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RIM tries to keep its business customers ahead of BlackBerry 10 launch

Dual-persona smartphones enabled as enterprise management software is released.

With the launch of BlackBerry 10 a week away, RIM today prepared its business customers for the new devices by releasing software that lets IT departments manage the new BlackBerrys in addition to iOS and Android devices.

BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 packages all the previously existing features (like iOS and Android support) along with new tools such as BlackBerry Balance. Balance is RIM's answer to the bring-your-own-device world, creating dual-persona smartphones that separate the work and personal portions of the device. Balance was already available on the PlayBook and will now hit smartphones as part of BlackBerry 10. (EDIT: Balance was available in limited form on some phones running BlackBerry 6 or 7, but RIM says it will provide a more complete experience in BlackBerry 10.)

Other features of BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 include the ability to manage BlackBerry World for Work, which helps IT shops deploy private app stores to their employees. "Administrators can push and install the organization’s mandatory apps to both corporate and personal-owned devices and publish recommended apps to employees," RIM said. As in previous editions, Enterprise Service 10 will also give businesses tools for "securing and managing work profiles including hierarchical group management with Active Directory integration."

Enterprise Service 10 merges the previously separate products BlackBerry Enterprise Server and Mobile Fusion, the latter of which handled the iOS and Android support. Enterprise Service 10 had been in beta trials with customers such as US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Now it's ready for mass download.

BlackBerry has obviously lost its position at the top of the smartphone heap to the iPhone and Android, but RIM is hoping to get back on track with BlackBerry 10. A big unveil of the new operating system and hardware will take place in New York City next week.

Channel Ars Technica