RIM partitions BlackBerry while Apple hires security czar

The battle to be the leading corporate smartphone supplier sees firms boost their security offerings

RIM is to offer virtual partitioning on its BlackBerry smartphone, while Apple has hired a new security czar as the battle to corner the corporate smartphone market moves into the security arena.

The virtual partitioning will allow companies to better protect their sensitive data by effectively splitting the BlackBerry into two devices, one for corporate and one for personal use.

The BlackBerry is still the leading smartphone for corporate use, but its lead has been eroded over the past year by Apple's iPhone. RIM hopes that bolstering the security of its devices will help to stop the rot.

"In effect you're quarantining the area of the machine that is connecting to the corporate network," said Andrew Kellett, senior analyst at Ovum.

This improves security by ensuring that anything the user does with his device, be it opening email attachments from non-trusted sources or downloading insecure apps, remains in the personal space. This removes the possibility that any malware that is unwittingly downloaded as a result could enter the corporate environment.

RIM's partition will be called BlackBerry Balance, and will be available within two months, according to the manufacturer.

Not to be left out, Apple has hired cyber-security expert David Rice, a former analyst at the US National Security Agency, as its director of global security.

The firm hopes that this will improve its standing with corporations worldwide, as many enterprises have cited security concerns as a reason not to choose the iPhone.