With BlackBerry’s help, the organization is now in the process of moving its commands to on-premises installations of BlackBerry UEM. Servers and infrastructure are being centralized, while commands are still being left in control of endpoint management. In addition to UEM, the organization is using Microsoft® Office 365®, BlackBerry Work, and BlackBerry Dynamics.
This new approach has resulted in several significant gains:
A Unified Mobile Strategy: First and foremost, the organization is working to achieve its core goal: consolidation. Rather than having to bolt on separate apps from separate commands, it can now manage everything centrally. This allows for better security, and also helps the different commands stay up to date with the latest mobility trends far more effectively than would otherwise be possible.
“The organization’s goal when they approached us was for every command to be centrally-managed,” says the Sales Director. “They wanted to consolidate their architecture and allow their end users to focus on using their applications rather than maintaining them. Through BlackBerry, they’re doing exactly that.”
Improved Efficiency, Better Support for Personnel: In addition to migrating its current applications to BlackBerry Dynamics, the organization is developing several new applications through BlackBerry Dynamics SDK. With BlackBerry’s help, it has already deployed a mission support application. Instead of having to spend hours doing paperwork before and after a mission, personnel can simply login to the app through their mobile devices.
The organization is also working on a human resources application that allows personnel to access functions such as benefits, vacation time, and more. It has also deployed SmartOffice through Dynamics.
“Enterprise email folks were saying that they needed to do more than email,” the Sales Director explains. “Eventually, someone’s going to want to install a fence monitoring application on an iPad, or someone is going to want to put ,their email on their smartphone. They can’t do that without an enterprise-supported architecture.”
Easier BYOD: By using BlackBerry Work and containerizing its apps with Dynamics, the organization can easily support the use of personal devices. Military data is kept separate from personal information, and UEM allows IT to easily manage and keep track of everything.
“The way the organization looks at it is that there’s a clear divide between personal and professional data,” says the Director. “They let their personnel use personal apps on their devices within acceptable use, and BlackBerry allows them to keep those apps separate from the stuff they need to protect.”
Security, Control, Compliance: Finally, through BlackBerry’s security functionality, the organization is able to keep sensitive data both protected and classified. IT can keep sensitive files and data stored within its container, and sensitive mission details are protected from the eyes of everyone save those who need access.
More importantly, because BlackBerry’s solutions are so easy to use from an end-user standpoint, the organization need not worry as much about accidental data leaks.
“In any organization, insider threat or negligence is the biggest security risk,” says the Sales Director. “And it usually happens because people feel security interferes with their job. If we make it easy to follow security rules, people won’t feel the need to violate them.“
–present: software transition
In the first quarter of the 2015 fiscal year, Chen stated: "This is, of course, the very beginning of our task and we hope that we will be able to report better results going forward… We feel pretty good about where we are." Quartz reported that stock was up by 30 percent, compared to the same period in the previous year.[31]
In September 2015, Chen unveiled the BlackBerry Priv, a keyboard-slider smartphone utilizing the Android operating system with BlackBerry-developed software enhancements, including a secure bootloader, full-disk encryption, integrity protection, and the BlackBerry HUB.[76]
In 2020, BlackBerry signed a new licensing agreement for smartphones with the US-based startup company, OnwardMobility.[77] The company never released a device before shutting down in 2022.[78]
As of June 2021, Cybersecurity ($107 million) and IoT ($43 million) revenue accounted for a combined 86% of Q1 2022 earnings ($174 million). Chen reiterated: "Now, we are pivoting the organization more heavily toward the market by creating two business units, Cybersecurity and IoT… we will provide revenue and gross margin by business unit as well as other selected metrics."[79]
On January 4, 2022, BlackBerry decommissioned the infrastructure and operating system used by their non-Android phones.[80]
In October 2023, the company announced that it would spin off its IoT business unit and hold an initial public offering for it in the next year.[81][82]
During this time, BlackBerry also expanded its software and services offerings with several acquisitions. These included file security firm WatchDox,[83] crisis communications leader AtHoc,[84] and rival EMM vendor Good Technology.[85] The products offered by these firms were gradually re-branded and integrated into BlackBerry's own portfolio. BlackBerry also announced the release of the Good Secure EMM Suites, consolidating WatchDox and Good Technology's products into several tiered offerings alongside its existing software.[86]
BlackBerry announced the DTeK50, a mid-range Android smartphone, on July 26, 2016.[87] Unlike the Priv, the DTek50 was a re-branded version of an existing smartphone, the Alcatel Idol 4 as manufactured by TCL Corporation, one of the company's hardware partners.[88] It was to be the second-last phone ever developed in-house at BlackBerry, followed by the DTek60 in October 2016 – on September 28, 2016, BlackBerry announced that it would cease in-house hardware development to focus on software, delegating development, design, and manufacturing of its devices to third-party partners.[89]
The first of these partners was BB Merah Putih, a joint venture in Indonesia. Chen stated that the company was "no longer just about the smartphone, but the smart in the phone".[90][91] On December 15, 2016, BlackBerry announced that it had reached a long-term deal with TCL to continue producing BlackBerry-branded smartphones for sale outside of Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.[92] This partnership was followed by an agreement with Optiemus Infracom on February 6, 2017, to produce devices throughout India and neighbouring markets including Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh.[93]
Since the partnerships were announced, TCL released the BlackBerry KeyOne[94] and BB Merah Putih released the BlackBerry Aurora.[95]
In February 2016, BlackBerry acquired UK-based cybersecurity firm Encription,[96] with the intention of branching out into the security consulting business.
