Last week BlackBerry Limited, formerly known as RIM, said that its BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10 smartphones with BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 has been approved by the government for use on the Department of Defense networks.

According to BlackBerry, this "permission" is called an Authority to Operate (ATO), and it was given by the U.S. Defense Information System Agency (DISA). This agency is composed of military, federal civilians and contractors, and provides IT and communications support to the president, vice president, and whomever/whatever is contributing to the nation's defense.

BlackBerry claims that it is the first Mobile Device Management (MDM) provider to obtain an ATO from the government. The DISA is now supposedly deploying BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 on the DoD networks to support 10,000 BlackBerry smartphones by this fall, and around 30,000 by the end of the year.

"Receiving the ATO is a critical step forward in the security certification process," the company said. "The approval demonstrates that BlackBerry 10 smartphones meet DoD’s most stringent security requirements. BlackBerry 10 smartphones will enable DoD personnel to have the ability to securely connect to networks and access assets from work."

The government may be installing BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 (BES 10) for more than just BackBerry's two smartphones. This device management solution allows IT admins to manage multiple, different devices per user, both corporate-owned and personal-owned (BYOD) devices. These include BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 10, Android and iOS tablets and smartphones.

"[It] satisfies the full range of security needs; from a basic level up to the high security and control needs of government and regulated industries," reads the product description. Network administrators can manage "complex fleets" of devices and users through a single platform and management console. The latest version includes a Secure Work Space option for iOS and Android devices which offers containerization, application-wrapping and secure connectivity.

For now, it seems, BlackBerry's two most recent smartphones will be the first to use BES 10 running on the DoD's networks. “With foreign entities -- governmental and criminal -- ramping up attacks on electronic communications and information systems, BlackBerry provides government agencies with a proven partner that follows top-to-bottom security protocols," said Scott Totzke, SVP, BlackBerry Security Group at BlackBerry.

News of the ATO for the Z10 and Q10 arrived just before BlackBerry Limited announced on Monday that its Board of Directors has formed a Special Committee to explore strategic alternatives that will accelerate BlackBerry 10 deployment. This includes possible joint ventures, strategic partnerships or alliances, an actual sale of the company or other possible transactions.

"During the past year, management and the Board have been focused on launching the BlackBerry 10 platform and BES 10, establishing a strong financial position, and evaluating the best approach to delivering long-term value for customers and shareholders," said Timothy Dattels, Chairman of BlackBerry’s Special Committee of the Board. "Given the importance and strength of our technology, and the evolving industry and competitive landscape, we believe that now is the right time to explore strategic alternatives."