BlackBerry has set aside its corporate differences with mobile security provider Good Technology and purchased the competing brand for $425 million.
Good Technology is one of BlackBerry's biggest competitors in terms of enterprise mobility management.
Competition between the rivals intensified in January. BlackBerry publicly questioned Good's claim it was the first one to incorporate a split billing solution for its clientele when BlackBerry had supposedly already announced its own version two months before Good released a press statement.
"There is a very long history here. We are in an incredibly competitive market and speak to many of the same customers," said Christy Wyatt, Good Technology CEO.
However, both BlackBerry and Good Technology seem to have moved on and let bygones be bygones.
The acquisition of Good Technology was announced in a blog post on BlackBerry's online portal. BlackBerry through its COO, Marty Beard, had nothing but praises for its former competitor.
"The two companies share an unrelenting commitment to security and privacy on behalf of our customers," Beard said.
The same line of sentiments and comments can be observed from Wyatt.
"What I am most excited about is that our customers will benefit the most from the powerful combination of Good with BlackBerry," Wyatt commented.
Beard further elaborated that his company, together with Good, is looking to provide the market with the "most comprehensive secure mobility platform."
"Ultimately this is a good fit for customers," he added.
The purchase of Good puts BlackBerry in a better position to establish itself on iOS. The company noted that more than 60 percent of devices using Good's solutions are running on iOS.
BlackBerry will also have the ability to easily introduce product offerings to the rest of Good Technology users. Good's products also run on either Windows or Android operating systems.
BlackBerry has projected the deal will yield $160 million in revenue on the first year.
In the past, BlackBerry also acquired Watchdog, Athoc and SecuSmart, which all specialized in their own mobile device security and encryption niches.
Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns | Flickr
