RIM Launches Cloud Based BlackBerry Management for SMBs

Back in March 2011, Research in Motion (RIM) launched a consumer cloud backup service for BlackBerry devices. From that moment on, TalkinCloud knew it was only a matter of time until it came to the enterprise. And now the day has come with the launch of RIM BlackBerry Management Center, a free cloud-based tool for SMBs that can help manage and secure data on the ubiquitous smartphones.

BlackBerry Management Center is designed for up to 100 BlackBerry devices “that access e-mail services from an Internet service provider (ISP) or web-based e-mail services like Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo!,” according to the press release. In other words, this solution isn’t intended for enterprises leveraging the standard-issue BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES), which limits its appeal to anyone but those that target SMB audience.

Here’s RIM’s fact sheet on BlackBerry Management Center:

It’s potentially a handy addition to any service provider’s offering, especially when dealing with businesses so small they likely will never need a BES deployment. But I’m still wondering when RIM is going to bring something like this to its core large enterprise market, especially after it’s thrown in with the Microsoft Office 365 cloud.