes® Traveler, Novell® GroupWise®, Hotmail®, Microsoft® Office365™, and Google Apps™. This is an attractive option for SMBs and larger companies that don’t require the comprehensive controls and settings offered by BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 and are looking for a fast, cost effective way to connect BlackBerry 10 smartphones to their enterprise messaging systems.

Availability

The BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 version 10.1 server software is available as a free download at www.bes10.com. Annual client access licenses (CALs) are free for BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5 customers trading up existing BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5 CALs through 2013(i), or can be purchased for $59 per year per device. For Regulated-level EMM capabilities, additional carrier charges may apply.

BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 version 10.1 server software is also available as a sixty (60) day free trial including 20 CALs and can be downloaded here.

The BlackBerry 10 Ready Program continues to run with offers, information and resources to help organizations make the transition to BlackBerry 10 fast, easy, and cost effective. A new free upgrade offer from BlackBerry Enterprise Server 4 to BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5 is now available, saving customers the $995 software upgrade fee. BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5 is required in order to manage BlackBerry OS smartphones through BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, and existing customers can still take advantage of the free license exchange program at www.blackberry.com/blackberry10ready, which is available until December 31, 2013.(i)

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Who to follow?

• @NerdBerry
• @Sleepy2009
• @K_mart_

Feel free to Tweet us question’s about the events or post your questions in this article. Everyone that is traveling to BlackBerry Live 2013 and BlackBerry Jam 2013 have a safe and fun trip!

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ZURICH, SWITZERLAND and WATERLOO, ON–(Marketwired – May 8, 2013) – The Global Enterprise Mobility Alliance (GEMA) and BlackBerry® (NASDAQ: BBRY) (TSX: BB) today announced the signing of a BlackBerry® 10 Readiness Services global agreement to make the transition to BlackBerry Enterprise® Service 10 and migration to BlackBerry® 10 simple and seamless for enterprise customers worldwide.

Under this agreement, GEMA will provide the BlackBerry® Change Management and Planning with Remote Installation Service to customers who need assistance in planning and executing the transition to BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, as well as introducing BlackBerry 10 devices. Currently, GEMA members are advising and supporting more than 150 organizations with the transition, and to date have helped more than 30 customers with BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 installations globally.

“We are pleased with the service GEMA, in particular SCHIFFL (one of GEMA’s founding members), has provided in installing and managing our BlackBerry 10 infrastructure across Europe. GEMA’s competence and professionalism enabled us to go live directly after launch of the BlackBerry 10 platform in January,” said Jens Bartolatus, Managing Director/CIO of LE CROBAG GmbH & Co. KG.

GEMA members provide the new BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 as a managed service. The service delivers a cost-efficient, secure, reliable and scalable solution that provides a globally consistent approach to service delivery and technical expertise, enabling:

• Mobile device management (MDM) and administration for BlackBerry, iOS, and Android smartphones and tablets
• The ability to push mandatory applications and updates to BlackBerry users and alerts to iOS and Android users of required applications
• The capability to utilize and manage BlackBerry® Balance™ technology, which enables a customer to use the device for both work and personal purposes by keeping business information and applications highly secure and separate from personal information

Nick McQuire, Managing Director and CEO of GEMA International Limited, said, “GEMA is committed to helping companies around the globe effectively use mobile technology. Trends like BYOD and the flourishing diversity of devices in the market are making it very challenging for enterprises to secure and manage their information, while still making it accessible to their employees. As such, the GEMA members continue to provide frequent counsel on mobile device management to businesses around the world and are excited to help customers such as Le Crobag transition to BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10.”

David J. Smith, EVP, Enterprise Mobile Computing at BlackBerry said, “GEMA and BlackBerry continue to work closely together, with BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 providing a robust and secure way for organizations to manage smartphones and tablets, and GEMA providing sound guidance and the support to help multinational customers make enterprise mobility a reality within their organizations.”

GEMA currently comprises six members that collectively span much of the globe: Emitac Mobile Solutions, LLC (EMS) (Middle East, Africa, CIS, and Eastern Europe); MSC Mobility Pty Ltd (Australia and New Zealand); Navita (Latin America); Beijing Nation Sky (China); SCHIFFL GmbH & Co. KG (Germany, Austria and Switzerland); and Vox Mobile Inc. (U.S. and Canada).

