Australian investment company QIC boosts data security and workforce mobility with BlackBerry

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA and WATERLOO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Dec. 4, 2017) - BlackBerry Limited (NYSE:BB)(TSX:BB) today announced that QIC has deployed BlackBerry® Workspaces, a secure collaboration solution that enables companies and their clients to safely share, protect and track sensitive information within mobile and cloud environments.

With billions of dollars under management, QIC ensures that it operates in a strictly secure and confidential environment. As QIC expanded internationally, the company adopted a cloud-first digital strategy to enable its staff, clients and partners around the world to exchange information and documents safely from any location.

Grant Slender, Information Technology, Security and Risk Leader at QIC, said, "Trust is a top priority in investment management and for QIC. We take all necessary steps to prevent even the slightest security breach to protect our clients and our firm. A key component of that effort is our adoption of BlackBerry Workspaces, which allows our employees to share, edit and control sensitive files securely and seamlessly, both inside and outside QIC, in a mobile and cloud-based environment including Microsoft 365, OneDrive and SharePoint."

Alex Manea, Chief Security Officer, BlackBerry, explained, "In today's digital and mobile age, companies in any industry need to enable staff, clients and suppliers to be productive and collaborative. The challenge lies in adopting flexible next-generation technologies such as cloud, without hindering data security. At BlackBerry, we are helping governments and private companies to navigate these security challenges, as well as manage very complex regulatory requirements."

BlackBerry Workspaces' file sync and sharing functionalities are fully integrated into the new Microsoft Office 365 framework, enabling QIC to maintain the highest level of security required to safeguard client information. BlackBerry Workspaces is also used to power advanced collaboration, such as digital "'deal rooms"' for investment negotiations. Using these secure and confidential 'deal rooms' is transforming how QIC does business with its clients and partners, making it easier and more secure than ever before to discuss and make strategic investment decisions.

BlackBerry Workspaces gives QIC an independent and auditable way to manage the collaboration of documents and information with third parties, as the IT department has complete control over all files, and total visibility into how, where and when those files are accessed or modified. Additional tools also enable staff and IT to easily trace and protect attachments in outgoing emails, and transfer data while maintaining security and control.

Alex Manea added, "With European GDPR and Australian Data Breach Notification laws going live in early 2018, many Australian organizations must comply with these strict security and confidentiality requirements, or face serious consequences. The time is now for forward-thinking companies like QIC to take action to address cloud security and compliance challenges and become BlackBerry Secure."

Grant Slender concluded, "In our business, it is vital that we minimize migration risks, which is challenging as many next-generation business collaboration apps are still interdependent with legacy systems. BlackBerry Workspaces and Microsoft 365 integrate smoothly, and the transition has been seamless. Our clients and partners can draw confidence from the fact that we have clear, demonstrable file security in place, which is essential to maintaining trusted relationships."

BlackBerry recently announced that the company received the highest score in two use cases in Gartner's Critical Capabilities for Content Collaboration Platforms report¹. BlackBerry received the highest scores in Workforce Productivity and Centralized Content Protection for its BlackBerry Workspaces solution.

To learn more about how QIC used BlackBerry Workspaces, click here. To download a complimentary copy of the Gartner 2017 Critical Capabilities for Content Collaboration Platforms Report, click here. To find information about BlackBerry Workspaces, click here.

¹ Gartner, Critical Capabilities for Content Collaboration Platforms, by Karen A. Hobert, Monica Basso, Michael Woodbridge, September 12, 2017

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About QIC:

QIC is a global diversified alternative investment firm offering infrastructure, real estate, private equity, liquid strategies and multi-asset investments. It is one of the largest institutional investment managers in Australia, with A$82.9 billion (US$65.0/£46.6 billion)¹ in funds under management, offering infrastructure, real estate, private capital, liquid strategies and multi-asset investment services. QIC has over 800 employees and serves more than 110 clients including governments, pension plans, sovereign wealth funds and insurers, spanning Australia, Europe, Asia, Middle East and the US. Headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, QIC also has offices in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Cleveland, London, Sydney, and Melbourne. For more information about QIC, our approach, clients and regulatory framework, please refer to our website www.qic.com or contact us directly.

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry is a cybersecurity software and services company dedicated to securing the Enterprise of Things. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company was founded in 1984 and operates in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Middle East, Latin America and Africa. The Company trades under the ticker symbol "BB" on the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange. For more information, visit www.BlackBerry.com.