Samsung, BlackBerry Partner to Secure Android in the Enterprise

BlackBerry and Samsung announced a surprise partnership today, as both companies are eyeing the enterprise market.

Considering that Samsung is the biggest smartphone manufacturer on the consumer market, its partnership with BlackBerry makes sense in light of the latter’s reputation for being the most secure mobile OS.

Also, BlackBerry just announced its latest mobile-security software, called BlackBerry Enterprise Service 12, or BES12 (a cross-platform enterprise mobility management or EMM), which is part of the company’s two-year turnaround plan: it aims to double its revenue from software, as it is losing market share on the hardware side. BlackBerry has successfully completed the first stage of its turnaround plan and is now on track to bring profitability back.

The partnership with Samsung makes sense, as it opens the door for a much larger customer base to which the company can sell BES12.

“We share the goal to provide enterprises with the most secure mobility solutions through this partnership with BlackBerry,” said Injong Rhee, Senior Vice President of KNOX Business Group, Samsung Electronics. “Samsung KNOX is focused on delivering secure mobility solutions to enterprises and, combined with BES12, we will offer more options for customers that need enhanced levels of security on Android devices.”

The announcement, however, comes as a surprise, as the two compete in the smartphone market. But more importantly, the partnership can generate a new revenue stream for BlackBerry from companies that adopt Knox-embedded Samsung devices and choose BES12 to manage these devices. BES12 allows enterprises to manage Android, Windows, and iOS devices.