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September 24, 2013  

BlackBerry to go private in $4.7 billion deal

BlackBerry shareholders would receive $9 a share in the deal offered by a group led by Fairfax Financial Holdings.






BlackBerry said Monday that it had entered into a deal with a consortium led by Fairfax Financial Holdings that valued the company at $4.7 billion. Under the deal, shareholders would receive $9 a share in cash, a slight premium to the $8.23 that the stock is currently trading at.

                                        

                  
                         Say hello to the new BlackBerry Z30. 

                                    (Credit: BlackBerry)

The deal ends a great deal of uncertainty that surrounded the company, which warned on Friday that it would lose nearly $1 billion in the fiscal second quarter as it sought to pull back from the consumer smartphone market it helped create.

Fairfax intends to contribute its 10 percent stake in BlackBerry to the consortium. The consortium has until November 4 to complete its due diligence of the company’s financial shape. During that period, BlackBerry has a right to entertain other offers.
Fairfax, for its part, believes there’s still a future for the company. Fairfax CEO Prem Watsa said in a statement:

We believe this transaction will open an exciting new private chapter for BlackBerry, its customers, carriers and employees. We can deliver immediate value to shareholders, while we continue the execution of a long-term strategy in a private company with a focus on delivering superior and secure enterprise solutions to BlackBerry customers around the world.

Once closed, the deal marks a public end to a company whose phones were once seen as a status symbol among the corporate elite. Its BlackBerrys were as highly coveted as Apple’s iPhones are today, and there was a point where few could predict a downturn.
But BlackBerry failed to move past the legacy operating system that got it into the smartphone game, and quickly fell behind Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android operating system. The company’s stock lost a staggering 94 percent of its value over the past five years, having hit a high of nearly $145 in 2008. After delays with bringing out BlackBerry 10, its next-generation operating system finally arrived earlier this year.

As it turned out, BlackBerry 10 came too late. The company opted to first sell its BlackBerry Z10, an all touch-screen phone that it hoped would better compete against the iPhone and Galaxy S phones of the world. That turned out to be a mistake — a large reason for BlackBerry’s most recent hefty loss was because of a write-down of unsold Z10s.

Even the keyboard-toting Q10 appealed to hardcore BlackBerry users, and few others. Even CEO Thorsten Heins’ modest target of the No. 3 position in the mobile OS world seemed difficult to attain, particularly with Microsoft Windows Phone gaining a small bit of steam at the same time.

The last few quarters have painted a picture of how dire things are. Despite critical praise and some initial excitement, there appears little momentum and interest in BlackBerry smartphones. BlackBerry quietly released the larger Z30 last week, and other products appear to be in the pipeline thanks to some recent leaks.
By going private, BlackBerry will escape the public scrutiny that came with mounting a comeback. But it’s unclear what the Fairfax consortium will do to help the company that Heins and his team already haven’t tried. BlackBerry has already said it would stop focusing on consumers to target business users and “prosumers.” That leaves its devices business up in the air.
Either way, the iconic BlackBerry phone may still end up with the same fate: fading away with a whimper.





BlackBerry to go private in $4.7 billion deal

BBM, BlackBerry

via newandroidios http://newandroidios.blogspot.com/2013/09/blackberry-to-go-private-in-47-billion.html

September 24, 2013  

BlackBerry to go private in $4.7 billion deal

BlackBerry shareholders would receive $9 a share in the deal offered by a group led by Fairfax Financial Holdings.






BlackBerry said Monday that it had entered into a deal with a consortium led by Fairfax Financial Holdings that valued the company at $4.7 billion. Under the deal, shareholders would receive $9 a share in cash, a slight premium to the $8.23 that the stock is currently trading at.

                                        

                  
                         Say hello to the new BlackBerry Z30. 

                                    (Credit: BlackBerry)

The deal ends a great deal of uncertainty that surrounded the company, which warned on Friday that it would lose nearly $1 billion in the fiscal second quarter as it sought to pull back from the consumer smartphone market it helped create.

