Until 2013, BlackBerry was the only handset manufacturer whose devices were fully approved for use by US military personnel. But in mid-2013, the US Department of Defense began to approve new devices for use by its staff, and - somewhat unexpectedly - one of the first manufacturers to get the green light was Samsung.
Samsung achieved this by developing its own security enhancements to Android called 'KNOX', and last November, the company announced that it was joining forces with BlackBerry to make its Android handsets even more secure.
BlackBerry has now announced a similar collaboration directly with Google itself, building on its efforts with Samsung, to bring some of its security expertise to Android.
As Reuters reports, BlackBerry will be helping Google "to manage devices equipped with Android for Work", an initiative designed to securely separate business and personal data and apps on Android devices, which is built on some of Samsung's own KNOX efforts.
The tie-up between Google and BlackBerry is intended to extend the 'highly secure mobility solution' to other Android manufacturers. While Android remains a firm consumer favorite, Google is keen to expand its presence in business and enterprise, particularly as its iPhone and Windows Phone rivals enjoy growing workplace support.
Source: Reuters
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