BlackBerry Partners: New BBM Security Features A Step In The Right Direction

BlackBerry on Monday gave its device messenger service, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) an overhaul designed to boost security controls and drive enterprise functionalities.

The upgraded messaging app promotes more privacy measures through Private Chat mode to BBM for Android, BlackBerry 10 and iOS, the company said, so that users of the messaging system will be able to tweak their messages in privacy settings.

Partners cheered the security updates as BlackBerry's commitment to driving products and services in the mobile security market, but stressed that the Waterloo, Ontario-based company still needs to go further in raising awareness of why mobile security is essential to enterprise clients.

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"I think [Private Chat's] a good move, but BlackBerry hasn't been successful in generating interest in their products because of a lack of awareness of and lack of interest in security," said David Felton, owner of Canaan Technology, a Norwalk, Conn.-based BlackBerry partner. "That's where BlackBerry has to keep talking about security and offer products with compelling security offerings. BlackBerry needs to get security into the minds of customers making the purchase."

The new, improved Private Chat feature allows users to protect their data through an array of measures, such as private messages, timed messages and pictures, and the ability to retract and edit messages in the app.

According to BlackBerry, this new Privacy and Control bundle is 99 cents monthly, and current Timed and Retracted Messages subscribers will be automatically upgraded at no additional cost. Meanwhile, free BBM users can still send timed messages, but the app will not hide user details and allows recipients to take screenshots of the message.

BlackBerry says its new security measures put BBM on the same level as other consumer-focused messaging platforms, such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and WeChat. Despite these alternative messaging platforms, the company's security features will help the app gain traction in the enterprise, say BlackBerry partners.

"For us, it really comes down to BlackBerry's measures with security and encryption, so this is another enhancement showing that security is their niche," said Rick Jordan, director of sales and strategic alliances at Toronto-based BlackBerry partner Tenet Computer Group. "This is just another layer of security, and it's necessary for users in an environment like law enforcement or banking where they don't want sensitive information to be shared."

Hamish Davidson, president and CEO of ProviDyn, an Atlanta-based BlackBerry partner, said that while BBM has some impressive security features, mobile security concerns could be higher, particularly among the SMBs that may not want to prioritize expensive security service subscriptions.

"There's definitely value [in BBM's new features] -- there's so many people passing data over their phones and having a secure way to do that is part of an overall security-based strategy," he said. "We've preached the value of mobile device management and secure messaging, but we've found that customers will be ready to take the investment in mobile security only as more types of major breaches become more prevalent."

BlackBerry's BBM service can be downloaded from Google Play, the App Store and BlackBerry World.

PUBLISHED JUNE 29, 2015