BlackBerry acquires UK start-up Movirtu

BlackBerry has acquired Movirtu, a mobile technology start-up based in the UK, to support efforts to win more government and corporate clients.

As reported by Reuters, the Canadian firm is refocusing on its core corporate and government clients, with the acquisition coming after the company went through a major restructuring process.

Movirtu specialises in virtual SIM technology, which enables users to switch between multiple numbers on their handset personal and business with distinct billing for use on each number, removing the need to have more than one device for different purposes.

John Sims, head of BlackBerry's enterprise unit, revealed that with Movirtu, BlackBerry users could stop work alerts and emails coming through after a certain time, while still getting their personal messages and calls.

He said: "Clearly this fits nicely within the strategy we have so far articulated. We are building recurring revenue streams in value-added services and providing more value to enterprises."

The company announced the conclusion of its three-year restructuring process via an internal memo sent to employees, which came shortly after the acquisition of voice and data encryption firm Secusmart.

At the time, executive chairman and CEO John Chen said: "The acquisition of Secusmart underscores our focus on addressing growing security costs and threats ranging from individual privacy to national security. 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."

Despite losing a portion of their customer base of business users to the iPhone, BlackBerry is currently focusing on building their reputation in mobile data security and device management, with Movirtu the latest move in this direction.