Research in Motion announced on Tuesday that it will launch a new security software that will bring the same security and management features found in the company's BlackBerry smartphones to Android and iOS phones and tablets.

The new system called BlackBerry Mobile Fusion will give companies and government owners using Apple's iPhone and iPad and devices running Google's Android software a way to manage their devices as they have done for years with their BlackBerry devices. IT managers can manage apps, settings, passwords and other software on smartphones. Mobile Fusion will also offer the creation of multiple user profiles on shared devices, remote locking and data wiping and control over how a device can connect to the Internet and other security settings.

"We are pleased to introduce BlackBerry Mobile Fusion - RIM's next generation enterprise mobility solution - to make it easier for our business and government customers to manage the diversity of devices in their operations today," said Alan Panezic, RIM's vice president of enterprise product management and marketing, in a statement.

"BlackBerry Mobile Fusion brings together our industry-leading BlackBerry Enterprise Server technology for BlackBerry devices with mobile device management capabilities for iOS and Android devices, all managed from one web-based console," Panezic said. "It provides the necessary management capabilities to allow IT departments to confidently oversee the use of both company-owned and employee-owned mobile devices within their organizations."

Although RIM is still calling itself "the leading provider of enterprise mobility solutions with over 90 percent of the Fortune 500 provisioning BlackBerry devices today", the new system can is also an admission that the previous leader in the corporate smartphone market is being eclipsed by its Apple and Android rivals. Consumers in the enterprise market are choosing Apple or other Android smartphones and bringing those devices to the workplace.

The new system is also a way for RIM to diversify its business apart from its hardware revenue which has been shrinking of late. RIM's customer base are gravitating towards handsets powered by Google or Apple. RIM's global sales have plummeted 58 percent in the last year according to a recent report from consulting firm Canalys. The report placed RIM in fifth place with only a 10 percent market share. Its new tablet the PlayBook failed to make an impact in the market.

If RIM does shift to software and services it will have the advantage of name recognition from other services offering Mobile Device Management. Business and government users have been using RIM for years and would move business in RIM's way. If RIM can't beat Apple or Google then joining them might just be the tactic the company needs to survive.

BlackBerry Mobile Fusion is currently in early beta testing and will be available commercially in late March.