BlackBerry announced that it is working with Boeing on a self-destructing blackphone that will mostly cater to U.S. defense and homeland security employees and contractors. The two companies are looking for a number of opportunities that would create a collaborative pairing between the Boeing device and BlackBerry's BES 12 server.
Dubbed as the "Boeing Black phone," the device is developed by the aerospace and defense contractor which has its headquarters in Chicago. The company is best known for creating fighter planes and jetliners.
The Boeing Black phone has no serviceable parts and is designed to have the unique self-destructing capacity when it is tampered with. This means that any attempt to open the phone will lead to its destruction while deleting all the data at the same time. The device would then become inoperable. It is also completely sealed with epoxy around its casing and even with screws. The screw heads are also covered with a type of covering that is tamper proof which can identify an attempted disassembly.
The Boeing Black phone can encrypt calls, making it ideal to government agencies and to those who want to keep their communications and data secure. It has a dual SIM capacity in order for it to gain access to multiple cell networks. The phone can also be configured to establish a connection with biometric sensors and satellites.
The phone will also have an HDMI port which would allow it to connect to a USB, TV, WiFi and Bluetooth.
The BlackBerry Enterprise Service (BES 12) will enable potential clients such as government agencies and corporations an enhanced way to manage and secure a number of devices on internal networks. Along with BlackBerry devices, the software can also run on rival OS such as the iOS of Apple and Android of Google.
"We're pleased to announce that Boeing is collaborating with BlackBerry to provide a secure mobile solution for Android devices utilizing our BES 12 platform," said John Chen, BlackBerry CEO. "That, by the way, is all they allow me to say."
Boeing has started to offer the phone to potential customers. The company plans to limit its sale to "approved" buyers. Even after they are approved, the buyers would have to sign an agreement confirming that they are keeping the details of the phone undisclosed.
