Grygo is the chief content officer for FTF & FTF News.
Once a status symbol on Wall Street but a headache for IT and operations managers trying to secure trading rooms, the BlackBerry mobile devices are no more. BlackBerry Ltd. ended the classic, yet impenetrable BlackBerry operating system, software, and services on Jan. 4, 2022.
“As a reminder, the legacy services for BlackBerry 7.1 OS and earlier, BlackBerry 10 software, BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1 and earlier versions, will no longer be available after January 4, 2022,” the company quietly announced via a service support page that was updated Dec. 22, 2021.
“As of this date, devices running these legacy services and software through either carrier or Wi-Fi connections will no longer reliably function, including for data, phone calls, SMS and 9-1-1 functionality,” according to the company.
Photo by Randy Lu on Unsplash
The company also announced that the termination “will also impact functionality for applications such as Enhanced Sim Based Licensing (ESBL) / Identity Based Licensing (IBL), BlackBerry hosted email addresses, BlackBerry Link, BlackBerry Desktop Manager, BlackBerry Blend, BlackBerry Protect (allows consumers to lock, locate or wipe BBOS, BlackBerry 10 devices remotely.”
For those with data that they need to retrieve, they better act fast.
“BlackBerry retains personal information as long as necessary for the fulfilment of BlackBerry’s identified purposes or as otherwise necessary to comply with applicable laws. When personal information is no longer necessary or relevant, BlackBerry will delete, destroy, erase, or anonymize your data,” according to a company statement. “Immediate requests to remove your data may made by emailing the privacyoffice@blackberry.com.”
The BlackBerry Protect endpoint security solution, which uses artificial intelligence (A.I.), will not be affected by terminations, by the way.
The company took the opportunity to remind people that it had moved on from its days as a popular hand-held communication device. The BlackBerry devices lost ground to the mobile operating systems, services, and devices from Apple and Google.
While competitors won the day in the marketplace, BlackBerry did have its loyal supporters who will now have to look elsewhere. “Please contact your carrier for more information about switching to a new device,” according to a terse note on the company website.
“We thank our many loyal customers and partners over the years and invite you to learn more about how BlackBerry provides intelligent security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world,” according to a statement.
“Today BlackBerry is focused on providing intelligent security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world. Since pivoting to an enterprise software and cybersecurity company, we have received questions about our plans to provide ongoing support for BlackBerry 7.1 OS and earlier and BlackBerry 10 devices. In 2017, we committed to providing at least two more years of support for BlackBerry 10 and at least two years of BlackBerry network access for BBOS devices,” according to an official statement.
BlackBerry officials add that they secure “more than 500M endpoints including 195M+ cars on the road today. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company leverages A.I. and machine learning to deliver innovative solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, safety and data privacy solutions, and is a leader in the areas of endpoint security, endpoint management, encryption, and embedded systems.”
More information about the situation can be found here https://blck.by/3pVIFLW
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