For more information on the BlackBerry 10 Readiness Services, customers may contact their sales representative from BlackBerry or visit www.blackberry.com/blackberry10ready and click on BlackBerry10 Readiness Services.

About GEMA

The Global Enterprise Mobility Alliance, GEMA, is the leading provider of global managed mobility services. Multi-national organizations today are looking for transparent and seamless services for the deployment, support, and management of their mobile workforce. GEMA’s core offerings of Assist, Deploy, Command, and Advise enable organizations to scale globally while receiving local in-country support where they operate around the world.

GEMA’s founding members are leading Managed Mobility Services providers in their own markets and include the following: Emitac Mobile Solutions, LLC (EMS) (Middle East, Africa, CIS, and Eastern Europe); MSC Mobility Pty Ltd (Australia and New Zealand); Navita (Latin America); Nation Sky (China); SCHIFFL GmbH & Co. KG (Germany, Austria and Switzerland); and Vox Mobile Inc. (US and Canada). Additional GEMA members in Europe, Asia, and Latin America will increase the scope and diversity of the Alliance in the coming months.

GEMA is operated by GEMA International Limited, a joint venture. To find out more and to engage GEMA visit www.thegema.com.

About BlackBerry

A global leader in wireless innovation, BlackBerry® revolutionized the mobile industry when it was introduced in 1999. Today, BlackBerry aims to inspire the success of our millions of customers around the world by continuously pushing the boundaries of mobile experiences. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, BlackBerry operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. BlackBerry is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ: BBRY) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BB). For more information, visit www.blackberry.com

Forward-looking statements in this news release are made pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used herein, words such as “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, ”may”, ”will”, “should”, “intend,” “believe”, and similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by RIM in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that RIM believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Many factors could cause RIM’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including those described in the “Risk Factors” section of RIM’s Annual Information Form, which is included in its Annual Report on Form 40-F (copies of which filings may be obtained at www.sedar.com or www.sec.gov). These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on RIM’s forward-looking statements. RIM has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

BlackBerry, RIM, Research In Motion and related trademarks, names and logos are the property of Research In Motion Limited and are registered and/or used in the U.S. and countries around the world. All other brands, names and marks are the property of their respective owners. RIM is not responsible for any third party products or services.

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While BlackBerry used to dominate the enterprise market, more and more companies are switching over to a BYOD policy and therefore are having to deal with security on iOS and Android, BES 10.1 should alleviate many concerns.  As Ronen puts it,

This will sort of be like Good and Touchdown on steroids with your work email, contacts, calendar, notes, tasks, and internal browser inside a secure container. Companies will also be able to push out business apps that can run inside this container though I am not sure if they will be native apps. On top of that the secure container and apps installed through it will have access to your corporate network without a VPN which is key for battery life. They will work through BlackBerry’s NOC data centers and will connect back to your BES 10 and mail servers that way like legacy BlackBerrys.

These types of moves are essential for BlackBerry to remain a strong force within the enterprise market.  Keeping companies on a BES even though they may have a lot of users moving away from BlackBerry will help keep revenue flowing into the company.

BES 10.1 is expected to be coming sometime in May, so these new secure workspaces within iOS and Android will be coming very shortly.

Via:Berryreview

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Source: BB10.ch

Via: BerryReview

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• Merging of BDS, UDS and management studio in a single pack. There will only be one installation package for BES10 SP1
• The Management Studio to get some extensions and integration in BDS / UDS is greatly enhanced
• Deleting user from the Management Studio will be possible
• Detailed info for each smartphone
• Uniform interface for BES10/BES5
• Evaluate options to export the data in BES10 by other means – Additional query options to carriers, platforms,

• High Availability (HA) for BES10 (Active / Passive), similarly solved as in the old BES5

• Creating “EMM Advanced Users “will be possible. (NOTE this allows advanced IT Policies)
• Advanced Enterprise Mobility management is introduced. It will be possible to operate the BlackBerrys in a work-only mode, expand policies to drive as certain hardware features, personal elements, links, etc. restrict (80 policies)
• New logging options for SMS / MMS / Phone / BBM / Video Chat / PIN in a CSV
• Secure Workspace for iOS & Android devices. There will be Secure Email, calendar, contacts, notes, tasks, and browser. A rollout of business apps, which is also possible to communicate in a secure tunnel to the corporate network. Secure the container can be assigned to users via BES10. Of course, the Workspace (container) can be disabled via the Admin panel, deleted or deactivated. (Eg for a user leaves the company or the unit has lost)
• All apps via the Secure Workspace pushed, have access to the corporate network and you do not care about the VPN. VPN go on mobile devices much to the detriment of the battery. It will probably be the case that even Android and iOS devices do not require direct connection to the BES10 and / or mail system. All traffic is routed through the RIM data center.

