In my previous article, BBM Inc: Blackberry Messaging For The Masses, I had suggested that BlackBerry Messenger Incorporated could be created as a spin-off division of BlackBerry Limited. If BBM Inc captured a large enough subscriber base across Android and iOS, it could present an attractive acquisition for a corporation like Samsung.
in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Director Bert Nordberg had confirmed that BlackBerry would have to sell off “subsets within the company” and attempt to focus on the firm’s strengths. Mr. Nordberg went on to confirm that the board of directors was considering an outright sale or strategic partnership. This would confirm that Samsung is positioning itself as a strategic partner beyond simply including BBM on their GALAXY line of smartphones. Furthermore, Samsung would be in a position to buy up a BlackBerry subset such as BBM Inc.
In May of 2012, BlackBerry had hired investment bankers J.P. Morgan Securities and RBC Capital Markets to aid in reviewing its business and financial performance. We are now seeing the fruits of the new strategic business plan that would see BlackBerry effect cost-cutting measures and sell off divisions deemed not in line with this new version of BlackBerry Ltd.
Although things look dire for BlackBerry, a streamlined firm with substantial capital and no debt would appeal to investors. The hope is that investors and customers alike would stand behind BlackBerry while the firm rediscovered what it means to again be a global player in the field of mobile technology.
Both the Blackberry Z10 and Q10 represent excellent hardware design but have room for improvement. If BlackBerry aims to again be considered a global player, their devices will have to push the envelope in both features and specifications while maintaining business-class security. Also, BlackBerry may have to take a play from the Microsoft play book and entice app developers to build quality apps for the BB OS. The BlackBerry App World looks dismal when compared to Google Play or Apple’s iTunes.
Other concerns for BlackBerry include enterprise and government contracts that they need to defend against the likes of Samsung and Apple. Both alternatives were approved by the Department of Defense recently and a greater presence of either will represent continued losses for the firm.