WATERLOO, ON – Research In Motion (RIM) has unveiled a new technology for its BlackBerry smart phones that allows customers to use one device for both work and personal purposes. The news was part of a flurry of announcements Monday, one day in advance of the company’s annual BlackBerry World conference in Orlando, Florida.
Called BlackBerry Balance, the technology permits the division between work and personal content without compromising the security of company content and the privacy of personal content. RIM said that it is transparent to the user unless they try to perform actions prohibited by company policy.
"BlackBerry Balance is a win-win for employers and employees," said Jim Tobin, RIM’s SVP of software and services, in the announcement. "It’s a secure and cost-effective way for companies to keep employees connected and productive, while also allowing the flexibility for employees to carry a single phone."
Other announcements made by the BlackBerry maker include:
– two new devices, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smart phones, which include keyboards, touch screens and the new BlackBerry 7 operating system;
– a video chat application and a new Facebook application for its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet;
– plans to increase the availability of its BlackBerry Mobile Voice System 5, which provides voice over Wi-Fi calling, to more corporate phone systems and unified communications applications including Avaya and Nortel; and
– plans for a multi-platform device management solution for managing and securing mobile devices for enterprises and government organizations, through its pending acquisition of ubitexx.
