RIM Announces BlackBerry Mobile Fusion, an Enterprise Solution to Manage Android and iOS Devices
Today, RIM announced BlackBerry Mobile Fusion, a "next-generation enterprise mobility solution." The multi-platform mobile device management service will build on RIM's longstanding enterprise expertise to "simplify the management of tablets and smartphones running BlackBerry, Android, and iOS."
Mobile Fusion, in essence, will allow employees to use any device from the major three brands while the IT department can retain unified control. Features of MF include asset management, configuration management, remote locking and data wiping, multiple device per user capability, and high scalability. These features will work across all three mobile platforms, RIM says.
"We are pleased to introduce BlackBerry Mobile Fusion - RIM's next generation enterprise mobility solution - to make it easier for our business and government customers to manage the diversity of devices in their operations today," said Alan Panezic, Vice President, Enterprise Product Management and Marketing at Research In Motion. "BlackBerry Mobile Fusion brings together our industry-leading BlackBerry Enterprise Server technology for BlackBerry devices with mobile device management capabilities for iOS and Android devices, all managed from one web-based console. It provides the necessary management capabilities to allow IT departments to confidently oversee the use of both company-owned and employee-owned mobile devices within their organizations."
RIM says over 90% of Fortune 500 companies use BlackBerrys as an enterprise mobile solution, although the company is well aware that the winds have been shifting. Mobile Fusion, RIM hopes, will retain the company's relevance despite the rapidly emerging trend of BYOD—Bring Your Own Device.
MF is currently in a small private beta with select enterprise users, RIM says, and can be expected to roll out to all in 2012.