On December 8, 2016, BlackBerry announced the release of BlackBerry Secure. Billed as a "comprehensive mobile security platform for the Enterprise of Things", BlackBerry Secure deepened the integration between BlackBerry's acquisitions and its core portfolio. According to Forbes, it brings all of BlackBerry's products "under a single umbrella".[97]
Also in February 2017, analyst firm 451 Research released a report on BlackBerry's improved financial position and product focus.[98] The report identified BlackBerry's position in the Internet of Things and its device licensing strategy as strengths.
BlackBerry Workspaces (Formerly WatchDox)
An Enterprise File Synchronization and Sharing (EFSS) platform, Workspaces provides file-level digital rights management controls alongside file synchronization and sharing functionality. [citation needed]
BlackBerry Dynamics (Formerly Good Dynamics)
A Mobile Application Management platform that manages and secures app data through application virtualization. The BlackBerry Dynamics suite of apps includes email, calendar, contacts, tasks, instant messaging, browsing, and document sharing. The BlackBerry Dynamics SDK allows developers to utilize the platform's security, and add functionality from BlackBerry's other solutions into their applications.[186]
Organizational changes
The company was often criticized for its dual CEO structure. Some saw this arrangement as a dysfunctional management structure and believed RIM acted as two companies, slowing the effort to release the new BlackBerry 10 operating system.[112][113] On June 30, 2011, an investor push for the company to split its dual-CEO structure was unexpectedly withdrawn after an agreement was made with RIM.[114]
In 2007, co-CEO Jim Balsillie was forced to resign as chairman as the company announced a $250 million earnings restatement relating to mistakes in how it granted stock options. Furthermore, an internal review found that hundreds of stock-option grants had been backdated, timed to a low share price to make them more lucrative.[115]
In January 2009, Canadian regulators stated that they were seeking a record penalty of US$80 million from the top two executives, co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis. Furthermore, the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) pushed for Balsillie to pay the bulk of any penalty and relinquish his seat on RIM's board of directors for a period of time.[116] On February 5, 2009, several executives and directors of Research In Motion agreed to pay the penalties to settle an investigation into the backdating of stock options. The Ontario Securities Commission approved the arrangement in a closed-door meeting. Under the terms of a settlement agreement with the OSC, RIM co-chief executive officers Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis, as well as chief operating officer Dennis Kavelman, jointly paid a total of C$68-million to RIM to reimburse the company for losses from the backdating and for the costs of a long internal investigation. The three were also required to pay C$9-million to the OSC. Balsillie resigned from RIM's board of directors temporarily and remained in his executive role.[117][118] In May 2010, almost immediately after the OSC sanctions expired, Balsillie was reappointed to the board in spite of strong shareholder objections.[119]
Lazardis and Balsillie resigned as co-CEOs in January 2012.[120] After years of tension, Balsille left the company entirely, stepping down from his executive role in March 2012.[121] Following their resignations, they were replaced by a single CEO - former co-COO Thorsten Heins.[122] Heins hired investment banks RBC Capital Markets and JP Morgan to seek out potential buyers interested in RIM, while also redoubling efforts on releasing BlackBerry 10.[44]
Following the assumption of role as CEO, Heins made substantial changes to the company's leadership team. Changes included the departures of Chief Technology Officer David Yach; Chief Operating Officer Jim Rowan;[123] Senior Vice President of Software Alan Brenner;[124] Chief Legal Officer, Karima Bawa;[125] and Chief Information Officer Robin Bienfait.[126]
