RIM has released its BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 update one week before launching BB10, its new operating system and hardware. IT departments across the land will be ready for the new phone. Will consumers?
Wednesday's enterprise service availability is among the final pieces of RIM's relaunch of its operating system and business. The new service will support BlackBerry 10, older BlackBerry devices, Android and iOS devices, and is available now for download. By supporting legacy and competing devices, RIM is pushing forward without ditching its past or forcing companies to resort to an "all or nothing" mobile device environment. With more employees using their own devices for work, the company needs to support the major players (competitors) or risk losing enterprise customers.
One features RIM hopes will win back mobile customers is BlackBerry Balance, which provides a secure separation of work and personal apps and files. By dividing personal and business accounts, owners can keep up with all their work on the business side with IT controlling that side of the phone, but goof off with personal apps and files without snooping IT types to worry about. It's the mullet of the smartphone world: business in front, party in the back.
To help get the party started in server rooms around the world, BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 will be available to current license holders as a free upgrade via the BlackBerry 10 Ready Program until the end of December.
Now all the company has to do is convince smartphone owners to ditch their current devices and migrate back to the device that put email in our pockets. RIM is launching its BlackBerry 10 OS and smartphones on January 30 and we'll be there to see if the company can pull off the comeback of the century.
