BlackBerry Mobile Fusion brings RIM’s enterprise expertise to iOS, Android

In yet another blow for BlackBerry loyalists, Research in Motion announced BlackBerry Mobile Fusion today, a tool that will allow businesses to make employee iOS and Android devices just as secure as RIM’s own smartphones.

The announcement likely comes as a relief to IT managers, who have had to juggle multiple security solutions for corporate and personally owned mobile devices. RIM’s BlackBerry is far from its heyday as the only worthwhile enterprise mobile device — now employees are bringing their personal iPhones, iPads, and Android phones to work, as well as demanding more choices with IT-provided devices.

With its stock and market share tanking, RIM has to adapt to the changing mobile landscape to survive. The new software is the result of RIM’s acquisition of the mobile device management company Ubitexx in May. At the time, RIM said that it was acquiring the company to bring features of its BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) to the iPhone and Android.

Mobile Fusion will grant corporate IT workers useful security features, like the ability to lock or remotely wipe lost or stolen devices, reports Reuters. IT departments will also be able to set rules for things like passwords and apps. Mobile Fusion will work alongside existing BES implementations — which may convince some companies to hold on to their BES setups for a bit longer.

RIM says that the software is expected to launch in late March 2012. The company isn’t discussing pricing yet, but it says that it will be competitive with smaller mobile device management solutions like MobileIron and BoxTone.