BlackBerry signs service contract with U.S. security agency
by The Canadian Press, with files from Canadian Manufacturing.com
The service will be available to 37,000 Department of Defense users; BlackBerry says the contract includes the possibility of extension through to 2020
BlackBerry corporate headquarters in Waterloo, Ont. PHOTO BlackBerry
WATERLOO, Ont.—BlackBerry says it has signed a one-year contract with a civilian agency that provides security for the Pentagon.
The renewal agreement with the Pentagon Force Protection Agency will see the smartphone maker continue to provide internal and external alerts, messaging and emergency notification services for the Pentagon and other U.S. Defense Department buildings in the Washington area.
The service centres around BalckBerry’s AtHoc Networked Crisis Communications Suite, which operates on a secure cloud platform which connects users, organizations and devices globally—it’s essentially an “internet of things” platform.
The company website says AtHoc “leverages the power of mobility, hybrid cloud and the IP network to deliver a unified and secure end-to-end solution capable of real-time collaboration with anyone, anywhere and across virtually any device.
The service will be available to 37,000 Department of Defense users.
The contract includes the possibility of extension through to 2020.
BlackBerry did not disclose the value of the agreement.
“We are honored by the continued trust in AtHoc by the Pentagon towards protecting its personnel,” said Guy Miasnik, President of BlackBerry’s AtHoc Division. “Their trust in AtHoc reinforces a shared mission for early warning, personnel accountability and cross-organization information sharing during times of crisis.”
