BlackBerry Hires Executive To Bolster Mobile Security

BlackBerry said Tuesday it hired a new chief security officer as part of a renewed drive for mobile security in the enterprise ecosystem.

David Kleidermacher, currently chief technology officer at operating systems builder Green Hills Software, will bring more than 20 years of strategy and product engineering expertise as chief security officer at BlackBerry.

Partners such as Rick Jordan, director of mobility sales at Toronto-based Tenet Computer Group, cheered the hire as the smartphone company's re-investment in security for its enterprise mobility division.

[Related: Samsung Teams With Good Technology For Enterprise Security]

" From a partner standpoint, this news solidifies BlackBerry's commitment to security in the mobility space," said Jordan. "BlackBerry was chasing the consumer market this past year, but frankly, the company wasn't going to win that fight with Apple. It shows BlackBerry is taking a deeper dive into security by having the right people at the helm. This is an optimistic, resonating story we can tell our clients."

Kleidermacher's previous role at Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Green Hills Software, an operating system and embedded systems development tool developer, revolved around software development, mobile security, and Internet Of Things technology. In his new role, Kleidermacher will oversee several key initiatives for BlackBerry, such as security-specific research and product development.

He will replace BlackBerry's former senior vice president for security, Scott Totze, who left the company in June before joining smartphone company Huawei Technologies in September, according to LinkedIn.

The appointment comes after Waterloo, Ontario-based BlackBerry reported a 34 percent decrease in revenue from the prior quarter to $793 million in its fiscal third quarter ended Nov. 29, a loss of $148 million.

Partners hope that Kleidermacher's leadership will improve that revenue dip by shifting the company's focus away from the consumer base and deeper into its traditional enterprise base.

"David Kleidermacher fits very nicely into BlackBerry’s already robust security mindset as the second-to-none solution for managing mobile infrastructure," said Douglas Grosfield, president and CEO of Ontario-based Xylotek Solutions, a BlackBerry partner. "[CEO John] Chen and company have a very clear strategy with respect to continuing, and enhancing, the well-deserved reputation BlackBerry has earned over the years with their unique level of security for all forms of mobile communication. I, as a BlackBerry partner and a die-hard customer, look forward to hearing more about how David’s vision will tie into the road map at BlackBerry."

Kleidermacher's Internet Of Things expertise will also expand BlackBerry's involvement in the connected devices ecosystem. BlackBerry's existing Internet Of Things platform fits into its enterprise focus, boasting a scalable messaging system for instantaneous data indexing and storage. The company's QNX software platform targets connected embedded systems, particularly for the automotive industry.

’David is an outstanding addition to our best-in-class security team, and he will help extend BlackBerry’s gold standard of security as we work with customers to meet new cybersecurity challenges,’ said Chen, in a statement. ’In particular, David’s knowledge of securing the Internet of Things and embedded systems will be invaluable as we execute on our strategy and continue to expand our management of the world’s mobile endpoints.’

NEXT: Other Smartphone Vendors Push For Mobile Security

Other smartphone vendors are ramping up their security measures as well.

Last week, Samsung partnered with Good Technology for a new mobile platform called "Good for Samsung Knox" on Android devices. In December, Apple announced its delivery of IBM MobileFirst for iOS solutions, an enterprise-targeted collaboration that coupled IBM's security measures with the smartphone company's mobile platform.

But Tenet Computer Group's Jordan said that BlackBerry would continue to reign in the enterprise security space, despite its competitors' efforts. BlackBerry's strong point is its in-house focus on security, particularly in its secure and encrypted voice, text and messaging offerings, he said.

"What the enterprise likes about BlackBerry is its encryption and security measures from the cradle to the grave," he said. "Other providers rely on other vendors, while BlackBerry's top mobile strategy has always had security at the top of its priority list. ... And the topic of security is getting bigger, with recent breaches and threats."

PUBLISHED FEB . 10, 2015