RIM RELEASES NEW ENTERPRISE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS CORPORATE CONTROL OF iOS AND ANDROID DEVICES

In an apparent attempt to solidify its standing in the corporate world, RIM has unveiled a new platform that allows IT specialists to more tightly manage company devices, including those from rival manufacturers like Apple and Android. With the BlackBerry Mobile Fusion software, announced this morning, companies will be able to set up rules governing employee passwords apps and other software across a variety of smartphones and tablets, including the iPhone, iPad and Android handsets.

The system also allows managers to remotely wipe and lock any devices that go missing or stolen, potentially bringing enhanced security to a workplace that's become increasingly fragmented. "Our customers have been saying, 'We're moving to these different adoption models, and we'd like you on board with that,'" said Alan Panezic, vice president for enterprise product management, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

Slated to launch during the first quarter of next year, Mobile Fusion represents RIM's first foray into the multi-platform management market, and may expand even further to encompass Windows Phone devices, as well. No word on pricing, but Panezic says it will be "competitive" with the market.

MOTOROLA BUYS 3LM; PLANS TO PUSH ANDROID INTO BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

Motorola made various new software related announcements on Monday at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, not the least of which is a strategic acquisition that ultimately could make the company’s Android-powered devices a much more viable option for the enterprise market. 3LM, short for Three Laws Mobile, develops a variety of security and management solutions for enterprise customers with Android devices. The acquisition was completed in late 2010 for an undisclosed sum, and Motorola will aim to offer its customers security comparable to the BlackBerry platform as a result of the deal.

LG & VMWARE TEAM UP FOR MOBILE VIRTALIZATION

LG has teamed up with virtualization company VMWare to integrate virtualization on mobile phones. With smartphones becoming more of an end-user phenomenon than ever before, it's getting tougher for IT departments to sell employees on giving up their personal phones in favor of a secure, managed, corporate-provided alternative. With the virtualized setup, the work phone lives as an app within the personal phone -- two phone numbers, two complete environments, and only the work environment can be controlled by the IT nerds. Long term, the concept would be that employees could use whatever phone their little hearts desire -- companies would merely need to dump their VMware setup on top and you've suddenly got your work phone integrated.

LG will start with select Android handsets and move to other platforms if the market demands it. [Engadget]

SAP EMBRACES RIM'S PLAYBOOK

SAP, the world's leading maker of enterprise resource management, or ERP, software that many companies use to run basic functions such as finance, human resources and manufacturing is readying its software to run on RIM's Playbook tablet. According to Oliver Bussmann, CIO of SAP, "SAP is definitely supporting the RIM Playbook," and "All of the ERP apps will come out on the Playbook,".

RIM lags well behind Apple and Android in the number of apps available on its operating system. But the company is betting a more modest but high quality menu of business apps could help it catch up in the tablet market, the next big battleground in mobile computing. Although RIM once dominated the smartphone market, the Waterloo, Ontario, firm is coming late to the tablet game.
Apple's iPad leads the tablet market. As of the end of September, six months after launching the device, Apple had sold 7.5 million iPads. In addition, Apple said that over 65% of the Fortune 100 is already deploying or piloting its tablet. This fall, the first Android-based tablet, Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy Tab, began rolling out.
"The penetration of the RIM Playbook will depend upon the apps," said Mr. Bussmann. "Apple has more enterprise apps ready. That is an advantage."

A 7-inch tablet computer, the Playbook will run on software built by QNX Software Systems, a Research in Motion unit that makes software used to run everything from cars to nuclear reactors. Research in Motion bought QNX earlier this year, and has been working to adapt the software for mobile phones.

Although it won't be available in North America until the first quarter of 2010, the PlayBook is starting to attract interest from some big companies. Executives at TD Bank Financial Group and Sun Life Financial Inc. said they plan to place orders for the tablet computer. Others, including the operator of Denver's airport and a school district in Austin, Texas, say they are evaluating uses for the tablet. [WSJ]

MACS TO INCREASE ENTERPRISE MARKET SHARE

The Enterprise Desktop Alliance has just released the results of a survey of IT administrators.  The results show that Apple will make more headway into the corporate environment.  Apple is expected to increase their share from 2009's 3.3% to 5.2% in 2011, a 57% increase.  Most of the increase will be in environments that already support Macs.

Overall Macs are expected to see an increase of 23% in 2011.  That is not a bad number considering overall computer growth is softening from 6.1% in 2010 to 2.9% in 2011. [Geek]