New entity, BlackBerry Government Solutions, will ensure the company’s next-generation cybersecurity solutions and Spark platform are FedRAMP and ATO certified.
BlackBerry Limited has announced the creation of BlackBerry Government Solutions, a new independent wholly-owned subsidiary that will boost the company’s Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) initiatives and deepen ties with US federal agencies.
BlackBerry Government Solutions is headquartered in Washington, DC and has a separate corporate governance structure from BlackBerry Limited in order to comply with US national security requirements and is led by Rear Admiral Robert ‘Bob’ E. Day, Jr., US Coast Guard (Ret.) who joined BlackBerry in 2016.
As the President of BlackBerry Government Solutions, Bob will continue to guide BlackBerry products through FedRAMP and Agency/Component Authority to Operate (ATO) certifications, as well as oversee the mandated continuous monitoring and maintenance of BlackBerry FedRAMP cloud services.
John Chen, executive chairman and CEO, BlackBerry, said: “A tidal wave of connected devices is in sight and I believe BlackBerry is uniquely positioned to help the US government securely build and connect all ‘things’ from ATVs and drones to documents, emails, and the data that flows between.
“This new subsidiary allows us to deepen our reach within the US government sector by ensuring our next-generation cybersecurity solutions and Spark platform meet FedRAMP and ATO certifications, as well as provide our customers with a higher-level of service.”
BlackBerry is the trusted provider of security and data privacy for nearly all of the Cabinet and federal departments, including the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of Transportation, Department of Treasury, and Department of Veterans Affairs.
Federal agencies use BlackBerry’s end-to-end software stack to securely manage connected endpoints (e.g., smartphones, tablets, laptops and other IoT devices), as well as protect sensitive data sent via email, text messaging and voice calls. Notably, BlackBerry’s crisis communication solution covers more than 70% of all US federal employees.
In February of this year, Blackberry also announced it was nearing its goal of becoming the world’s largest AI-cybersecurity company following its acquisition of Cylance, a privately-held artificial intelligence and cybersecurity company based in California.
