BlackBerry users who have Lotus Connections, IBM's social software suite, and BI from Cognos, will no longer need their laptops to access the software when they are on the road. IBM and Research in Motion (RIM) announced today at the Wireless Enterprise Symposium in Orlando that a good portion of Big Blue’s software can now be served up on a corporate BlackBerry. RELATED LINKS IBM’s Web 2.0 Sales Pitch: We’re Safer Six Free BlackBerry Downloads You Don’t Want to Miss BlackBerry Bible: Everything You Need to Know About Your RIM Smartphone In addition to being able to access Lotus Connections, a suite of Web 2.0 inspired tools that include social networking profiles and blogs that IBM touts as its fastest selling software product, companies who have BI (Business Intelligence) from Cognos (which IBM acquired late last fall) and IBM Sametime, the company’s unified communication suite, can also have access to those applications while on the road. Kevin Cavanaugh, Vice President of Messaging and Collaboration Software at IBM, told CIO the partnership is not exclusive. When asked if the company would be open to similar deals with other carriers, such as Apple and its iPhone, he emphasized BlackBerry was IBM’s main focus for its mobile efforts. “It’s not exclusive, but on the other hand, RIM’s BlackBerry is the most widely deployed handheld in our customer base,” he says. “They have a secure environment and architecture for enterprise data.” Cavanaugh says the partnership should allow more workers to start travelling without their laptops but maintain access to some of their most critical business applications. “It’s something we’ve heard from customers across the board: When they are on the road, they want to still be able to participate in the daily life of the office, but not have to take their laptop with them to do it,” he says. Related content brandpost Sponsored by Freshworks When your AI chatbots mess up AI ‘hallucinations’ present significant business risks, but new types of guardrails can keep them from doing serious damage By Paul Gillin Dec 08, 2023 4 mins Generative AI brandpost Sponsored by Dell New research: How IT leaders drive business benefits by accelerating device refresh strategies Security leaders have particular concerns that older devices are more vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks. By Laura McEwan Dec 08, 2023 3 mins Infrastructure Management case study Toyota transforms IT service desk with gen AI To help promote insourcing and quality control, Toyota Motor North America is leveraging generative AI for HR and IT service desk requests. By Thor Olavsrud Dec 08, 2023 7 mins Employee Experience Generative AI ICT Partners feature CSM certification: Costs, requirements, and all you need to know The Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) certification sets the standard for establishing Scrum theory, developing practical applications and rules, and leading teams and stakeholders through the development process. By Moira Alexander Dec 08, 2023 8 mins Certifications IT Skills Project Management Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe