After years of circling the drain, BlackBerry Ltd. did a big layoff and went silent. At least that is what I remember, for I had long ago decided Research In Motion, as it was then called, was a lost cause.

Fast forward to today and BlackBerry is back in the news, but not with more bad news. It seems BlackBerry is partnering with Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and trying to claw its way back into the hearts of corporate customers, especially those who want their smartphones with an extra dose of security and management features.

There is even cool stuff — WorkLife — for iOS and Android users.

According to Computerworld:

BlackBerry announced a renewed enterprise focus on Thursday, including a partnership with  Samsung that provides secure mobile software for certain Samsung Android smartphones and tablets.

The software, to be available early next year, will bring together BlackBerry’s new BES12 Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) software with Samsung smartphones and tablets that are embedded with Samsung’s Knox security software. Models include the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4.

I don’t normally write about things enterprise, though mobile is always an interest. I also like underdog stories and that certainly describes Blackberry.

The company expects the new software, part of a $1.5 billion investment, to drive significant new revenue and bring old customers back to BlackBerry. We shall see.

The more interesting announcement of the day was WorkLife by BlackBerry. It lets employers add a separate corporate phone number to an employee’s personal smartphone. Alternately, an employee’s personal telephone number can be added to a company-owned device.

This means data, SMS and voice usage can be charged directly to the company even when the employee’s phone is used. Anything that reduces the need for expense reports is a winner in my life.

Further, according to Computerworld:

Using WorkLife could eliminate potential legal problems for California employers that stem from a court ruling in August that found employees must be reimbursed for work-related voice calls on their personal cellphones, BlackBerry said.

BlackBerry said WorkLife will soon be available for iOS, Android and BlackBerry 10 smartphones.

Blackberry has traditionally been able to use enterprise features and services to sell its phones. Manageability and security remain key differentiators. WorkLife is something I’d like to try and, since it will work with iOS and Android devices and I live in California, that might just happen.

With new, more interesting hardware and a renewed focus on really big customers, I’m placing BlackBerry back on my radar. But cautiously.

Image via BlackBerry Ltd.