BlackBerry acquires Good Technology to expand its services to other platforms

It’s barely a secret that BlackBerry is working on expanding its influence to other platforms. And not only as a service provider, the company is said to be working on the BlackBerry Venice, an Android smartphone with a slide-out keyboard. But how will they keep this Google-powered handset as secure as their industry-leading BB10 products? Their latest acquisition could very well be part of the strategy.

BlackBerry has just purchased Good Technology for $425 million. This is a California-based company which focuses on mobile security. They currently have a bevy of apps in the Google Play Store, all dedicated to serving enterprise customers and keeping users’ devices safe. And this is exactly why BlackBerry has decided to welcome the team and its assets to the company.

BlackBerry plans to expand its comprehensive mobile security services to other devices and operating systems. Since Good Technology already has experience in other platforms, as well as applications, the acquired company will be of great help to BlackBerry’s goal to further cater to global enterprise and government customers.

“By acquiring Good, BlackBerry will better solve one of the biggest struggles for CIOs today, especially those in regulated industries: securely managing devices across any platform. By providing even stronger cross-platform capabilities our customers will not have to compromise on their choice of operating systems, deployment models or any level of privacy and security. Like BlackBerry, Good has a very strong presence in enterprises and governments around the world and, with this transaction, BlackBerry will enhance its sales and distribution capabilities and further grow its enterprise software revenue stream.” – John Chen, executive chairman and CEO of BlackBerry

Chen once said he would be willing to build an Android device if it was possible to make it as secure as its own BB10 handsets. It’s now evident the company is very well invested in this idea. By following this path, BlackBerry can both make more enticing handsets, as well as providing the necessary services to keep them secure.

The investment is said to bring fruits very soon. The company expects to make about $160 million in GAAP revenue from Good Technology only within the first year. Now all that’s left to see is whether BlackBerry’s plans will take them out of the hole they have put themselves into the past few years. I would say they are on the right track. What do you think?