[timmy t]

Why would they help make Android and iPhones more business compatible? Maybe they are desperate for their back end to be adopted.

Only other thing I an see is they plan on overwhelming the competition with their Balance feature. Maybe they got feedback from the enterprises they have been showing the products to.

[cjcampbell]

Because it's a fact that other platforms are more dominant and by providing a solution for them as well, they ensure that BB isn't dropped entirely to accomodate the majority of devices in use. Gone are the times of market dominance. RIM needs to expand and adapt their services, and thats exactly what they're doing. Also, keep in mind that this is just enterprise, not consumer.

[timmy t]

Because it's a fact that other platforms are more dominant and by providing a solution for them as well, they ensure that BB isn't dropped entirely to accomodate the majority of devices in use. Gone are the times of market dominance. RIM needs to expand and adapt their services, and thats exactly what they're doing. Also, keep in mind that this is just enterprise, not consumer.

They are not going to be dropped. They have the security the others don't. Those companies that are using Android are not allowing confidential emails to those handsets.
Enterprise is a large chunk of their services income.

[cjcampbell]

They are not going to be dropped. They have the security the others don't. Those companies that are using Android are not allowing confidential emails to those handsets.
Enterprise is a large chunk of their services income.

No, they aren't going to be dropped by many where security is paramount but there are many other companies that have used BES for years but, as of late, have been feeling the pressure from their workforce to allow other devices. It's those companies that this targets.

[GTiLeo]

Byod is becoming more popular and RIM wants to maintain a dominance on the business severs so they have allowed BES10 to be compatible with iOS and android so these firms don't go to the competition and the can maintain sales on their BES services

[shlammed]

This is more about device management. Allowing Androids and iPhones to be managed on your BES doesn't change the fact that they're not BlackBerrys meaning the 123193109230123912 policies for BlackBerrys won't be available to other platforms.

[RubberChicken76]

Better to have RIM in control of managing devices in an organization (especially when the competitors are already there) than have an expensive 3rd party like GOOD managing devices and not BlackBerry

[timmy t]

BYOD is a fad that will die when BB10 comes out. It is only there because the current crop of BB phones does not have the User Experience of the iPhones and Android phones.
Soon, large corporations will be telling their employees to use BB phones and they can watch Netflix on their own time.

Mark my words.

[shlammed]

BYOD is a fad that will die when BB10 comes out. It is only there because the current crop of BB phones does not have the User Experience of the iPhones and Android phones.
Soon, large corporations will be telling their employees to use BB phones and they can watch Netflix on their own time.

Mark my words.

If they thought it was a fad they wouldn't have put any effort into building the product that they did.

[RubberChicken76]

BYOD is a fad that will die when BB10 comes out. It is only there because the current crop of BB phones does not have the User Experience of the iPhones and Android phones.

No - not really. A lot of BYOD is in place because it's cheaper for some corps to let employees bring their own devices (and subsidize part of the dataplan) than to buy, issue and replace phones for the employees and pay for the full dataplan.

[GTiLeo]

No - not really. A lot of BYOD is in place because it's cheaper for some corps to let employees bring their own devices (and subsidize part of the dataplan) than to buy, issue and replace phones for the employees and pay for the full dataplan.

This

RIM also bought mobile fusion which the merged with bes to build up their secure mdm to accommodate the byod trend. It was a worth while investment weather you can see it or not. It keeps RIMs network infrastructure top class and profitable even if BB10 doesn't pull through and they have to think of alternatives to maintain a profitable business

[Goint]

It doesn't transfer the cost to the employee, it just shifts the employer cost from hardware to salaries with IT staff having to put in more work.