Editor’s Note: Related tickers: BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY), Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK)
Blackberry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) Could Be Sold In Pieces; Its Software & Patents Valued More (eFinanceHub)
Reuters reported that potential bidders are interested to buy parts of Blackberry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) rather than whole. Early indications suggest that interest in the Canadian-based smartphone maker is modest and the company could be sold in pieces. Reuters said, private equity firm are interested to buy units like the company’s services system and certain patents, instead of whole company. It is not surprising considering the attrition in company’s market share among the tough competition generated by phones powered by Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s Android system, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s iPhone, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (KRX:005930)’s Galaxy.
BBM for Android coming on Sep 20, says Samsung Nigeria (Androidos)
Samsung’s African mobile arms have been very vocal about BlackBerry Messenger for Android. In fact, it was Samsung Africa that first said that Samsung will be releasing BBM for Android in Samsung apps. Now, Samsung Mobile Nigeria has stated in a tweet that BBM for Android is coming on September 20, i.e. Friday. Part of the tweet has turned out to be false, which claimed that Samsung will have exclusive access to BBM for Android for three months. BlackBerry has told Android Central in statement that BBM will not be exclusive to any manufacturer or telecom operator and will go live for all users worldwide.
HTC to follow BlackBerry, Nokia? (ITWeb)
Taiwanese cellphone maker HTC seems set to go the same way as BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) and Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) by the end of next year, as it battles to gain market share and cuts costs. After indicating during its second quarter conference call that it would trim expenses in areas such as components and manufacturing, the company has now retrenched 20% of its US workforce, according to several media reports.
BlackBerry bidders likely to carve up business (Dawn)
Private equity firms are mostly interested in businesses such as BlackBerry’s operating system and the patents around its keyboard, two of the sources said. However, one possibility is for a Canadian pension fund to team up with an investor to buy the whole company, which is currently worth a little more than $5 billion, one of the sources said. BlackBerry’s biggest shareholder, Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd, has approached several large Canadian investment funds about forging a deal to take the smartphone maker private, Reuters reported last week.
BlackBerry runs 4-second commercial for BBM for iPhone and Android, says it’s ‘coming soon’ (MobileSyrup)
While it’s now much to look at, BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) decided to run a 4-second commercial last night during The Amazing Race Canada about BBM coming to iPhone and Android. It should be known that BlackBerry is one of the major sponsors of the show with their “Inside the Race” series. However, the “BBM for all” ad is another indication that the popular messaging service will be going cross-platform in the imminent future. BlackBerry confirmed yesterday that they’ll “be bringing the app to Android and iPhone users across the globe soon.” Thorsten Heins, BlackBerry CEO, promised back in May that eager BBM users would have the app on their Android or iPhone ’before the end of the summer.’
Recommended Reading:
BlackBerry Ltd (BBRY): Why Investors Will End Up With a Raspberry
Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s Margins Are Its Undoing
Why Hewlett-Packard Company (HPQ) Needs BlackBerry Ltd (BBRY)
