September marked a new chapter for smartphone and tablet maker BlackBerry, with some major announcements. First, the company confirmed that BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) for iOS and Android were finally going to be released. However, the next announcements weren’t as positive; they’ve revealed a plan to lay off nearly a third of their workforce, followed by plans to sell BlackBerry and go private.
These painful admissions come after the company’s last best effort—a revised smartphone OS and new hardware, which failed to generate enterprise or public interest. With BlackBerry on “life support,” it’s time to come to terms that BlackBerry probably won’t exist for more than a few years. If you ignore this, your business’s mobile communication capabilities and productivity will be at risk.
Of course, businesses don’t need to abandon BlackBerry immediately, but they do need to be aware of other options that are available. The following are 5 important things from Atlanta IT Company to consider before you start the transition away from BlackBerry:
- Mobile Platform(s)
If you’ve built your entire mobile ecosystem around BlackBerry, you’ll need to consider which mobile platform(s) you’re going to switch to if they cease to exist. In addition, think about BYOD or company-owned devices. The choice between these two options affects your deployment plan and security model.
Take a moment to consider why your business chose to use BlackBerry devices in the first place. What features or benefits are important to you? With these considerations in mind, compare iOS, Android, and Windows Phone to determine which platform can best suit your needs.
- Mobile Device Management
Essentially, BlackBerry invented the concept of mobile device management (MDM). With BlackBerry Enterprise Server, companies have direct control over their mobile ecosystem, as well as the tools needed to protect, provision, and manage BlackBerry devices. BlackBerry stands out among the other major mobile device manufacturers by offering its own exclusive ecosystem, while iOS, Android, and Windows Phone devices depend on wireless service providers; so companies that use these devices have to invest in some sort of third-party MDM system. However, organizations migrating to iOS or Android can use Blackberry Mobile Fusion, which extends the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) environment to manage Android and iOS devices, as well as BlackBerry hardware. BlackBerry Mobile Fusion isn’t a permanent solution, and organizations will eventually need to migrate to a third-party MDM.
- Secure Messaging
BlackBerry built its reputation on reliable, secure mobile communications. If you’re migrating from BlackBerry to another mobile platform, it’s going to be very difficult to find a platform that can fill the role of BBM. At first glance, Apple’s iMessage seems to be similar to BBM, but iMessage is actually just SMS text messaging with an Apple environment. BBM has a lot more features with additional security.
BlackBerry intended to make the transition simpler by offering a BBM app for iOS and Android, which would have enabled organizations to begin migrating to one or both of those platforms while maintaining the security and reliability of BBM; however, the apps are currently on hold.
- Data Protection
BlackBerry customers have become accustomed to end-to-end encryption and built-in data protection technology that secures data against unauthorized access. While Android, Windows Phone, and iOS are the leading consumer devices with the ability to function as well as BlackBerry mobile devices in business environments, these leading platforms treat things like data protection and encryption as options, as opposed to default features.
While you’re looking for a new mobile platform to replace BlackBerry, consider how each platform handles data protection, both on the device and during transfer. Make sure the security features of the mobile platform can meet your needs.
- Alternative Apps
Apps are important to ensure employee productivity. Typically, organizations depend on quite a few BlackBerry apps, including email, calendar, contacts, CRM (Customer Relationship Management), and VPNs (Virtual Private Networks). When you’re looking for another mobile device, consider whether those apps are available, or if there’s an alternative app that’s suitable for your needs. In addition, consider whether you can integrate or transfer data from the old app to a new one during the transition.
Switching mobile device platforms can be difficult and timely, but researching and discussing your options with Atlanta IT Service will make it easier for your organization.