BlackBerry staggers back into the tablet market with Samsung hardware and IBM software
Downtrodden Canadian device maker BlackBerry has revealed its latest effort to maintain some semblance of grip on the enterprise with the SecuTablet, a modified Galaxy Tab S 10.5 with security software provided by IBM and encryption hardware from Secusmart, a German firm acquired by BlackBerry in December.
Samsung's Galaxy Tab S 10.5. Photos of the SecuTablet are not yet available.
The SecuTablet is designed to work within the SecuSuite for BlackBerry 10 ecosystem, giving the company a foothold in applications where security is of paramount importance. It relies on a combination of Secusmart's MicroSD encryption card, Samsung's Knox encryption software, and app wrapping technology from IBM.
The tablet is currently undergoing certification tests by the German government, and once certified will be available for use with classified data.
"Security is ingrained in every part of BlackBerry's portfolio, which includes voice and data encryption solutions," Secusmart CEO Dr. Hans-Christoph Quelle said in a release. "National and international government customers have entrusted their voice and data communications with the Secusmart Security Card for years. This same technology is what secures the new SecuTABLET."
BlackBerry says that the SecuTablet will be able to run both secure official apps and insecure personal apps, like Facebook, side-by-side without affecting the device's overall security. Strangely, the company also calls out mega-popular messsaging app WhatsApp, despite the lack of an official tablet client for that service.
Once-powerful BlackBerry has been grasping at straws in recent years as it attempts to remain relevant in a mobile marketplace dominated by Apple and Samsung. Its latest handsets have met with only modest success at best, and the company has turned to a strategy of defending its remaining enterprise strongholds with still industry-leading security and expanded mobile management tools in BlackBerry Enterprise Server.
Samsung's Galaxy Tab S 10.5. Photos of the SecuTablet are not yet available.
The SecuTablet is designed to work within the SecuSuite for BlackBerry 10 ecosystem, giving the company a foothold in applications where security is of paramount importance. It relies on a combination of Secusmart's MicroSD encryption card, Samsung's Knox encryption software, and app wrapping technology from IBM.
The tablet is currently undergoing certification tests by the German government, and once certified will be available for use with classified data.
"Security is ingrained in every part of BlackBerry's portfolio, which includes voice and data encryption solutions," Secusmart CEO Dr. Hans-Christoph Quelle said in a release. "National and international government customers have entrusted their voice and data communications with the Secusmart Security Card for years. This same technology is what secures the new SecuTABLET."
BlackBerry says that the SecuTablet will be able to run both secure official apps and insecure personal apps, like Facebook, side-by-side without affecting the device's overall security. Strangely, the company also calls out mega-popular messsaging app WhatsApp, despite the lack of an official tablet client for that service.
Once-powerful BlackBerry has been grasping at straws in recent years as it attempts to remain relevant in a mobile marketplace dominated by Apple and Samsung. Its latest handsets have met with only modest success at best, and the company has turned to a strategy of defending its remaining enterprise strongholds with still industry-leading security and expanded mobile management tools in BlackBerry Enterprise Server.
Comments
Yes this great new product will make Blackberry relevant again!
It's time for Blackberry to die. I hold no animosity towards them; but their attempts to stay alive are becoming so desperate, so futile, it's really painful to watch. Like a badly wounded animal, there comes a time when you just have to put them out of their misery.
Can't seem to find the source now but I'm pretty sure I read something saying it would be in the region of $2300 earlier....
Update: found it... http://www.pcworld.com/article/2897012/blackberry-teams-with-samsung-and-ibm-to-offer-governments-a-secure-tablet.html
What's a "secu"?
Naming/marketing seems to be off to an insecure start.
Downtrodden is way worse than beleaguered.
I wonder what it feels like to be Secusmart and acquired by a company in the throes of death...
Security software provided by IBM, who is actively peddling Apple iPads and iPhones... yeah, good luck trying to gain attention using that magic word.
And no company has ever made it from the verge of bankruptcy?
Downtrodden Canadian device maker BlackBerry has revealed its latest effort to maintain some semblance of grip on the enterprise with the SecuTablet, a modified Galaxy Tab S 10.5 with security software provided by IBM and encryption hardware from Secusmart, a German firm acquired by BlackBerry in December. /quote]
I wonder what it feels like to be a company acquired by a company in the throes of death...
Depends. Jobs and the NeXT team were pretty happy to be acquired by Apple.
I'll not be surprised if such a horse designed by a committee has both instant drivability and latent security issues.
the reply function here don't really work, do it?
None who were trying to gain market share back from Apple during this century...
And Apple is the only company with market share?
Okay, I admit, the Microsoft market share is up for grabs...
No Comment ...
But, let's check out other important new / articles.
It's not Google so you don't get paid to comment.