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BlackBerry and ISEC7 Partner to Enable Customers to Achieve Digital Workplace Innovation

Some life changes occur so slowly and incrementally that we scarcely notice them happening. As parents, for example, we only dimly sense the gradual knitting together of neurons that enable our children to progress from crawling to walking. Other life changes occur so suddenly and swiftly that we have little time to fully absorb their implications. Such is the case with the COVID-19 pandemic, which is forcing many organizations to confront critical gaps in their digital workplace strategies and reappraise the value they place on their security investments.

BlackBerry partner, The ISEC7 Group, has a unique perspective on these developments, thanks to its heritage as a first mover in helping organizations leverage mobile information technology to achieve their goals for digital transformation.

“In the past, security controls and policies have often been perceived as sources of business friction and barriers to employee productivity,” said CEO and founder Marco Gocht. “However, you can’t safely expose sensitive information to remote employees and mobile devices unless you’re certain that data at rest and in transit is secure. It’s suddenly become abundantly clear that productivity and security are inextricably linked, two sides of the same coin. Operationally, that means you must be able to manage devices and security in a single pane of glass. This is precisely what BlackBerry has accomplished with the BlackBerry Spark® Suites.”

ISEC7 was fully prepared when reports began circulating of a COVID-19 outbreak in China. “We don’t compromise when it comes to preserving the health and safety of our employees,” says Gocht. “We’ve been ready since mid-January for our employees to work exclusively from home. Our Digital Workplace infrastructure is fully automated, and we utilize the same IT technologies we implement and manage for our customers. For example, we recently renewed the BlackBerry® Secure UEM & Productivity Suites - Freedom Suite licenses we purchased for our employees. For us, and our customers, the transition has been seamless.”

Gocht’s relationship with BlackBerry dates back to September 2001, two years before he founded ISEC7. “I participated in the network operator testing that preceded the introduction of BlackBerry mobile phones into the German marketplace,” says Gocht. “I was impressed by their mobile technology, so one of my first moves after founding ISEC7 was to become a BlackBerry partner.”

Since then, the partnership has matured and flourished. In February 2018, BlackBerry announced that ISEC7 would become the first global member of the new BlackBerry® SHIELD Advisor Program, an initiative to help partners better manage risks and improve the security of IoT devices in the workplace. ISEC7 has also earned platinum status as a Solution Provider member of the BlackBerry® Enterprise Partner Program, with specializations in BlackBerry® Workspaces, BlackBerry® AtHoc® crisis communications, and Managed Hosting Services. As a platinum partner, ISEC7 provides German-speaking BlackBerry customers with first- and second-level Premium Support. ISEC7 also participates in the BlackBerry partner programs for Independent Software Vendors (ISV), Training Partners, and Managed Security Service Providers.

Years will pass before we can accurately assess the ultimate human costs of the COVID-19 pandemic or its long-term effects on the way organizations operate and conduct business. What is certain, however, is that the enduring partnership between BlackBerry and ISEC7 will continue to demonstrate a shared commitment to a world in which organizations and their employees are productive and secure.

Read the full ISEC7 case study.

Axel Conrad

About Axel Conrad

Senior Director, Head of EMEA Channels, BlackBerry

Axel is leading the BlackBerry Channel Business in EMEA responsible for Value Added Resellers, System Integrators, Hosters, MSPs, and Distribution.