Fairfax intends to contribute its 10 percent stake in BlackBerry to the consortium. The consortium has until November 4 to complete its due diligence of the company’s financial shape. During that period, BlackBerry has a right to entertain other offers.
Fairfax, for its part, believes there’s still a future for the company. Fairfax CEO Prem Watsa said in a statement:

We believe this transaction will open an exciting new private chapter for BlackBerry, its customers, carriers and employees. We can deliver immediate value to shareholders, while we continue the execution of a long-term strategy in a private company with a focus on delivering superior and secure enterprise solutions to BlackBerry customers around the world.

Once closed, the deal marks a public end to a company whose phones were once seen as a status symbol among the corporate elite. Its BlackBerrys were as highly coveted as Apple’s iPhones are today, and there was a point where few could predict a downturn.
But BlackBerry failed to move past the legacy operating system that got it into the smartphone game, and quickly fell behind Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android operating system. The company’s stock lost a staggering 94 percent of its value over the past five years, having hit a high of nearly $145 in 2008. After delays with bringing out BlackBerry 10, its next-generation operating system finally arrived earlier this year.

As it turned out, BlackBerry 10 came too late. The company opted to first sell its BlackBerry Z10, an all touch-screen phone that it hoped would better compete against the iPhone and Galaxy S phones of the world. That turned out to be a mistake — a large reason for BlackBerry’s most recent hefty loss was because of a write-down of unsold Z10s.

Even the keyboard-toting Q10 appealed to hardcore BlackBerry users, and few others. Even CEO Thorsten Heins’ modest target of the No. 3 position in the mobile OS world seemed difficult to attain, particularly with Microsoft Windows Phone gaining a small bit of steam at the same time.

The last few quarters have painted a picture of how dire things are. Despite critical praise and some initial excitement, there appears little momentum and interest in BlackBerry smartphones. BlackBerry quietly released the larger Z30 last week, and other products appear to be in the pipeline thanks to some recent leaks.
By going private, BlackBerry will escape the public scrutiny that came with mounting a comeback. But it’s unclear what the Fairfax consortium will do to help the company that Heins and his team already haven’t tried. BlackBerry has already said it would stop focusing on consumers to target business users and “prosumers.” That leaves its devices business up in the air.
Either way, the iconic BlackBerry phone may still end up with the same fate: fading away with a whimper.





BlackBerry to go private in $4.7 billion deal

BBM, BlackBerry

via newandroidios http://newandroidios.blogspot.com/2013/09/blackberry-to-go-private-in-47-billion.html

September 24, 2013  

BlackBerry: No Messenger for Android or iOS this week

A leaked version of BlackBerry Messenger for Android continues to stall the app’s official launch.

Android and iOS users waiting for BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) will have to keep waiting.
In a blog posted Monday night, BBM Executive Vice President Andrew Bocking said that the leak of an unreleased version of BBM for Android is creating trouble, forcing the company to delay the launch of the official version.
BlackBerry initially planned to kick off its BBM Android and iOS apps over the weekend. But on Friday, an unreleased and older version of the BBM Android app was posted on several file-sharing sites. This version apparently is beset with a glitch that caused a spike in data traffic and impacted BlackBerry on the back end.

The official app, which was scheduled to launch Saturday, doesn’t have this glitch, but BlackBerry didn’t want to release it unless it could block the unofficial version. Blocking the unreleased version, however, proved problematic as it quickly snagged more than 1 million users. As a result, the company decided to pause the rollout of both BBM for Android and iOS


“The team is now focused on adjusting the system to completely block this unreleased version of the Android app when we go live with the official BBM for Android app,” Bocking said. “We are also making sure that the system is reinforced to handle this kind of scenario in the future. While this may sound like a simple task, it’s not. This will take some time and I do not anticipate launching this week.”

Consumers can check on the launch status through BlackBerry’s official blog, the BBM Web site, and the BBM Twitter feed.






