BlackBerry Seeks to Expand Presence in Gov’t Sector With New Subsidiary

BlackBerry has established a new wholly owned subsidiary to help the company further build up partnerships with government agencies and advance Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program-related initiatives.

Robert "Bob" Day, a retired Coast Guard rear admiral, will serve as president of Washington, D.C.-based BlackBerry Government Solutions, the company said Tuesday.

Day, who joined the company in 2016, will oversee efforts to get BlackBerry platforms through FedRAMP and authority-to-operate certifications and ensure the continuous monitoring of the firm’s FedRAMP-certified cloud offerings.

"This new subsidiary allows us to deepen our reach within the U.S. government sector by ensuring our next-generation cybersecurity solutions and Spark platform meet FedRAMP and ATO certifications, as well as provide our customers with a higher-level of service,” said John Chen, executive chairman and CEO of BlackBerry.

BlackBerry Government Solutions will operate as an independent subsidiary with a separate corporate governance structure to ensure compliance with national security requirements.