No stranger to a crisis itself, the former maker of phones with tiny keyboards, Blackberry has added a crisis communications channel specialisation for key partners.
The outfit is trying to elbow its way into the security and developed a crisis communication offering for those customers that need to get messages out to staff and the public quickly in times of natural disasters, terrorist and cyber-attacks.
The Crisis Communications Specialisation is built on BlackBerry’s AtHoc platform, which enables the sharing of information across an organisation, ranging from sharing work and operational details up to vital details about a major incident, and should appeal to partners that work with customers that have critical life-safety requirements.
Richard McLeod, global vice president – enterprise software channels at BlackBerry, said that in times of crisis it was vital that messages could get out to people providing information and safety advice.
BlackBerry’s mobile background is useful in a situation when email is down, and there is a need for other means of communicating with people.
He said that as well as selling crisis communication tools some partners would also be in a position to earn extra revenues from integrating other aspects, including sirens, radios and speakers.
Candidates will need to be a global partner with robust cloud and security and consultative skills to be invited.