BlackBerry: No Messenger for Android or iOS this week

BBM, BlackBerry, BlackBerry Messenger, Android Jelly Bean 4.3

via newandroidios http://newandroidios.blogspot.com/2013/09/blackberry-no-messenger-for-android-or.html

September 24, 2013  

BlackBerry: No Messenger for Android or iOS this week

A leaked version of BlackBerry Messenger for Android continues to stall the app’s official launch.

Android and iOS users waiting for BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) will have to keep waiting.
In a blog posted Monday night, BBM Executive Vice President Andrew Bocking said that the leak of an unreleased version of BBM for Android is creating trouble, forcing the company to delay the launch of the official version.
BlackBerry initially planned to kick off its BBM Android and iOS apps over the weekend. But on Friday, an unreleased and older version of the BBM Android app was posted on several file-sharing sites. This version apparently is beset with a glitch that caused a spike in data traffic and impacted BlackBerry on the back end.

The official app, which was scheduled to launch Saturday, doesn’t have this glitch, but BlackBerry didn’t want to release it unless it could block the unofficial version. Blocking the unreleased version, however, proved problematic as it quickly snagged more than 1 million users. As a result, the company decided to pause the rollout of both BBM for Android and iOS


“The team is now focused on adjusting the system to completely block this unreleased version of the Android app when we go live with the official BBM for Android app,” Bocking said. “We are also making sure that the system is reinforced to handle this kind of scenario in the future. While this may sound like a simple task, it’s not. This will take some time and I do not anticipate launching this week.”

Consumers can check on the launch status through BlackBerry’s official blog, the BBM Web site, and the BBM Twitter feed.






BlackBerry: No Messenger for Android or iOS this week

BBM, BlackBerry, BlackBerry Messenger, Android Jelly Bean 4.3

via newandroidios http://newandroidios.blogspot.com/2013/09/blackberry-no-messenger-for-android-or.html

September 21, 2013  

BBM Available for Android on September 21 and iPhone on September 22

That’s right BBM fans — the iconic mobile social network will begin rolling out for Android and iPhonecustomers around the world from September 21. Soon, you’ll be able to easily connect with friends on different platforms. As you may know BBM was previously exclusive to BlackBerry smartphones, and it will be available as a free download in Google Play and the App Store.
While some of you are no strangers to BBM, many will be new and might be asking: What is BBM? Below, you’ll find all the highlights for BBM for Android and iPhone.

BBM for Android and iPhone features:

  • BBM Chat – Enjoy real, immediate conversations with friends on Android, iPhone and BlackBerry smartphones. Not only does BBM let you know that your message has been delivered and read, it also shows you that your friend is responding to the message.
    • More than chat – With BBM you can share files on your phone such as photos and voice notes, all in an instant.
  • Keep your group in the loop – Multi-person chats are a great way to invite contacts to chat together. BBM Groups lets you invite up to 30 friends to chat together, and go a step further than multi-chat by sharing photos and schedules. And, with Broadcast Message, you can send a message out to all your BBM contacts at once.
  • Post Updates and stay in the know – BBM lets you post a personal message, profile picture and your current status, and lets your contacts know instantly in Updates.
  • Your unique PIN – Every BBM user has a unique PIN that maintains your privacy, so you don’t have to give out your phone number or email address to a new or casual contact.
BBM gives you a private social network for active, real conversations and it has more than 60 million customers on BlackBerry alone. The overwhelming majority use BBM an average of 90 minutes per day. BBM customers collectively send and receive more than 10 billion messages each day, nearly twice as many messages per user per day as compared to other mobile messaging apps. Messages on BBM are typically read within seconds, reflecting how truly engaged BBM customers are.
  • It’s immediate. BBM is always on so you are always connected. And because messages on BBM are typically delivered and read within seconds, it’s the closest thing to a live conversation.
  • You trust it. BBM always tells you that messages are delivered and read. BBM conversations come alive on a private network you can count on.
  • You control it. BBM allows you to choose your contacts and how you share your information. BBM uses a PIN so you don’t have to give anyone your phone number or email address.
In a recent press release, Andrew Bocking, Executive Vice President for BBM at BlackBerry said:
“BBM is a very engaging messaging service that is simple to use, easy to personalize and has an immediacy that is necessary for mobile communications. With more than a billion Android, iOS, and BlackBerry smartphones in the market, and no dominant mobile instant messaging platform, this is absolutely the right time to bring BBM to Android and iPhone customers.”

