Samsung is set to launch an enterprise-enabled version of its new Galaxy S3 smartphone, with a release date being touted for as early as July. The move will come in an effort to overturn Blackberry as the device of choice for most businesses.

Although Blackberry has not been as successful in the general smartphone market and has fallen well behind Android and iOS platforms, it has successfully held on to a huge chunk of the business market. However, Samsung is looking to change all that.

It has been reported that the Samsung Galaxy S3 with Samsung Approved For Enterprise (SAFE) branding will be made available in July, according to The Verge. It is designed for "bring your own device" programs implemented in workplaces, and comes with on-device AES-256 bit encryption, more accurate Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync support, and support for major VPN and Mobile Device Management (MDM) systems such as Cisco or Juniper.

The release date is being touted as July, and should see it come out on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and U.S. Cellular networks.

Last October Samsung announced that it would be ramping up its competition against competitors such as LG and Motorola by launching its first smartphone in the SAFE program. 

Blackberry has been struggling in the wave of competition to hit the market in the past few years, and Research In Motion's (RIM) Blackberry sales at the end of the fourth quarter didn't seem too promising. RIM sold just 11.1m Blackberry devices, falling short of the 11.2m mark analysts had predicted. This was also a massive 21 percent fewer than its third quarter results, and was the fifth consecutive quarter RIM had missed its revenue and profit forecasts.

Despite the slump, the Blackberry has remained the choice device for many businesses, however, Samsung's Galaxy S3 SAFE edition as well as new apps appearing, such as Enterproid's Divide app which offers "Bring Your Own Device" services, a further downturn may be on the horizon for Blackberry.

Tags: samsung galaxy s3 sgs3