There was a time when BlackBerry reigned supreme in the enterprise space, but as the company started to fall, many of their clients started turning to alternatives, resulting in BYOD programs where employees would bring in a host of devices running on iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. This was a good program as it allowed employees to use devices they were familiar with, but if there was one drawback is that IT managers did not have the same amount of control over these devices like they did with BES and BlackBerry phones.
Last we heard, BlackBerry would be bringing BES support to Windows Phone and sure enough during an exclusive interview the folks at CrackBerry had with BlackBerry’s new CEO, John Chen, it was confirmed that not only does BlackBerry plan on bringing support to Windows Phone, but they are eyeing devices running on iOS and Android as well. According to Chen, “We’re going to protect their investment in iPhone, and Android, and everywhere else, even with Windows Phones.” Could this be BlackBerry’s strategy for the future? After all with BlackBerry only representing a fraction of the smartphone market, it is no longer an advantage to boast that only BlackBerry devices are supported by BES, and as the popular adage goes, if you can’t beat them, join them!
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