BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) has partnered with the Global Enterprise Mobility Alliance (GEMA) to address mobile device challenges, across BlackBerry, iOS and Android deployments.
RIM announced the move yesterday and says the two entities will jointly leverage RIM's mobile device management (MDM) solution with GEMA members' global managed mobility services to deliver solutions.
GEMA comprises seven members from across the globe, all also elite members of the BlackBerry partnership.
RIM says the partnership comes as multinational customers are faced with an increasingly complex multi-platform mobile environment and challenges with bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and security of information on smartphones and tablets.
"GEMA and RIM are jointly bringing to market the products and services that can enable multinational customers to keep their mobile workforces reliably and securely connected, serviced 24/7, and able to meet a rapidly changing global business environment."
GEMA members will offer BlackBerry Mobile Fusion as a managed service, providing MDM and administration for BlackBerry, iOS and Android devices.
RIM says BlackBerry Mobile Fusion will also prepare organisations for an upgrade to BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, which will launch with the first BlackBerry 10 devices. "BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 is designed to integrate an existing BlackBerry Enterprise Server deployment and manage BlackBerry 7 OS and prior smartphones, BlackBerry 10 devices, BlackBerry PlayBook tablets, and iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, all from a single, unified Web-based console."
Derek Peper, VP of enterprise strategic partnerships and alliances at RIM, says mobility poses a number of challenges to multinational organisations. "[Mobility] continues to expand with both company-provisioned and BYOD devices, creating new challenges for them. RIM has worked with GEMA members for many years to provide mutual customers with BlackBerry services and support. We are delighted to extend these relationships globally and partner with GEMA to provide multinational customers with mobility solutions."
Kris Snyder, CEO of Vox Mobile and GEMA steering group chair, says the organisation's members have built their business on the market and technologies created by RIM. He says the partnership is part of the next phase in the evolution of enterprise mobility.
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