BlackBerry launches eBBM Suite along with BBM Protected for Secure Enterprise Messaging

BBM Protected

BlackBerry have launched the much awaited eBBM suite. Along to go with eBBM is BBM Protected, a BBM on steroids for those using BlackBerry Balance on their BlackBerry smartphones. 

eBBM is a bundle of BBM products and services for businesses.  BBM Protected, being released ahead of schedule, is currently only available on BlackBerry 10 and legacy devices running OS 6.0 and above. iOS and Android releases will be arriving later on this year. BBM Protected provides businesses running BES 10 a more reliable and secure messaging platform, with FIPS 140-2 validated cryptographic library.

Read the full press release below:

 

June 16, 2014

BlackBerry Delivers on eBBM Suite
Company Launches BBM Protected for Secure Enterprise Messaging
WATERLOO, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – June 16, 2014) – BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ:BBRY)(TSX:BB), a global leader in mobile communications, today announced the availability of BBM(TM) Protected, the first solution in the eBBM(TM) Suite for secure enterprise-class messaging.

The eBBM Suite is a new family of BBM products and services built for business that bring together the convenience and usability of BBM with the additional security and compliance required by enterprise customers. The eBBM Suite will include new services designed to enable mobile workers to be more productive on the go, while meeting enterprises’ needs for security, manageability and control. The first product in the eBBM Suite which was announced earlier this year, BBM Protected, is being delivered ahead of schedule today.

As part of the suite, BBM Protected provides an enhanced security model for BBM messages sent between BlackBerry smartphones. BBM Protected brings regulated industries the most secure and reliable real-time mobile messaging experience in the industry. BBM Protected is the only secure mobile instant messaging app that uses a FIPS 140-2 validated cryptographic library.(1) BBM Protected enables employees to use the same app to securely message colleagues inside the company for work as they do to chat and share with family and friends outside the company. Secure BBM Protected chats aren’t limited to users inside the company; employees can chat securely with BBM Protected users at others companies too – they do not need to be on the same BES server and no federation between servers is required.

“We’ve been testing BBM Protected on behalf of our customers and have been impressed so far,” said Zekeria Oezdemir, Technical Director of NovaLink. “BBM Protected is the ideal solution for our banking and insurance customers who have increased security needs.”

The current release of BBM Protected can be used for BlackBerry smartphones running BB0S 6.0 or later or BlackBerry 10 in Regulated mode. Versions of BBM Protected for BlackBerry 10 smartphones using BlackBerry Balance and iOS and Android devices are expected later this year.

For more information about the eBBM Suite, visit www.blackberry.com/BBMprotected.

(1) Feature initially supported on BlackBerry OS devices; available on BlackBerry 10 devices in Fall 2014. Source: List of Validated FIPS 140-1 and FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules at http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/STM/cmvp/documents/140-1/140val-all.htm as of May 28, 2014. For more information on the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP), including FIPS 140-1 and FIPS 140-2 conformance claims that are used by some vendors that fall short of indicating NIST validation, see the FAQ document at http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/STM/cmvp/documents/CMVPFAQ.pdf ).