WATERLOO, Ont. -- BlackBerry Ltd. (TSX:BB) has received certification for U.S. government employees to use its Secure Work Space enterprise software on iPhones and devices that use the Android operating system.
The technology is part of products that became available through the rollout of its BlackBerry 10 operating system.
The Waterloo, Ont.-based company says the software helps government and business employees use mobile devices of their choice with lower security risks.
The certification will give security-conscious organizations, like U.S. and Canadian government agencies, the ability to use software which separates sensitive corporate data from personal content on a single mobile device.
More technology companies have been chasing the lucrative business market as BlackBerry's popularity waned. Both Google and Apple developed their own enterprise software designed to attract government agencies and corporations.
BlackBerry has relied on its strong reputation for security to help rollout a series of new security options linked to BlackBerry 10.
This week, the company announced that it's about to launch an update to its popular BBM chat service that it hopes will generate extra revenue.
Part of the plan includes a more secure level of BBM for smartphones on corporate accounts that companies would pay extra to use.
BlackBerry is also working on launching a new BBM Shop that deals in virtual goods and would work alongside companies to generate money through sponsorship deals.
BlackBerry reports its fourth-quarter and full-year financial results early Friday.
Shares of the company dropped three cents to $10.41 in morning trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
