Tag: blackberry

  • BlackBerry refused Justin Bieber’s offer to be brand ambassador

    Businessweek recounts the rise and fall of BlackBerry. One thing we missed out on was that Justin Bieber wanted to rep BlackBerry. He said, “Give me $200,000 and 20 devices, and I’m your brand ambassador,” basically. And we pitched that to marketing: Here’s a Canadian kid, he grew up here, all the teeny-boppers will love…

  • BBM to be preinstalled on some Android devices

    If this move happened a few years ago, BlackBerry’s BBM could have owned the mobile messaging scene. Disputes and infighting prevented that. Targeting developing markets is a good move, though BlackBerry will now have to contend with other messaging giants such as WeChat, Viber, LINE, and several more. LINE in particular just passed the 300…

  • Pentagon ponders “Plan B” for a world without BlackBerry

    Sean Gallagher reports on Ars Technica how the Pentagon plans to ends its reliance on BlackBerry. And as the DOD moves forward with its Mobile Agenda—an effort to largely move from desktop computers to mobile devices—its technology leaders are looking farther afield to make the transition. “This multi-vendor, device-agnostic approach minimizes the impact of [a]…

  • Lenovo blocked from acquiring BlackBerry by Canadian government

    The Globe and Mail reports on the Canadian government’s rejection of Lenovo’s plan to acquire BlackBerry. Beijing-based computer manufacturer Lenovo Group Ltd. actively considered a bid for BlackBerry Ltd., but the Canadian government told the smartphone company it would not accept a Chinese takeover because of national security concerns, according to sources familiar with the…

  • BlackBerry new lease of life?

    The Globe and Mail reports Fairfax injecting funds instead of buying BlackBerry Instead of proceeding with a buyout deal, Fairfax and a group of unnamed investors – which sources say includes a Middle Eastern sovereign wealth fund – agreed to pump $1-billion into the smartphone maker, giving it more money to work with as it…

  • BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins steps down

    It feels like it wasn’t too long ago that BlackBerry was a major player in the smartphone market and a status icon. BlackBerry CEO steps down as company secures $1 billion funding from investors Today was always going to be a momentous day for BlackBerry, with a looming deadline for its proposed takeover deal with…

  • The inside story of why Blackberry is failing

    Blackberry knew what they were up against but were unable to respond to it fast enough. Publicly, Mr. Lazaridis and Mr. Balsillie belittled the iPhone and its shortcomings, including its short battery life, weaker security and initial lack of e-mail. That earned them a reputation for being cocky and, eventually, out of touch. “That’s marketing,”…