BES12 Cloud update brings New Management Console, Connectivity Node and more

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BlackBerry has rolled out an update to BES12 Cloud, bringing new features for the management console and migration, iOS, Android, Samsung KNOX, Windows 10, IBM Notes Traveler, Pulse Secure, the self-service console, and the BlackBerry Connectivity Node.

BES12 Cloud makes mobility easier than ever for businesses of all sizes that want to enable secure mobile productivity for their workforce.

It works with iOS, Android (including Android for Work and Samsung KNOX), Windows Phone and BlackBerry 10 devices, allowing you to strike the right balance between ofering your employees choice of device while keeping your business data secure.

BES12 Cloud features a flexible and highly scalable architecture to expand your mobility fleet as your organization grows. Dashboards are designed to be easy to use to help increase the day-to-day productivity of your administrators. Your organization can also benefit from an increase in employee productivity by
allowing your users to connect to business resources efectively while separating work and personal environments.

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This latest update brings the following:

Management Console

  • View available updates for iOS devices: You can now view updates that are available for iOS devices on the User Details page in the management console.
  • Use app categories: You can create categories for the apps that you add to the app list and filter your app list by category. On Android and iOS devices, the apps are organized into these categories in the user’s work apps list.
  • Get expanded device conditions in compliance profiles: You can now specify whether devices that have not been in contact with BES12 for a specified length of time are non-compliant. You can also add a list of restricted OS versions and device models to compliance profiles and select the actions that occur if the user does not correct the issue.
  • Manage attestation for Samsung KNOX devices: You can turn on attestation so that BES12 sends challenges to test the authenticity and integrity of Samsung KNOX devices.
  • Simplify management of Android for Work apps: Android for Work apps no longer need to be added to an app group to be sent to Android for Work devices. If you have connected BES12 to a Google domain, you can send apps to Android for Work devices, just like any other Android device.
  • Customize the console: You can change the color scheme of the BES12 management console.
  • Enhance device activation emails and compliance notification: You can now use an HTML editor to create the templates for device-activation emails and compliance notifications, allowing you to format the text and include corporate images. Some new default email templates are provided.
  • Gain offboarding protection for directory-linked groups: When you configure the settings for directory-linked groups, you can select offboarding protection. Offboarding protection requires two consecutive synchronization cycles before user accounts or device data are deleted from BES12. This feature helps to prevent unexpected deletions that can occur because of latency in directory replication.

Migrating From BES12 On-Premises

  • Migration: You can now migrate users, devices, groups, and other data from an on-premises BES12 source database. The source BES12 instance must be at version 12.5 or later. You configure the source database in the BlackBerry Connectivity Node management console and then use the BES12 Cloud management console to migrate the data.

iOS

  • Specify per-app VPN for apps and app groups assigned to device groups: You can configure VPN profiles to force iOS devices to specify which apps on the device must use a VPN for their data in transit. You can specify which apps on iOS devices must use a VPN when the apps or app groups are assigned to device groups.
  • Manage Apple Activation Lock: The Activation Lock feature on iOS 7 and later devices allows users to protect their devices if they are lost or stolen. In BES12, you can now manage the Activation Lock feature on supervised iOS 7 and later devices.
  • Manage BlackBerry Secure Gateway Service: The BlackBerry Secure Gateway Service allows iOS devices with the MDM controls activation type to connect to your work email server through the BlackBerry Infrastructure and BES12. If you use the BlackBerry Secure Gateway Service, you don’t have to expose your mail server outside of the firewall to allow users with these devices to receive work email when they are not connected to your organization’s VPN or work Wi-Fi network.

Android

  • Display organization notices at new Android device activation: You can create a custom notice or user agreement that is displayed when users activate their devices. Users must acknowledge the notice to complete the activation.
  • Specify required security patches: You can specify which security patches Android devices must be running.
  • Control which workspace apps on Android for Work devices can use BlackBerry Secure Connect Plus: You can specify the workspace apps on Android for Work devices that you want to restrict from using BlackBerry Secure Connect Plus. By default, Google Play is restricted, as it does not support the proxy configuration used by BlackBerry Secure Connect Plus. Android for Work devices use a direct connection over the internet to Google Play.

Samsung KNOX

  • Bulk-enroll Samsung KNOX devices: You can use the bulk-enrollment feature of KNOX Mobile Enrollment to activate large numbers of corporate-owned devices in BES12.

Windows 10

  • Configure Enterprise Data Protection for Windows 10 devices: You can configure Enterprise Data Protection profiles to separate personal and work data on devices, prevent users from sharing work data outside of protected work apps or with people outside your organization, and audit inappropriate data-sharing practices. You can specify which apps are protected and trusted to create and access work files.

IBM Notes Traveler

  • Gain IBM Notes Traveler support: BES12 now supports IBM Notes Traveler for Samsung KNOX Workspace devices.

Pulse Secure

  • Use Pulse Secure VPN client support: BES12 now supports the Pulse Secure VPN client for iOS devices.

BES12 Self-Service Console

  • Customize the BES12 Self-Service console: You can change the color scheme of the BES12 Self-Service console. You can also add website bookmarks in the BES12 Self-Service console.
  • User roles: You can create and assign user roles that specify the capabilities that users have in BES12 Self-Service.

BlackBerry Connectivity Node

There’s a new name for the local BES12 Cloud components that you install on your local computer. They are now referred to collectively as the BlackBerry Connectivity Node. You can install up to two instances of the BlackBerry Connectivity Node. Each instance contains the following components:

  • BlackBerry Cloud Connector: Allows BES12 Cloud to access your organization’s company directory so that you can create directory user accounts.
  • BlackBerry Secure Connect Plus: Gives users access to work resources behind your organization’s firewall while ensuring the security of data using standard protocols and end-to-end encryption.
  • BlackBerry Secure Gateway Service: Provides iOS devices that use the MDM controls activation type with a secure connection to your organization’s mail server through the BlackBerry Infrastructure.
  • BlackBerry Gatekeeping Service: Makes it easier to control which devices can access Exchange ActiveSync.

You can sign up for a free, 30-day trial of BES12 Cloud here.