Blackberry has announced that they have struck an agreement with smartphone
maker Samsung, for a new breed of security enhancements. This will hopefully give flagship phones such as the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy S5 a new level of security not seen before.
Beginning early next year, Samsung devices integrated with the company’s Knox security software will also include an extra layer of security provided by BlackBerry’s end-to-end encryption system. Blackberry Balance will also be implemented into the Samsung brand, to help separate work from pleasure.
“The work we’re doing with BlackBerry goes beyond just bringing our solutions together for customers. This strategic partnership is grounded in our mutual goals [of] being the most secure in mobility. Our respective leadership positions in enterprise mobility and consumers devices are a perfect match to offer customers that need to be equally productive and secure,” said Greg Wade, senior vice president of Samsung’s KNOX Business Group.
Blackberry has also introduced their long awaited BES12 server software aimed at corporate and government clients. Unlike previous versions of this software, the newest iteration allows companies to manage older devices running on the BB7 and BB10 operating platforms as well as rival devices running software from Apple, Google and Microsoft.
In other Blackberry news, the Blackberry Classic smartphone is now on pre-order. If you’re in the US, you can pre-order the Classic straight from BlackBerry’s official online store. This will require you to purchase it unlocked, however – there’s no contract-signing with a carrier involved. Also, because it’s made for GSM carriers, it won’t work on Verizon, Sprint, or US Cellular.
The price is $449, and actual details about when it will be released will be made public on December 17. That’s the day during which BlackBerry will hold a special launch event.
Michael Kozlowski is the Editor in Chief of Good e-Reader. He has been writing about audiobooks and e-readers for the past ten years. His articles have been picked up by major and local news sources and websites such as the CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and Verge.