Via: BerryReview

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With Secure Work Space, BlackBerry is providing IT admins an easy and secure way to run both iOS and Android devices integrated with BES 10.  BlackBerry has this to say about the introduction of Secure Work Space,

We recently announced that we will be offering Secure Work Space for iOS and Android to our enterprise customers. Secure Work Space will separate corporate data from personal data on iOS and Android devices in order to protect corporations, and to ensure personal privacy of employees. Secure Work Space will be managed through BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 and will secure data at rest and in transit. We plan to offer a Beta program to our enterprise customers in the very near future. We will share details on availability soon.

Source:BBOS

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When it comes to consumers who have previously had a BIS account you will be all set and no need to change your plan, unless you are wanting to up your data package as LTE will make the phone fly.  However if you are coming from a iPhone or Android phone you will also be ok to use a BlackBerry 10 device.  It turns out that any type of existing data plan will allow you to fully use your BlackBerry 10 smartphone.

There is one caveat for this and that is if you are on an individual feature plan, or plans with segmented data functions like BBM Social plans, you will not be able to use your existing plan on BlackBerry 10. Also remember that if you are on an older BlackBerry or another older device, you will need to get a micro-SIM card to use in your BlackBerry Z10.

Now if you are on a BES server it turns out that you don’t even need a BES plan on a BlackBerry Z10 to connect to BES10.  If you are using an older BlackBerry device you will still need a BES plan to connect to the BES server.  Basically BlackBerry has made it really easy for enterprise customers to keep their phones as consumer phones and use BlackBerry Balance as the way to keep things separate.

Here is a list simplifying it all (we hope),

• Yes you can use any smartphone data plan for the Z10 and Q10
• Yes, a dedicated BlackBerry plan will still work
• No, you can’t use a feature plan like email only or BBM only
• Yes, you need a micro SIM card to use in the Z10 or Q10 (or a iPhone 5 nano card in a micro SiM adapter will work too)
• Yes, BES users still need a BES plan

The whole topic of BIS/BES requirements for BlackBerry 10 has not been communicated all that well.  Hopefully any changes to what we have determined so far will be made clear to users.

Source:Crackberry

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Thanks for joining us today Stephen. Can you tell me about your role at Softchoice?

I’m the Practice Lead for Security at Softchoice, and mobility falls into the security practice – so we manage any security vendor and then all of the mobility centric vendors as well. We resell BlackBerry products and services, including deployments, integration services, and more.

Softchoice recently joined our BlackBerry Technical Preview program – can you share your experience setting up BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10?

So far the feedback that we got from IT was that the deployment of BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 was extremely straightforward, and we know for a fact that it wasn’t very time consuming, so that was a great start. We did have the assistance of a BlackBerry engineer over the phone, but the whole thing only took a couple of hours and that’s including knowledge transfer. Once it was set up we were immediately able to begin provisioning devices.

 

Why get on board and why deploy BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10? Are you expecting to manage BlackBerry 10 devices and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets moving forward at Softchoice?

Absolutely. Our executives are actually all very big BlackBerry fans, and we anticipate that they’re going to want to continue to get the latest and greatest device. A lot of that trickles down, so we have a lot of devout BlackBerry users.

Are you seeing anticipation from Softchoice customers that you get setup with BlackBerry solutions?

I can tell you that my team is very customer focused, so while we manage the business, our real job is to help customers find the right solution. Every time you guys [BlackBerry] make an announcement, all of the competition comes to a halt. We can see it statistically; we actually categorize and classify our customer meetings to track the topics.

