Editor’s Note: Related tickers: BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY), Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB), Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM)
Samsung Denies BlackBerry Takeover Rumors (Again) (Ubergizmo)
With BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) and Samsung signing a deal in which Samsung devices will come preloaded with BBM, and how there have been talks about the possibility of BBM being spun off into a separate company, there has been speculation (again) that Samsung could be interested in acquiring BlackBerry, or at least some of its assets. Samsung had to once again step forward and refute the rumors that the South Korean tech giant is not interested in acquiring BlackBerry and that their partnership basically ended with BBM.
BlackBerry’s arrogant attitude contributed to their downfall – Strive Masiyiwa (Techzim)
In a post on his Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) page, Econet Wireless founder and current group chairman, Strive Masiyiwa commented on the current BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) episode of its downfall saying he was not surprised by the decline as he had experience their arrogance. Titled “‘Attitude Determines Altitude’, even for a Business”, Masiyiwa said in the post that when his group tried to get BlackBerry to implement the consumer BlackBerry Internet Service across Econet networks in Africa “their attitude was shocking”. The arrogance he say is what caused him to ditch plans to work with BlackBerry once he learnt of Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s plans with Android. Android ofcourse, together with IOS, pretty much eclipsed BlackBerry globally.
The Tragedy of BlackBerry (CalgaryHerald)
It’s like watching a Shakespearean tragedy. Many Canadians are pulling for BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY). They are a Canadian company, and we hope they succeed. At the same time, we know that BlackBerry is flawed and that it’s not all going to work out in the end. We are waiting to see what kind of bad ending concludes the story. …The demise of Blackberry has been apparent for some time now. I predicted the potential sale of the company in my blog last year. But is it really a tragedy?
BlackBerry users are fiercely loyal (BermudaSun)
They’ll give up their BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY)s, but only when the company ceases to exist. That’s the sentiment of three BlackBerry phone owners in Bermuda as there is speculation the firm may discontinue making its phone after the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday reported the Canadian company is spinning off BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) as a separate business. BlackBerry had previously announced it would be making Messenger available on other phones. The move would devalue its own phone as one of the main reasons people purchase a BlackBerry.
Origins: A History of BlackBerry (Mobiledia)
In business, a golden parachute is an agreement that gives an executive a significant payout if his employment is terminated. For BlackBerry’s current CEO, Thorsten Heins, that number is $55 million. But to be ousted, first he has to sell the company. Finding a suitor won’t be easy. Last year, when BlackBerry hired JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) and RBC to advise it on strategic options, the banks quietly contacted bidders, only to find little interest in the beleaguered company, Bloomberg reported. At the time, Heins claimed he was focusing on potential partnerships and software licensing deals, but that tone changed this month when the company confirmed, in writing, that it would consider a takeover.
