BlackBerry taps Samsung to launch its enterprise mobility management platform on Android next year

Today BlackBerry announced it has secured a deal with Samsung to bring its new BES12 enterprise mobility management (EMM) platform to Android users. BlackBerry says that the service will be made available to companies “early next year” on Samsung’s line of Galaxy smartphones and tablets.

BlackBerry promises that this deal will provide enterprise Android users with a “highly secure mobility solution.” The deal expands BlackBerry’s enterprise security services far beyond its own hardware line.

According to Samsung senior VP Injong Rhee, “Samsung KNOX is focused on delivering secure mobility solutions to enterprises and, combined with BES12, we will offer more options for customers that need enhanced levels of security on Android devices.”

BlackBerry’s decision to embrace Android is wise: As the company’s hardware business declines, offering enterprise-level services for Android may keep BlackBerry afloat. Simultaneously, the deal could make Android more attractive to security-obsessed corporations.

It’s also noteworthy that Apple is reportedly gunning for more enterprise customers, upping the level of competition for everyone in the industry.

News of the Samsung deal was revealed during BlackBerry’s enterprise mobility event in San Francisco, where the company says it will unveil “a portfolio of products and services” that “enhance collaboration and productivity across the enterprise.” The event comes just two months after BlackBerry raised the curtain on its Passport, a $600 smartphone with a 4.5-inch square display.