BlackBerry is attempting to revive itself through an announcement of a new multi-platform enterprise cloud service, according to a post on Inside BlackBerry for Business Blog. The service will allow companies to easily monitor employee smartphones and tablets as well as administer applications.
Additionally, the as-of-yet unnamed enterprise cloud service is touted as an easy to use mobile management system with no technical IT training, servers or software required. It is said to cost less than a cup of coffee a month per user.
More specifically, the service's web based console will allow administrators to activate iOS, Android and Blackberry devices along with manage security policy settings and conduct compliance monitoring. As far as application management, administrators will be able to gather apps from the various platform's marketplaces and then have the ability to not only distribute the apps but also monitor that process and the usage of those apps for all users and devices.
There is also some functionality available to the end user as well that will hopefully negate the amount of simple internal supports calls companies experience. There is a stripped down version of the web based console available where users can perform common management/settings tasks like changing a password or remote wipe and lock without relying on IT support.
This is likely a last ditch effort for the company, who has been falling from relevancy for a while now. Just recently Blackberry's manufacturing partner Jabil Circuit, made public statements regarding the possibility of ending the relationship between the two companies. Jabil CEO Mark Mondello said that "we are faced with a strong possibility of disengaging with BlackBerry," and that they are "in discussions right now" on how to "wind down the relationship."