Availability

BBM will be available as a free download for Android smartphones running Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean (Android 4.x) beginning at 7AM EDT on September 21. BBM for iPhones running iOS 6 and iOS 7 will become available for each market on the App Store schedule of 12:01 AM local time on September 22. For more information, or to download BBM for Android or iPhone, visit www.BBM.com.
BBM will continue to evolve quickly. Later this year, BBM Channels will provide a forum for active, real conversations between you and the people, brands, celebrities, artists, service providers, communities and more, that matter to you. By creating a Channel, individuals and brands can engage their friends and communities in conversations sparked by their thoughts, ideas and passions. Subscribing to a Channel will let you join conversations with people who share your interests. In addition, BBM Video calling and BBM Voice calling are planned for availability for Android and iPhone in a future version.
Excited about getting BBM on your Android or iPhone? Let us know in the comments and spread the word to your friends.

BBM Available for Android on September 21 and iPhone on September 22

BBM, BlackBerry, BlackBerry Messenger

via newandroidios http://newandroidios.blogspot.com/2013/09/bbm-available-for-android-on-september.html

September 21, 2013  

BBM Available for Android on September 21 and iPhone on September 22

That’s right BBM fans — the iconic mobile social network will begin rolling out for Android and iPhonecustomers around the world from September 21. Soon, you’ll be able to easily connect with friends on different platforms. As you may know BBM was previously exclusive to BlackBerry smartphones, and it will be available as a free download in Google Play and the App Store.
While some of you are no strangers to BBM, many will be new and might be asking: What is BBM? Below, you’ll find all the highlights for BBM for Android and iPhone.

BBM for Android and iPhone features:

  • BBM Chat – Enjoy real, immediate conversations with friends on Android, iPhone and BlackBerry smartphones. Not only does BBM let you know that your message has been delivered and read, it also shows you that your friend is responding to the message.
    • More than chat – With BBM you can share files on your phone such as photos and voice notes, all in an instant.
  • Keep your group in the loop – Multi-person chats are a great way to invite contacts to chat together. BBM Groups lets you invite up to 30 friends to chat together, and go a step further than multi-chat by sharing photos and schedules. And, with Broadcast Message, you can send a message out to all your BBM contacts at once.
  • Post Updates and stay in the know – BBM lets you post a personal message, profile picture and your current status, and lets your contacts know instantly in Updates.
  • Your unique PIN – Every BBM user has a unique PIN that maintains your privacy, so you don’t have to give out your phone number or email address to a new or casual contact.
BBM gives you a private social network for active, real conversations and it has more than 60 million customers on BlackBerry alone. The overwhelming majority use BBM an average of 90 minutes per day. BBM customers collectively send and receive more than 10 billion messages each day, nearly twice as many messages per user per day as compared to other mobile messaging apps. Messages on BBM are typically read within seconds, reflecting how truly engaged BBM customers are.
  • It’s immediate. BBM is always on so you are always connected. And because messages on BBM are typically delivered and read within seconds, it’s the closest thing to a live conversation.
  • You trust it. BBM always tells you that messages are delivered and read. BBM conversations come alive on a private network you can count on.
  • You control it. BBM allows you to choose your contacts and how you share your information. BBM uses a PIN so you don’t have to give anyone your phone number or email address.
In a recent press release, Andrew Bocking, Executive Vice President for BBM at BlackBerry said:
“BBM is a very engaging messaging service that is simple to use, easy to personalize and has an immediacy that is necessary for mobile communications. With more than a billion Android, iOS, and BlackBerry smartphones in the market, and no dominant mobile instant messaging platform, this is absolutely the right time to bring BBM to Android and iPhone customers.”

