RIM Targets Smaller Businesses

Long a favorite with enterprises and large corporation, BlackBerry maker RIM launches a new software package aimed at business with up to 30 wireless users.

A long-time favorite mobile solution with enterprises and large organizations, Canada’s Research in Motion has announced BlackBerry Professional Software, a new package of wireless offerings targeting smaller businesses and supporting up to 30 wireless users.

“Productivity and flexibility are obviously important for small and medium-sized businesses,” said RIM president and co-CEO Mike Lazaridis, in a statement. “We know that the majority of these businesses are interested in a wireless solution, but many have been waiting for a server product that can afford greater IT simplicity while still allowing a superior quality of experience for users.”

BlackBerry Professional Software has been streamlined to offer a smaller IT footprint (customers can run it on the same server as their main email system), along with support for Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Domino, simple installation and management, but the full security architecture of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. The BlackBerry Professional Software also supports BlackBerry MDS (Mobile Data System), so users can extend internal applications to mobile users and use third-party BlcakBerry applications.

Pricing starts at $499 for a five-user system and moves to $849 for a ten-user license. Both packages can be expanded to support up to 30 users with additional licenses, and (if necessary) be upgraded to BlackBerry Enterprise Server.

Industry watchers are seeing the move as a way for RIM to diversify its customer base: although the enterprise and large corporation market is lucrative, it’s also relatively saturated with wireless solutions. However, most businesses have fewer than 30 people, and by targeting that market specifically, RIM may be able to significantly increase BlackBerry service penetration in the overall business world.