BlackBerry’s comeback from near ruin took two steps forward on Tuesday:

1. A new, less expensive smartphone targeting a market where BlackBerry remains strong

2. Opening up management of its operating system with IBM among the first companies to take advantage of the change.

The change allows mobile device management firms “to directly manage the BlackBerry 10 operating system devices. AirWatch, Citrix and IBM will be the first companies to work with BlackBerry to manage our BlackBerry 10 devices,” the company said. 

“We’re making this strategic move to continue providing the most open and flexible mobile environments for our customers.,” said BlackBerry Executive Vice President John Sims.

“We’ve expanded our BES10 and BBM messaging platform to include iOS and Android, and later this year we will add Windows Phone. And, with the help of our partners we hope to continue to provide customers increased flexibility and choice in their mobile device environments.

“MDM has become table stakes; it is no longer a meaningful point of differentiation. The differentiation for BlackBerry in the future will be our ability to enable secure, productive mobile communications, collaboration and other applications. Additionally, we remain the only company who can provide customers the flexibility to choose between any of the popular policy models such as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and Corporate Owned Personally Enabled (COPE).”

More details can be read online.

The New Phone

BlackBerry also launched a new lower-cost smartphone designed specifically for Indonesia on Tuesday in an attempt to win back market share that has plunged in recent years but remains higher than in many other nations.

The BlackBerry Z3, Jakarta Edition, was launched at a glitzy hotel in the capital, Jakarta. The company said it will go on sale Thursday for $191, considerably less than its higher-priced Z10 and Q10 devices. Analysts say the lack of a lower-priced phone has hurt Blackberry in Indonesia.

The phone is the first to be launched under new BlackBerry Ltd. Chief Executive John Chen, who took the helm late last year.

“The Jakarta Edition was designed specifically with our Indonesian customers in mind,” Chen said in a statement.

“BlackBerry has changed the way millions of people around the world stay connected. From conception to delivery, the BlackBerry Z3, Jakarta Edition was designed specifically with our Indonesian customers in mind. This device gives users more ways to connect, share and communicate, providing the best tool for secure, reliable communications and collaboration with friends, family and co-workers. Priced affordably, the BlackBerry Z3, Jakarta Edition will extend the full capabilities of the BlackBerry 10 Operating System version 10.2.1 experience for a new generation of customers in Indonesia.”

It has a 5-inch screen and includes Indonesian apps and content.

Although it is designed for Indonesia, Blackberry hopes to eventually sell the phone in six other Asia countries, including Malaysia, Vietnam, India and the Philippines.

BlackBerry once dominated the smartphone market in Indonesia, but has struggled in recent years amid increased competition from rivals such as Apple and Samsung.

Indonesia, a nation of 240 million people with Southeast Asia’s largest economy, has experienced a tech boom in recent years.

More details about the new phone can be read online.

BlackBerry operates two research and development offices in Cary.