The CEO of BlackBerry has lashed out at Google’s recent introduction of Android for Work, insisting that to begin implementing new security measures at such a late stage in the game is to a large extent unacceptable.
BlackBerry hasn’t had a great deal to shout about for quite some time…at least not on the same levels as years gone by. Sure the Jakarta is strutting its stuff over in Eastern markets, but hardly to the kind of extent that makes up for year after year of abject disaster.
So what’s a firm to do when finding it tricky to boast and brag?
Easy – you take a shot at one of your rivals…in this case, Google.
Lashing out at Google’s recent efforts to increase security with its new Android L mobile operating system, BlackBerry CEO John Chen insisted that such efforts are far too long overdue to be in any way commendable. With BYOD culture having become something of a new global standard for offices and corporate environments, the BlackBerry boss claimed that in order for security to be in any way of an acceptable standard, it needs to be baked in from the very first outing of the OS.
By contrast, Google is accused by Chen of trying to plug holes long after they’ve been exposed and thus compromised the security of the OS as a whole.
The release of Android for Work represents a gigantic step forward for Google and its OS, allowing users for the first time keep personal and business data firmly separated and protected. The move represents one of Google’s first efforts to make Android more attractive for corporate users and governmental offices – traditionally the mainstays of ultra-secure BlackBerry.
Writing after the announcement of Android for Work, John Chen insisted that while the new direction for Google is indeed a positive thing, they’re still a long way to go.
“At Google’s I/O developer conference, the company said it would do several things to boost Android’s security,” Chen wrote.
“Most prominently, this includes separating work and personal apps and data in coming versions of Android by leveraging Samsung’s Knox containerization technology,”
“I’m delighted by this first step. The need to improve Android’s security was clear. And it validates what we at BlackBerry have been saying all along about the potential perils that businesses face in the BYOD era.”
He also took the opportunity to talk up BlackBerry’s own dedicated user-base among corporate markets, insisting that the strong foundations of his company’s ecosystem still stands head and shoulders above those of rivals.
“Tens of millions of BlackBerry devices are trusted every day by Fortune 1000 firms worldwide,” he wrote.
“Our BES software dominates the enterprise mobility management space, with more business customers than our top three competitors combined. And while Knox tries to build a fortress upon an insecure foundation, BlackBerry’s entire infrastructure is constructed upon a multi-decade bedrock of mobile management and security expertise,”
“While we applaud Google and Samsung for their plans, we don’t think it’s enough for security-minded enterprises,”
“Don’t be dazzled by those who can talk the security talk. Instead, look to the company that has proven repeatedly it can walk the walk.”