BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is seeking to cash in as companies switch to rival smartphones with a new tool that offers some of its important security features for sexier devices like the iPhone.

The company said on Tuesday that it will launch its new Mobile Fusion device management software in the first quarter, allowing corporate IT staff to set and monitor rules for passwords, apps and software on a range of devices, including Apple''s iPad and iPhone, and smartphones using Google's Android operating system.

A company can remotely lock or wipe a lost or stolen device, a key selling point for security-conscious corporations who may have been wary of shifting away from the BlackBerry.

"What our enterprise customers are looking for, and the opportunity for us, is to become the de facto platform," RIM's vice-president for enterprise product management, Alan Panezic, told Reuters in an interview ahead of the announcement.

"We will take full advantage of whatever security capabilities are provided by the core operating system. We're not going to hold that back in any way, shape or form."