BlackBerry's Bet With Android Offers A Guaranteed Win

BlackBerry’s latest handset, the Priv, is the Canadian manufacturer’s first Android-powered smartphone. The switch to a new platform is never easy, but BlackBerry has made the best of it. The Priv may succeed or fail in the market, but either result will be a win by BlackBerry, because it will tell the company which of the two OS paths it should follow in 2016.

The question is not if Blackberry has a guaranteed win, it’s how much that win will be worth to the company.

BlackBerry Leap (image: BlackBerry PR)

The BlackBerry Priv (reviewed here on Forbes) has many distinguishing features in hardware, but one of the most telling differences is software. Running Android, it is a major departure for BlackBerry. Until this handset was released, part of the BlackBerry magic was in its bespoke operating systems. It provided a secure platform to build the BBM messaging platform on, as well as many security-focused features that made BlackBerry one of the smartest choices for a smartphone in ‘sensitive’ locations.

BlackBerry’s market share has fallen in the face of the assault from iOS to a certain extent, and from Android in a much larger sense. The migration of developers to those two platforms, along with an increased focus on third-party applications and web services as apps in general, has left BlackBerry on the fringes of mainstream acceptance.

Should BlackBerry stay there with its own BB10 OS, or should it embrace the wide base of Android as it moves forward? The Priv will answer that, one way or another.

BlackBerry Oslo (images via N4BB)

If Android proves to be the salve that many believe it will be for the beleaguered Canadian manufacturer, then the way forward is clear. Future BlackBerry handsets will be focussed on Android, BlackBerry’s software team will concentrate on secure apps for the platform, and the company can work on establishing itself as a strong niche player in security-focussed messaging devices.

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Blackberry Ltd (BBRY): Rumor Mill Is Back and This Time it’s Microsoft Corporation (MSFT)

Gossips on a Blackberry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) takeover just won’t go away. The latest rumor is that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is looking to pick up Blackberry for somewhere between $6 to 7 billion. It is rumored that Microsoft has roped in Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs for due diligence and valuation of Blackberry according to an article published by betaville.

Why Would Microsoft be Interested in Blackberry?

It’s difficult to understand why Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) would be looking to buy the troubled smartphone maker. It is possible that the company could be interested in picking up some of Blackberry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY)’s patents. Last week there were reports of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s interest in buying the company to help it get a grip on Enterprise market.  Among the list of rumored buyers of Blackberry have been Samsung and Lenovo.

Smartphone Market

Blackberry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) continues to see its share in the smartphone market falling. Recent reports indicate that the company’s share of the marked has shrunken drastically across the globe. Things have not been that easy for the company in the enterprise segment either as it faces stiff competition from Apple which holds 72% in that segment.

CEO John Chen isn’t giving up on taking back at least some of the smartphone business. In an interview with Business Insider he says he’s committed to making the smartphone business profitable again.  Rather than going after the highly competitive and Apple ruled world of consumer smartphones Chen has the company focused on going after enterprise and government contracts.

Expansion in enterprise segment

As Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) continues its expansion into the enterprise segment it would not be a bad move for the company to acquire Blackberry. The company has already making partnerships on enterprise front with the likes of IBM.

Blackberry has 44,000 patents which will be an added advantage for a company like Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), given its interest in the enterprise segment.

Sean Udall, CIO of Quantum Trading Strategies, told Benzinga: “The one way this deal might work is if the US government [and others] want Apple to buy them because they’re worried that BlackBerry, effectively, won’t be around in its current form.”

Rumors about Blackberry are not new

Rumors of technology companies acquiring blackberry aren’t new. In the early part of this year there were talks of Samsung acquiring blackberry which led to share prices of the company jump by as much as 30%.  John Chen, CEO of the company has re-iterated time and again that the company is not for sale and it will continue to operate individually.

Turnaround for Blackberry?

Blackberry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) has seen positive cash flow in the last two quarters which has led many believes that the turnaround is on track. The company has started focusing more on the software and enterprise fronts.

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