Struggling smartphone maker BlackBerry
is exploring ways to keep itself afloat --
including the possibility of selling off the
company.
BlackBerry ( ) said Monday that its
board of directors have formed a special
committee to look into "strategic alternatives"
that would boost sales of smartphones on its
new BlackBerry 10 operating system.
In addition to a sale of the company,
BlackBerry said it would also consider joint
ventures, partnerships and other options.
BlackBerry announced its largest shareholder,
Fairfax Financial chief Prem Watsa, will step
down from the board to avoid "potential
conflicts" but will retain his investment in the
company.
Shares of BlackBerry rose 5% on Monday.
Given BlackBerry's long-running struggles, news
of a possible sell-off hardly comes as a
surprise. The company finally released its
delayed Blackberry 10 operating system in
January , but sales of the first phones on the
platform have disappointed . BlackBerry
shipped just 2.7 million phones running its
new operating system during the quarter that
ended June 1, and the company also logged a
surprise loss.

Still, BlackBerry does possess assets that could
make it attractive to a potential buyer or
partner.
Perhaps most importantly, BlackBerry owns a
trove of lucrative patents. That's a massive
advantage in the competitive and highly
litigious world of smartphones, and it could be
attractive to a big rival like Microsoft
( , Fortune 500 ), Apple ( ,
Fortune 500 ) or Samsung.
And while BlackBerry's name may not impress
consumers, the company's reputation for strong
security solutions remains intact. BlackBerry
has used that rare spot of strength to launch
several enterprise software solutions, including
a new security platform for iOS and
Android .
Experts predict that BlackBerry will have a
tough time finding a buyer for the entire
company, as no suitor is likely to be interested
in the hardware business. Sale of the patent
portfolio, for example, or licensing BlackBerry
software may be a better option.
S&P Capital IQ analyst James Moorman said
he believes "either selling the company, or parts
of the company, is the right strategic move at
this time." He warned, however, that "it will
take some time for the process to play out."
If the process is indeed drawn out, BlackBerry
at least has money to burn: At the end of last
quarter, the company had $3.1 billion in cash
on hand.
www.money.cnn.com/2013/08/12/news/companies/blackberry-sale/index.html?iid=HP_LN

BEST OF LUCK TO THEM

Lolz.. Death Of BB

ok

Good news #TeamAndroid

I know this thread gonna hit the front page.
Good luck to them sha

Android taking over

8 months ago on nairaland it was " blackberry or die", " What is it that an android can do that a blackberry cannot do" etc etc. good thing nairaland doesn't delete past threads, I still go through them for laughs. the same diehard blackberry fans that had oral diarrhoea are now rocking android and loving it.

guy learn lesson naw see what happen to nokia n8. If u got q10 beta....

.

team#android

NEROSKY: Good news #TeamAndroid

At the end of the day consumers will be shortchanged if the market is reduced to just 2 dominant OSs. What would be better is a scenario where consumers have the option of several strong OSs to choose from offering different mobile experiences.

Off course this is not something that will be immediately realised by the throng of fanboys who see everything through their one set narrow lens.

Choice is always a good thing

I can see why they are giving out BBM

Wanna buy their servers, if there is an auction.

if they will sell d company for 1million naira only....

i might be intrested... lol..


greenberry iz goin d ways of the symbian...

Bawss1:

At the end of the day consumers will be shortchanged if the market is reduced to just 2 dominant OSs. What would be better is a scenario where consumers have the option of several strong OSs to choose from offering different mobile experiences.

Off course this is not something that will be immediately realised by the throng of fanboys who see everything through their one set narrow lens.

Choice is always a good thing

No competition needed , where were they when I can use 16k to get latest & new android phone