BlackBerry today announced the availability of BBM Protected, a solution for secure enterprise-class messaging. The first solution in the eBBM Suite for secure enterprise-class messaging provides a security model for BBM messages sent between BlackBerry smartphones. The instant messaging app uses a FIPS 140-2 validated cryptographic library and enables employees to use the same app to securely message colleagues inside the company for work as they do to chat and share with family and friends outside the company.

The current release of BBM Protected can be used for BlackBerry smartphones running BB0S 6.0 or later or BlackBerry 10 in Regulated mode. Versions of BBM Protected for BlackBerry 10 smartphones using BlackBerry Balance and iOS and Android devices will be also released later this year, Blackberry said.

BBM Protected is part of Blackberry's eBBM Suite.