RIM Ready With Software For Managing Both New BlackBerrys and Rival Devices
RIM on Wednesday announced availability of the first version of its server software capable of managing its forthcoming BlackBerry 10 smartphones as well as mobile devices made by rivals.
Context & Ripple Effects
RIM had signaled a move beyond a BlackBerry-only model in its 2011 plans to manage non-BlackBerry devices through cloud services. The new server software turns that stated direction into an available product alongside the forthcoming BlackBerry 10 launch.
The cross-platform management layer also complements RIM's 2012 indication that it was willing to license BlackBerry 10, positioning enterprise software as part of the company’s route to market rather than merely a handset accessory.
First-order effects
- Enterprise IT teams can manage forthcoming BlackBerry 10 phones and rival devices through RIM’s server software, avoiding a BlackBerry-only administrative setup.
- RIM can sell BlackBerry 10 into mixed-device deployments with a management product that accommodates devices already in those fleets.
Second-order effects
- RIM’s BlackBerry 10 sales pitch shifts toward enterprise administration and policy control, where the server software can reduce the operational barrier to adding BlackBerry devices.
- A cross-platform server gives RIM a software relationship with organizations even when their employee fleets include rival hardware, broadening its addressable enterprise account base beyond BlackBerry owners.
Third-order effects
- If RIM continues pairing BlackBerry 10 with cross-platform management and licensing, its enterprise strategy shifts from controlling the device fleet to supplying a management layer across it.
- The move reflects a wider separation between the handset chosen by employees and the management system chosen by corporate IT, with software interoperability becoming a purchase criterion.
The trend: Enterprise mobility is moving toward cross-platform management layers that let corporate IT govern mixed device fleets rather than standardize on one handset maker.