BlackBerry Limited has announced the creation of BlackBerry Advanced Technology Development Labs (BlackBerry Labs), a new business unit operating at the forefront of research and development in the cybersecurity space. Led by CTO Charles Eagan, BlackBerry Labs will include a team of over 120 software developers, architects, researchers, product leads and security experts, each working toward the common goal of identifying, exploring and creating new technologies to ensure BlackBerry is on the cutting edge of security innovation.
The rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) alongside a dynamic threat landscape fosters a climate where organizations have to guard against new threats and breaches at all times. With a strong focus on data science and machine learning, BlackBerry Labs’ innovation funnel will investigate, incubate and facilitate technologies specifically designed to further the company’s commitment to safety, security and data privacy for its customers.
Initial projects from BlackBerry Labs will focus on machine learning approaches to security in partnership with BlackBerry’s existing Cylance, Enterprise, and QNX business units.
“The establishment of BlackBerry Labs is the latest in a series of strategic moves we’ve taken to ensure our customers are protected across all endpoints and verticals in the new IoT,” said Charles Eagan, BlackBerry CTO. “Today’s cybersecurity industry is rapidly advancing and BlackBerry Labs will operate as its own business unit solely focused on innovating and developing the technologies of tomorrow that will be necessary for our sustained competitive success, from A to Z; Artificial Intelligence to Zero-Trust environments. We believe this highly experienced team will allow us to remain nimble, engaged and, above all else, proactive in our efforts to be the most trusted security software leader in the market.”
BlackBerry UEM Now Available on AWS Marketplace
The company also announced that its BlackBerry Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) solution is now available on AWS Marketplace. BlackBerry has expanded its existing portfolio of secure cloud-based IoT solutions, which includes BlackBerry Cylance’s AI-Driven Endpoint Protection, CylancePROTECT.
Through the agreement, AWS Marketplace customers will have access to a single management console and trusted end-to-end security model, providing companies with the flexibility and security needed to keep employees connected and protected in their internal and external communications. Customers will also benefit from BlackBerry’s latest endpoint innovations, including BlackBerry® Intelligent Security, the first cloud-based solution to utilize the power of adaptive security, continuous authentication and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance mobile endpoint security and secure data sharing.
BlackBerry Solutions Available on Microsoft Azure Marketplace
BlackBerry also revealed that its cybersecurity solutions are now available through the Microsoft Azure Marketplace. Customers will now have access to BlackBerry’s robust endpoint management and secure communication solutions, including BlackBerry UEM, BlackBerry Workspaces, BlackBerry AtHoc and BlackBerry Spark Communications Services on the Azure Marketplace and can also take advantage of the productive and trusted Azure cloud platform, with streamlined deployment and management.
“We want to ensure that BlackBerry’s trusted solutions are available to customers wherever they choose to seek out our products,” said Richard McLeod, Global Vice President, Enterprise Software Channels, BlackBerry. “As a Gold Partner within the Microsoft Azure Partner Network, we are pleased to offer some of those solutions—key to navigating today’s zero trust environment—on the Microsoft Azure Marketplace.”
BlackBerry is a recognized industry leader in providing enterprises and governments with the software and services needed to secure the Internet of Things. Through the agreement, BlackBerry and Microsoft customers will have access to the following BlackBerry solutions on Microsoft Azure Marketplace:
- BlackBerry AtHoc: Crisis communications software that allows for organizations to improve communication and collaboration through crisis situations
- BlackBerry UEM: Unified endpoint management software that securely enables the Internet of Things with complete policy control for organizations’ diverse and growing fleet of devices and apps
- BlackBerry Workspaces: Secure and collaborative content platform that protects organizations’ intellectual property and customer data, in part, through file-level digital rights management
- BlackBerry Spark Communications Services: Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) solution that embeds secure communications capabilities into organizations’ apps and smart devices
“Through Microsoft Azure Marketplace, customers around the world can easily find, buy, and deploy partner solutions they can trust, all certified and optimized to run on Azure,” said Sajan Parihar, Senior Director, Microsoft Azure Platform at Microsoft Corp. “We’re happy to welcome BlackBerry’s cybersecurity solutions to the growing Azure Marketplace ecosystem.”
The Azure Marketplace is an online market for buying and selling cloud solutions certified to run on Azure. The Azure Marketplace helps connect companies seeking innovative, cloud-based solutions with partners who have developed solutions that are ready to use.
