An App Developer’s Response to the Blackberry CEO Open Letter
Last week I responded [1] to the CEO's open letter on the future of Blackberry device management. My argument is that the BES10 approach to iOS 7 device management does not consider the role of the app developer in securing the app and consequently the statement that Blackberry through BES10 will handle it all by itself is disingenuous and misleading.
With iOS 7, Apple has provided an MDM API and technical guidelines which app developers and MDM vendors should adopt. I suggested that Blackberry create a "certified iOS MDM app" program and reach out to iOS enterprise developers. With iOS 7 adoption at 74% [2] [3], Blackberry is once again discounting the pace at which iOS is innovating. Other benefits of my approach is that Blackberry can also seed its new Messaging APIs into enterprise apps, etc. This direct link to iOS app developers is perhaps a better allocation of resources rather than investing in porting desktop QT apps to BB10 devices or the deception of Alicia Keys by Blackberry management [4].
So far it seems that the Secure Workspace Container feature as opposed to "real" apps on BYOD from the iTunes App Store or enterprise app stores is the route that Blackberry is attempting to force upon the enterprise.
There has been no reporting on this issue that I have seen which addresses this substantial risk to the Blackberry MDM product line.
[1] http://your-gadget-is-a-gimmick.tumblr.com/post/68904441371/an-app-developers-response-to-the-blackberry-ceo-open
[2] http://techcrunch.com/2013/12/05/ios-7-adoption-official-apple/
[3] http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/09/27/half_of_all_american_fanbois_now_using_ios_7/
[4] upcoming blog post: "How the Blackberry Z10 made Alicia Keys Unbalanced and Sing Off-Key"