10 Reasons Why RIM's BlackBerry Smartphones Still Rule the Enterprise

Research In Motion is in a difficult position in the mobile market.

RIM offers products that, in the eyes of consumers, don't quite live up to what they expect. Smartphones like the BlackBerry Tour and BlackBerry Bold might be fine mobile devices to some, but because they lack a touch screen, they won't compare, in the eyes of the consumer, with the iPhone. Prior to the Wireless Enterprise Symposium held the week of April 26, RIM attempted to address that by announcing an updated BlackBerry Pearl and BlackBerry Tour. Later this week, it's expected to discuss the future of its operating system and browser. The mobile company seems to be feeling pressure.

But whether or not RIM needs to double down on the consumer market is decidedly up for debate. The company has made a fortune catering to enterprise customers who want functionality, productivity and a solid slate of features that will get them through the day. For that reason, RIM has been enjoying greater resistance to the iPhone and Android onslaught than competitors like Palm and Microsoft. As viable as the iPhone might be for home use, RIM is still the king of the enterprise. It offers the kind of services that, so far, Apple and the rest just aren't willing to deliver. And it's that advantage that RIM must keep in mind in the future.

RIM still reigns supreme in the enterprise. Here's why:

1. BlackBerry Enterprise Server

BlackBerry Enterprise Server is perhaps the biggest reason why the competition just can't match RIM in the corporate world. BlackBerry Enterprise Server delivers functionality, like collaboration and synchronization between accounts, that easily sets it apart in the space. In most cases, enterprise customers use the service to improve their productivity and collaboration with colleagues. As useful as it is, companies such as Apple and Google have yet to fully acknowledge the value of BlackBerry Enterprise Server. The companies are delivering similar functionality in less-capable products, failing miserably to match RIM's offering. BlackBerry Enterprise Server is a key selling point for RIM.

2. Enterprise concern over third-party apps

Apple's App Store is touted as a main reason why folks would want to switch to the iPhone. But all that talk fails to take into account that the corporate world isn't so keen on third-party apps. In fact, most companies strictly limit or prohibit the use of third-party programs on company-owned mobile phones. It makes sense. Applications can be an easy gateway by which malicious hackers can gain access to sensitive information. They can also wreak havoc on an otherwise useful product. Apps are nice for the beach, but they aren't so useful in the office.

3. It's about control

Control over hardware and software is integral to the operation of any company. IT managers use every tool at their disposal to exercise control over the ways in which employees use and interact with the products provided to them by their employers. Unlike so many of the other devices on the market, BlackBerry phones offer IT managers the ability to fully control access, protocols and other elements that safeguard data from phone to phone. Apple has done a better job of giving companies the ability to control access and distribution of content on the iPhone in recent updates, but RIM's slate of services is far more robust.

4. Security is everything

Control has everything to do with security. And security is the main reason why any company would opt for a BlackBerry over a competing phone. RIM has done an outstanding job over the years of delivering software that gives companies full control over employee security. Companies can decide whether or not they want encryption on removable media or any other storage device built into the device. Security settings can even be placed on individual applications. RIM realizes that the enterprise covets security above all else. And by offering the right security tools, it's delivering what they need.

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