WATERLOO, Ont. -- BlackBerry Ltd. says the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency has approved BES 10 secure work space software for use by government workers on devices that run the Android operating system or Apple's iOS software.

The company says the DISA approval provides additional confidence for government agencies that are considering a more open mobile environment with a selection of devices and operating system.

BlackBerry has been lost market share in recent years to Apple's iPhone, iPad and similar Android smartphones and tables from various manufacturers.

Under BlackBerry chairman John Chen, BlackBerry has been focusing on the business and public sector segments of the market, while highlighting the security features of its products and services.

A company memo last week said that BlackBerry has reached the end of a reorganization that began three years ago and it's ready to make strategic acquisitions, such as the purchase of Secusmart, a German anti-eavesdropping firm.