BlackBerry 10 Smartphones Approved for Use On U.S. Department of Defense Networks

BlackBerry® (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB) announced the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has approved BlackBerry® 10 smartphones and BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablets with BlackBerry® Enterprise Service 10 to be used on DoD networks. Working with the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), BlackBerry 10 smartphones and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets have undergone successful testing through DoD labs leading to a subsequent listing on DISA's Unified Communications Approved Product List (UC APL).

The approval allows all DoD customers to use the BlackBerry® Z10 and BlackBerry® Q10 smartphones, and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets on DoD networks.

“IDC research shows that mobile security continues to be of utmost importance to government agencies around the globe,” said Stephen D. Drake, Program Vice President, Mobility & Telecom at IDC. “The U.S. Department of Defense’s strict security requirements are amongst the highest in the world, and this allows other government bodies to follow suit. The role of BlackBerry including devices and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 continues to be important and relevant for security conscious organizations.”

“BlackBerry 10 is ideal for our government customers because it offers a rich, highly responsive mobile computing experience, along with BlackBerry’s proven and validated security model – a combination that’s unmatched in the industry,” said Scott Totzke, SVP, BlackBerry Security at BlackBerry. “This approval will enable DoD customers to connect their BlackBerry Z10 or BlackBerry Q10 smartphones to DoD networks and securely access assets from work, while enjoying the wealth of consumer-oriented functionality that BlackBerry 10 brings to market.”

For more information about BlackBerry 10, please visit:  www.blackberry.com/BB10

About BlackBerry

A global leader in wireless innovation, BlackBerry® revolutionized the mobile industry when it was introduced in 1999. Today, BlackBerry aims to inspire the success of our millions of customers around the world by continuously pushing the boundaries of mobile experiences. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, BlackBerry operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. BlackBerry is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ: BBRY) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BB). For more information, visit www.blackberry.com