The new device, BlackBerry said, will offer the security of BlackBerry phones running on its own BB10 operating system along with Android’s greater number of apps. It expects the deal to help win new clients for its services business, a priority as it shifts its focus to device management software for enterprise customers.
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According to information leaked online yesterday BlackBerry’s soon-to-be-released, first Android phone will be called the “Priv”. “We’ll see how it goes”.
“If we [can] build more enterprise demand for Android phones…at the high end…that’s good for Samsung”, Mr. Chen told reporters. There’s certainly a lot riding on the Priv. After years of below-par phones, it will be hoping its Android debut can be its saving grace.
“I was dying for Amazon to be successful with their phone”, Chen said.
Chen tried to combat this issue past year by partnering with Amazon’s Appstore.
What we learn, however, is that the keyboard supports the same sort of capacitive touch recognition as the BlackBerry Passport. Time Magazine claimed it was the failure to anticipate flat screens and the boom in the consumer – as opposed to purely business – market for smartphones that was Blackberry’s “fatal” mistake.
BlackBerry reported basic GAAP earnings of 10 cents per share, compared to losses of 39 cents per share year, and adjusted EBITDA of $68 million. Overall revenue in the quarter fell 46.5 percent to $490 million.
In the a year ago BlackBerry sales in Europe, the Middle East and Africa have almost halved with sales in the second quarter falling 55% to $202 (£133m). BlackBerry has been perfecting its skills and offerings in terms of privacy, security and productivity, and then started lending that proficiency and innovation to other operating systems.
Strengthening software licensing and services revenues has been part of Chen’s priorities.
Despite the fall from prominence, IT still trusts the BlackBerry brand in terms of security, said Jack Narcotta, industry analyst at Hampton, N.H.-based Technology Business Research, Inc.
The Waterloo-based company issued widespread layoff notices to its workforce this summer. They have lost a third of their value in the last 12 months.
But the issue of further reductions wasn’t addressed in Friday’s press release or the analyst call.
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Recently, the company announced several specific departmental layoffs.
