Editor’s Note: BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY), Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK), Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)
For BlackBerry, Bad News in the Microsoft-Nokia Marriage (Bits)
If misery loves company, BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) had a friend in Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) while both companies were struggling to adapt to a changed mobile phone world. But Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s purchase of Nokia’s handset and services business, some analysts said on Monday, may now make it harder for BlackBerry to find its own savior and will only underscore the Canadian company’s fundamental problems.
Flipboard arrives for BlackBerry 10, but you can’t use it yet (Engadget)
Bored, BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) toters? Flipboard is now on BlackBerry World to save your commute, but wait: there’s a rather big catch. It’ll only work with BlackBerry 10.2 OS (since it’s an Android port), and that version isn’t out yet, unless you’re okay with a leaked copy. If so, you’ll be able to use its magazine-style interface to share on up to 12 social networks, save stories for later perusing, curate your own editions (with help from your friends) and more.
BlackBerry Loses Possible Dance Partner (Digits)
When BlackBerry effectively put itself up for sale last month, many short lists of potential buyers started with Microsoft. But with news that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is shelling out $7 billion to buy “substantially all” of Nokia Corp.’s business, including its smartphone operations, BlackBerry appears to have lost one of its most logical suitors. The companies have flirted with the idea of a deal in the past. In late 2011, Microsoft and Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) considered making a joint bid for BlackBerry, then still known as Research In Motion, but a deal never materialized.
Why Hewlett-Packard Needs BlackBerry (The Motley Fool)
Should a smartphone offering be a major concern for Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ)? Absolutely, as even Whitman herself has acknowledged. Smartphones are well-established as a legitimate PC device, a major computer manufacturer ignores this fact at its own risk. Moreover, principal competitor Lenovo has established itself in the smartphone market; it is building on its primary base in China, and is increasing its exposure in India, Indonesia, and the Philippines. These moves are viewed as precursors to expanding its market in the U.S. It would seem that the longer Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ) waits, the harder it will be to establish competitive footing.
BlackBerry can survive as a ‘niche company,’ says the man tasked with reviving it (The Verge)
Bert Nordberg, the once-CEO of Sony Ericsson and present member of BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY)’s board of directors, tells The Wall Street Journal that his new employer’s best chances for future success rely on the company accepting its role as “a niche maker of mobile hardware.” That sobering assessment will make rough reading for loyal BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) followers, but it’s one that Nordberg claims is shared by the rest of the company board.
