BlackBerry To Offer Security System On Samsung Smartphones

BlackBerry Ltd BBRY shares jumped 5 percent Wednesday on news it will provide an optional security system for Samsung Electronics Ltd's SSNLF Galaxy smartphones and tablets.

BlackBerry traded recently at $11.87, up 5.3 percent.

Pricing for the premium consumer option and other terms of the agreement weren't disclosed.

Although Samsung's worldwide market share for smartphones has been declining, it manufactures about a quarter of all such devices.

The BlackBerry system will integrate with devices equipped with Samsung's KNOX security system and offer separation of business and personal data in the interest of corporate security and employee privacy.

The service relies on a cross-platform EMM system launched by BlackBerry Wednesday called BES12 which capable of managing devices on "all of the major enterprise mobile platforms," BlackBerry said.

Availability is expected in early 2015.

Separately Thursday, Blackberry also announced a distribution agreement with privately held Brightstar Corp. covering its newly launched BES12 system.

Other resellers for BES12 will include Ingram Micro Inc., Verizon Communications Inc., Vodafone Group Plc, and others.

Also separately, BlackBerry announced a new mobile conferencing system it said addresses a market that will grow to $4.7 billion by 2018.