Availability

BBM will be available as a free download for Android smartphones running Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean (Android 4.x) beginning at 7AM EDT on September 21. BBM for iPhones running iOS 6 and iOS 7 will become available for each market on the App Store schedule of 12:01 AM local time on September 22. For more information, or to download BBM for Android or iPhone, visit www.BBM.com.
BBM will continue to evolve quickly. Later this year, BBM Channels will provide a forum for active, real conversations between you and the people, brands, celebrities, artists, service providers, communities and more, that matter to you. By creating a Channel, individuals and brands can engage their friends and communities in conversations sparked by their thoughts, ideas and passions. Subscribing to a Channel will let you join conversations with people who share your interests. In addition, BBM Video calling and BBM Voice calling are planned for availability for Android and iPhone in a future version.
Excited about getting BBM on your Android or iPhone? Let us know in the comments and spread the word to your friends.

BBM Available for Android on September 21 and iPhone on September 22

BBM, BlackBerry, BlackBerry Messenger

via newandroidios http://newandroidios.blogspot.com/2013/09/bbm-available-for-android-on-september.html

September 21, 2013  

BlackBerry Confirms BBM for Android and iOS this Weekend






Is summer over yet? Not for BlackBerry, which said that it would bring its Messenger service to Android and iOS this summer and is finally releasing it this weekend. Android users will be able to download BBM on Saturday, September 21, while iOS users will have to hold on until Sunday.  The app will be available on Android for versions 4.0 and up, and on Apple devices running either iOS 6 or the recently released iOS 7.

BBM will allow Android and iOS users to chat with BlackBerry users. The release comes shortly before BlackBerry’s report for its fiscal second quarter next week. The company had a fairly disastrous first quarter as demand for its BB10 smartphones failed to materialize and it is reviewing strategic options including the possible sale of the company. BBM remains one of BlackBerry’s few bright spots and the company is apparently even considering spinning it off as a separate business.

BlackBerry is struggling to compete with Android and iOS even as it opens BBM to them. The company unveiled its BlackBerry Z30 smartphone this week, though it has largely been overshadowed by Apple’s release of iOS 7 and the impending arrival of the latest iPhones. More bad news comes from a report in the Wall Street Journal, which states that BlackBerry may cut up to 40% of its workforce, about 5,000 employees.

BlackBerry Confirms BBM for Android and iOS this Weekend

BBM, BlackBerry, BlackBerry Messenger

via newandroidios http://newandroidios.blogspot.com/2013/09/blackberry-confirms-bbm-for-android-and.html

September 21, 2013  

BlackBerry Confirms BBM for Android and iOS this Weekend






Is summer over yet? Not for BlackBerry, which said that it would bring its Messenger service to Android and iOS this summer and is finally releasing it this weekend. Android users will be able to download BBM on Saturday, September 21, while iOS users will have to hold on until Sunday.  The app will be available on Android for versions 4.0 and up, and on Apple devices running either iOS 6 or the recently released iOS 7.

BBM will allow Android and iOS users to chat with BlackBerry users. The release comes shortly before BlackBerry’s report for its fiscal second quarter next week. The company had a fairly disastrous first quarter as demand for its BB10 smartphones failed to materialize and it is reviewing strategic options including the possible sale of the company. BBM remains one of BlackBerry’s few bright spots and the company is apparently even considering spinning it off as a separate business.

BlackBerry is struggling to compete with Android and iOS even as it opens BBM to them. The company unveiled its BlackBerry Z30 smartphone this week, though it has largely been overshadowed by Apple’s release of iOS 7 and the impending arrival of the latest iPhones. More bad news comes from a report in the Wall Street Journal, which states that BlackBerry may cut up to 40% of its workforce, about 5,000 employees.

