UPDATED 09:03 EDT / NOVEMBER 28 2014

Can BlackBerry revive its fortunes in enterprise mobility management?

medium_3365121721BlackBerry last week unveiled its mobile enterprise platform BlackBerry Enterprise Server 12, which allows IT departments to manage Android and iOS devices plus BlackBerry’s own smartphones. It also announced it will integrate Samsung’s Know enterprise security system with the platform, which is due for release in January.

BES 12 represents a significant opportunity for BlackBerry. Strategy Analytics says more than 600 million smartphones are used by businesses around the world, but the vast majority of these are not connected to any formal mobility management solution.

But an article in eWeek says BlackBerry still needs more partnerships like the one it has done with Samsung if it’s to be successful.

“This integration partnership opens a vast new market for BlackBerry that simply wasn’t there before, while providing an opportunity for Samsung to promote the adoption of its Android devices in enterprises,” writes eWeek’s Wayne Rush.

BES 12’s integration with Knox will enable business and personal data to be completely separated on Android devices, something that was previously only available on BlackBerry’s own devices.

“We share the goal to provide enterprises with the most secure mobility solutions through this partnership with BlackBerry,” said Injong Rhee, senior vice president of Knox Business Group at Samsung. “Samsung KNOX is focused on delivering secure mobility solutions to enterprises and, combined with BES 12, we will offer more options for customers that need enhanced levels of security on Android devices.”

With its enterprise security push, things are suddenly looking up for BlackBerry. Writing in The Globe and Mail, Chris Umiastowski, growth investor for Globe Investor’s Strategy Lab, says BlackBerry has a golden opportunity to become the dominant provider of enterprise mobility management. If it achieves that, it stands to generate much more revenue than it ever did from smartphones.

“There are far more iPhones and Android devices than there are BlackBerry smartphones in the business world, and BlackBerry can now sell a single solution to help IT departments manage their whole fleet of mobile phones and tablets,” writes Umiastowski.

“As a long-term investor I see how, over the next several years with solid execution, BlackBerry could grow to $10-billion in annual software and service. That kind of growth could easily support a stock price four times higher than today’s prices.”

Umiastowski admits it’s far from certain BlackBerry will achieve this, but believes it’s chances have never been better.

Certainly, the company’s moves seem to have pleased Wall Street investors. BlackBerry’s stock price has risen by 85 percent since it launched its new enterprise software strategy, according to the Wall Street Journal.

So far, 5.1 million customers have signed up for a free trial of BES 12 until the end of January. Now all BlackBerry has to do is impress those customers enough that they’re willing to pay for the solution.

photo credit: mL. via photopin cc

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