As security shifts from the network of computers to the network of endpoints, IT managers and traditional security software players are scrambling to keep up. Today’s enterprise networks are both expansive and rapidly growing, with laptop and desktop PCs, tablets and smartphones, wearables, and an emerging tsunami of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. To address this new security landscape, IT needs a centralized, unified approach to endpoint management – one that doesn’t add complexity or extra work for already-overburdened IT professionals.
BlackBerry is uniquely qualified to provide just such an approach. We’re pleased to introduce BlackBerry Unified Endpoint Manager (BlackBerry UEM, formerly known as BES12), designed to provide comprehensive visibility and control across your endpoint environment – including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops. BlackBerry UEM reflects the unification of BlackBerry’s BES12 and Good Dynamics platforms into a single architecture, delivering unified endpoint management, industry-leading security, and a reduced total cost of ownership (TCO) for your organization.
BlackBerry UEM: An Evolutionary Step in Endpoint Management
Years ago, we pioneered the mobile device management (MDM) category with BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES), but as the diversity, volume, and capabilities of mobile devices increased, it became obvious that device-level protection was no longer sufficient to meet the demands of IT managers. So we pushed the market forward with BES12, our cross-platform enterprise mobility management (EMM) solution, which we further enhanced with leading secure mobility solutions through our acquisitions of Good Technology, WatchDox, AtHoc, Secusmart, and other industry innovators.
BlackBerry UEM represents the next, evolutionary step in our mission to secure not just mobile devices, operating systems, apps, and data, but the full Enterprise of Things with unified endpoint management (UEM). BlackBerry UEM converges device, application, and content management for mobile devices with management for laptops and desktops into one administrative console, providing a single point of control for endpoints, apps, and services. And with support for all major platforms, including iOS, Android (including Android for Work and Samsung Knox), BlackBerry 10, Windows 10, and MacOS, your users can use the devices they prefer for productivity, without sacrificing security.
A Complete Solution for Secure Enterprise Productivity
BlackBerry UEM is the foundation of the BlackBerry Enterprise Mobility Suite, the most comprehensive set of integrated solutions to protect your business data and boost workforce productivity available.
From a single console, BlackBerry UEM offers unified administration for: BlackBerry Dynamics (formerly known as Good Dynamics) for access to best-in-class secure productivity apps and development tools from BlackBerry; BlackBerry Workspaces (formerly known as WatchDox), our leading secure content collaboration solution; BlackBerry Enterprise Identity, which extends single sign-on to cloud services such as Office 365; and BlackBerry 2FA (formerly known as Strong Authentication), which enables two-factor authentication to enterprise services while eliminating the need for legacy token solutions.
With the BlackBerry Enterprise Mobility Suite and BlackBerry UEM, you can streamline administration and enhance compliance, while arming your employees with best-in-class business productivity tools.
Key Enhancements with BlackBerry UEM
If you’re an existing BES12 or Good Dynamics customer, you can be assured of a seamless upgrade to BlackBerry UEM, which updates our existing BES12 solution. BlackBerry UEM offers a number of new features, including:
- BlackBerry Dynamics management via the BlackBerry UEM console enables unified user, group, policy, compliance, and app management.
- BlackBerry Gatekeeping Service support for BlackBerry Work (formerly known as Good Work) streamlines Exchange ActiveSync access.
- App catalog enhancements include app ratings and reviews to simplify end user app discovery, as well as the ability to access the UEM app catalog directly from the BlackBerry Dynamics Launcher.
- Activation type-specific passwords provide greater flexibility for enabling endpoints with different ownership models. This feature enables users to self-enroll corporate or personal devices with the appropriate activation type for each device.
- Continued iOS enhancements include Lost mode to remotely lock and locate devices, Wi-Fi Quality of Service (QoS) marking to configure apps with prioritized access to Wi-Fi networks, Managed Safari domains to simplify intranet access for users, enrollment via Apple Configurator for devices that are not enabled for Apple DEP support, support for AppConfig schema to simplify app deployment (BlackBerry is a member of the App Config Community), and app whitelisting/blacklisting for supervised devices.
- Android for Work Accounts support removes the requirement for the creation of a Google domain for Android for Work. Enrollment will require only a username and activation password.
- Expanded IT policy support for Android for Work, including the ability to manage a password for the Android for Work profile, independent of the device, for enhanced workspace protection.
- BlackBerry Secure Gateway support for IBM Traveler extends secure native email for iOS MDM devices in IBM Domino environments.
- Regulated enhancements include SMS, MMS, and Call Logging for corporate-liable Android for Work and Knox Workspace devices, as well as the ability to deploy BlackBerry UEM in a “dark site” configuration for specific government and high-security scenarios in which external connectivity is prohibited (supported for Samsung Knox Workspace and BlackBerry 10).
Drawing on Blackberry’s leadership in device, application, and content security, BlackBerry UEM is a highly scalable, flexible, and extensible unified endpoint management solution for your evolving needs.
For more information on BlackBerry Secure, check out our overview blog. You can also take a closer look at our updates to BlackBerry Work, BlackBerry Dynamics, BlackBerry Workspaces, or the BlackBerry Enterprise Mobility Suite.