BlackBerry Confirms BBM for Android and iOS this Weekend

BBM, BlackBerry, BlackBerry Messenger

via newandroidios http://newandroidios.blogspot.com/2013/09/blackberry-confirms-bbm-for-android-and.html

September 19, 2013  

BBM Android app release date is Saturday, iOS Sunday

BBM


The BBM Android app hits Android phones on Saturday, and the iPhone on Sunday. BlackBerry has confirmed the release date for the BlackBerry Messenger app that lets you chat to friends even if you don't have a BlackBerry any more.

After a long wait, you'll finally be able to download BBM and install the app on your Android device on Saturday 21 September or iOS device on Sunday 22 September.

The new cross-platform BBM app swaps instant messages with other BBM users no matter what phone they have, allowing you to once again connect with BBM buddies — that is, if you haven't been won over by WhatsApp or Viber.

The new BBM app has typed instant messages and group chat from the get-go, with voice calls and video to follow at a later date.

BlackBerry made the belated BBM announcement on the same day it unveiled the 5-inch Z30, the biggest BlackBerry ever — and at the same time as phone fans are scrambling to download Apple's iOS 7 software update. 

Since BlackBerry announced it was bringing BBM to other phones, wrong'uns have targeted impatient ex-BlackBerry owners with fake BBM apps, fooling many into downloading impostor apps that targeted them with ads, spam or worse.

And in another bizarre twist, Samsung Nigeria tweeted this week that the BBM app would be exclusive to Galaxy devices for three months from Friday, prompting denials from BlackBerry.

BlackBerry has struggled against the iPhone and more affordable Android phones in recent years, and even the attraction of the free and hugely popular BBM IM service has faded in the face of rivals like WhatsApp or Samsung ChatOn — which, like the belated BBM app, already work across different devices so you can chat with friends and family even if they have different phones to you.



BBM Android app release date is Saturday, iOS Sunday

BBM, BlackBerry, BlackBerry Messenger

via newandroidios http://newandroidios.blogspot.com/2013/09/bbm-android-app-release-date-is.html

September 19, 2013  

BBM Android app release date is Saturday, iOS Sunday

BBM


The BBM Android app hits Android phones on Saturday, and the iPhone on Sunday. BlackBerry has confirmed the release date for the BlackBerry Messenger app that lets you chat to friends even if you don’t have a BlackBerry any more.

After a long wait, you’ll finally be able to download BBM and install the app on your Android device on Saturday 21 September or iOS device on Sunday 22 September.

The new cross-platform BBM app swaps instant messages with other BBM users no matter what phone they have, allowing you to once again connect with BBM buddies — that is, if you haven’t been won over by WhatsApp or Viber.

The new BBM app has typed instant messages and group chat from the get-go, with voice calls and video to follow at a later date.

BlackBerry made the belated BBM announcement on the same day it unveiled the 5-inch Z30, the biggest BlackBerry ever — and at the same time as phone fans are scrambling to download Apple’s iOS 7 software update. 

Since BlackBerry announced it was bringing BBM to other phones, wrong’uns have targeted impatient ex-BlackBerry owners with fake BBM apps, fooling many into downloading impostor apps that targeted them with ads, spam or worse.

And in another bizarre twist, Samsung Nigeria tweeted this week that the BBM app would be exclusive to Galaxy devices for three months from Friday, prompting denials from BlackBerry.

BlackBerry has struggled against the iPhone and more affordable Android phones in recent years, and even the attraction of the free and hugely popular BBM IM service has faded in the face of rivals like WhatsApp or Samsung ChatOn — which, like the belated BBM app, already work across different devices so you can chat with friends and family even if they have different phones to you.



BBM Android app release date is Saturday, iOS Sunday

BBM, BlackBerry, BlackBerry Messenger

via newandroidios http://newandroidios.blogspot.com/2013/09/bbm-android-app-release-date-is.html

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