Before the announcement of BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 there was a high volume of calls and meetings around “what should we do about mobile device management?” The word is now getting out and those calls and even requests for quotes from BlackBerry competitors have plummeted. I’d put it this way: counting BlackBerry out is like not drinking water because soda has more flavor. It’s absolutely ridiculous. BlackBerry is a force in mobility, and with BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 and gatekeeper for ActiveSync… That’s a game changer. Customers have existing relationships with BlackBerry, and so a simple upgrade that allows them to manage other mobile devices if they need to is a very compelling story.

Many customers that we talk to have been confused. There’s a lot of confusion out there and there are a lot of people trying to capitalize on the confusion, but it’s not really working. Customers have been waiting to execute on their mobility strategy, and they’re now able to do so with BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10. Doing an upgrade is a lot easier than firing up a new unknown solution.

How has your experience been with BlackBerry 10?

So far so good! Immediate reactions are similar for most people – it’s that traditional feeling that you get from most BlackBerry devices, that the hardware is beautiful. There’s really no question there. You pick it up and you think “Wow! It’s solid, it’s pretty, and I want it”. Just like it always has been. We use the story all the time with customers on the topic of BYOD: every time the new BlackBerry would come out, 35% of my fleet would be lost, damaged, or stolen because they want the new one so badly [laughs]. The same thing goes for this device.

My favorite feature is the ability to minimize apps with a gesture, swiping up from the bottom. I’ve been using other mobile platforms for years, and now I find myself trying that swipe up gesture on other platforms because it’s so intuitive and it’s so handy. I just can’t shake it. That’s definitely one of my favorites.

I do like how when you minimize apps they stay as these active frames. It’s nice to have a couple of things on that screen. I’m obsessed with knowing where my battery is at, and I’m obsessed with knowing what the weather is like, so having that is really great.

The Hub is very interesting for sure, having it built right into the device is incredible. Other platforms have an app that integrates a variety of accounts… But it’s kind of hokey and not everything looks the same. You still have to start an app, which is the fundamental difference. With Hub it’s a simple gesture that just takes you to where everything is. If you want to focus on your personal email for example, you can really narrow it down.

The web browser is very strong. In the beta program we didn’t have full access to all of the apps in BlackBerry World since it was pre-launch, and so there are a lot of things that I’ve been doing just in the browser. Everything that I do with my other platforms, I’m actually doing on BlackBerry 10, without apps, and just using the web browser. So far that’s been just as good.

Are you familiar with BlackBerry Balance? What’s your feedback as a mobility professional?

Balance is definitely something that customers are asking for more and more. Two years ago people would ask vaguely for MDM capabilities without knowing what they were asking for. Now, most people have a good idea that basic MDM solutions exist in general, but more so customers are now asking for containerization.

[Customers say,] “We want to be able to segregate work data and personal data so that we can be a little bit more granular. Maybe we can do a proper partial wipe where we really know for sure that the work data is safe.” Things like partial wipes have been available in a lot of MDM solutions, but there’s been nothing to prevent a user from mixing that data up, and as an administrator you would have no visibility into that. It’s simpler administration. Instead of securing and managing the entire device, we’re able to put the work stuff into the work area and we’ll secure and manage that. We couldn’t care less about other email accounts on the device. That level of flexibility is going to be very attractive to a lot of organizations for sure.

Where do you see the partnership between BlackBerry and Softchoice going in the future?

With BlackBerry we think at this point that things are actually going to take off. We’re very enthusiastic about the BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 launch. We now have the features that customers are looking for; the single management console to manage all platforms, and the gatekeeper feature – that was something we were really waiting for. We can know that no one is connecting to our infrastructure without going through BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10.

BlackBerry 10 devices are devices that consumers are going to like; it’s a slick interface, it’s easy to use, it’s a sexy handset, and you’ve also got things like the camera app with time shift. It’s huge. Features like that will really attract more customers, as well as the video editing functionality. That’s how people communicate today. High definition and editing on a single device is really driving towards that convergence of client computing that people are looking for. There are a lot of cool devices, but to have all of this functionality in a single device is really great.

I’d love nothing more than to just have a single phone that I can carry around and use as my primary computing device. Having the ability to do a lot of that on BlackBerry 10 is very attractive to a lot of people.

Thanks for your time Stephen!

Source:BlackBerry BizBlog

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