Rating: Improvements should please enterprises
RIM has released [October 3rd 2012] an OS update which applies to the Wi-Fi-only BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1 offers consumers, enterprises and developers enhanced security features and a range of new capabilities. It seems that RIM has become BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) aware because PlayBook OS 2.1 – through BlackBerry Mobile Fusion – offers new features that should simplify the deployment of the tablets in the enterprise.The company has also notice the growing importance of mobile payments as the In–App Payment system now extends to Android applications.
That should please developers and consumers alike. Plus we should see most of this stuff appear inside the BlackBerry 10.
On the BYOD front, the OS now supports over-the-air (OTA) enrollment to the BlackBerry Mobile Fusion server, plus support for ActiveSync certificate-based authentication along with additional IT Policy controls.
On the same BYOD theme, with OS 2.1 its enterprise-grade encryption can now be extended to secure all user data stored on the device.
There’s a new version of BlackBerry Bridge (version 2.1) compatible OS 2.1. It enables users to create send a text message on their PlayBook and send it as a SMS through their BlackBerry smartphone.
The connexion between PlayBook and BlackBerry smartphone appears to be via Bluetooth.
It doesn’t say whether you can read received text messages on your PlayBook but we assume this is the case. Version 2.1 of Blackberry bridge is available from the BlackBerry App World here.
With PlayBook OS 2.1, user can ‘Print’ documents from a PC to aPlayBook tablet using the Print To Go app even if the PC and tablet are connected to different networks.
The update is available immediately as a free over-the-air (OTA) download. Customers will automatically get a notification of the update on their PlayBook.
If they don’t see the notification they can tap the gear icon (in top right corner) and check for the new version under ‘Software Updates’.
