BlackBerry is taking charge of enterprise Internet of Things security with the launch of BlackBerry Spark, designed to protect the IoT devices at the edge of networks.
Although BlackBerry has had a shift of focus to enterprise security since it stopped making smartphones a few years ago, that doesn't mean it's taken the foot off the pedal when it comes to innovation.
BlackBerry Spark allows businesses demanding high levels of security for their applications (such as healthcare, autonomous cars and workflow management in high-risk industries) the ability to make use of hyperconnectivity through their IoT devices without compromising on security.
"BlackBerry smartphones sparked a mobile-first revolution that changed the way most of the world lives and works," said John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO, BlackBerry.
"By combining hyperconnectivity with ultra-security and privacy, BlackBerry Spark is the indispensable component of a paradigm shift to things-first' which holds even greater potential to reshape society. The ultimate outcome of this inevitable convergence of ubiquitous mobility and computing power will likely turn on the cybersecurity decisions we make collectively over the next few years."
User experience is central to BlackBerry Spark, promising customers won't lose out on the immersive relationship with devices just because security is important.
The company suggested could be used to secure medical devices used to track a patient's heartbeat, alerting healthcare professionals should it drop below a permitted level and responding with appropriate treatment such as moving the bed's position. An alternative example is in autonomous vehicles, allowing them to communicate in real time, with that information being sent between the vehicles completely securely.
"Organisations are struggling with the sheer complexity of the IT environment, including the ability to deploy new employee experiences with modern security that protects company data across technologies such as AI, IoT, and mobility," Nicholas McQuire, vice president of Enterprise Research at CCS Insight added. "BlackBerry Spark is a bold but necessary step in helping organisations bridge these worlds, creating new connected experiences whilst simplifying and improving security from the chip to the edge."
