BlackBerry to buy German security solutions firm

BlackBerry will buy German security solutions firm Secusmart GmbH as part of its efforts to ramp up enterprise service offerings.

Secusmart provides high-security voice and data encryption and anti-eavesdropping solutions for government organisations, enterprises and telecommunications service providers in Germany as well as globally.

"BlackBerry Limited has entered into an agreement to acquire Secusmart GmbH," it said in a statement on Wednesday.

The transaction is subject to the satisfaction of certain customary conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals, the Canadian handset maker added.

"We are always improving our security solutions to keep up with the growing complexity of enterprise mobility -- with devices being used for more critical tasks -- and to store more critical information as security attacks becoming more sophisticated," BlackBerry Chairman and CEO John Chen said.

The acquisition of Secusmart underscores the firm’s focus on addressing growing security costs and threats

ranging from individual privacy to national security, he added.

"This acquisition bolsters our security solutions with leading voice and data encryption and anti-eavesdropping technologies, and furthers BlackBerry’s security leadership in end-to-end mobile solutions," Chen said.

BlackBerry and Secusmart have previously partnered to offer Secusmart’s technology to customers that have the most demanding security needs.

Last year the SecuSUITE for BlackBerry 10 solution was selected by Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security for classified communications for the country’s highest public officials.

Through this collaboration, the two companies have provided Secusmart-equipped BlackBerry smartphones to a significant number of German government agencies and almost all government ministries and leaders, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, BlackBerry said.

"This transaction is a fantastic opportunity to accelerate growth in the market for high-end secure communications solutions, driven by the need to combat electronic eavesdropping and data theft," Secusmart Managing Director said Hans-Christoph Quelle said.