Following the leadership changes, Heins hired Kristian Tear to assume the role of Chief Operating Officer, Frank Boulben to fill the Chief Marketing Officer role[125] and appointed Dan Dodge, the CEO of QNX, to take over as Chief Technology Officer.[127] On July 28, 2012, Steven E. Zipperstein was appointed as the new Vice President and Chief Legal Officer.[128]
On March 28, 2013, Lazaridis relinquished his position as vice chairman and announced his resignation from the board of directors.[129] Later in the year, Heins was replaced by John S. Chen, who assumed the CEO role in the first week of November. Chen's compensation package mainly consists of BlackBerry shares—a total of 13 million—and he will be entitled to the entire number of shares after he has served the company for five years. Heins received an exit package of $22 million.[130]
Chen has a reputation as a "turnaround" CEO,[131] turning the struggling enterprise software and services organization Sybase into enough of a success to sign a merger with SAP in 2010.[132] Chen was open about his plans for BlackBerry upon joining the company, announcing his intent to move away from hardware manufacturing to focus on enterprise software such as QNX, BlackBerry UEM, and AtHoc.[133][134][135]
In June 2011, RIM announced its prediction that Q1 2011 revenue would drop for the first time in nine years, and also unveiled plans to reduce its workforce.
In July 2011, the company cut 2,000 jobs, the biggest lay-off in its history and the first major layoff since November 12, 2002, when the company laid off 10% of its workforce (200 employees).[136] The lay-off reduced the workforce by around 11%, from 19,000 employees to 17,000.[137]
On June 28, 2012, the company announced a planned workforce reduction of 5,000 by the end of its fiscal 2013, as part of a $1 billion cost savings initiative.[103]
On July 25, 2013, 250 employees from BlackBerry's research and development department and new product testing were laid off. The layoffs were part of the turnaround efforts.[138]
On September 20, 2013, BlackBerry confirmed that the company will have a massive layoff of 4,500 employees by the end of 2013. This would be approximately 40 percent of the company's workforce.[139]
BlackBerry had at its peak about 20,000 employees. After CEO John Chen joined BlackBerry in 2013 there were additional layoffs in February 2015 to compete with smartphones, at which point the total employees numbered 6,225. On July 21, 2015, BlackBerry announced an additional layoff of an unspecified number of employees,[140] with another 200 laid off in February 2016.[141]
As of February 2022[update], the company had 3,225 employees.[2]
The BlackBerry OS was intended to operate under much different, simpler conditions such as low powered devices, narrow network bandwidth, and high-security enterprises. However, the aging platform struggled with emerging trends like mobile web browsing, consumer applications, multimedia and touch screen interfaces. Users experienced performance issues, usability problems and instability.[26]
The company tried to enhance the old platform, but ultimately decided to build a new platform with QNX at its core.[112][7]
BBM Enterprise for Individual Use
Sign in > Reset your password >
BlackBerry Messenger, disingkat BBM, adalah aplikasi pengirim pesan instan yang disediakan untuk para pengguna perangkat BlackBerry. Aplikasi ini mengadopsi kemampuan fitur atau aktivitas yang populer di kalangan pengguna perangkat telepon genggam. Contohnya fitur di aplikasi Google Maps atau Yahoo Messenger hingga aktivitas dengan Facebook atau Twitter. Semuanya bisa didapatkan oleh pengguna perangkat BlackBerry pada aplikasi ini. BlackBerry Messenger merupakan salah satu keunggulan dari penggunaan perangkat BlackBerry selain layanan Push Mail. Layanan Messenger ini dibuat khusus bagi pemilik BlackBerry dan dirancang khusus untuk berkomunikasi di antara pengguna. Cara menggunakan BlackBerry Messenger adalah dengan penghubung nomor PIN yang juga eksklusif dimiliki masing-masing perangkat BlackBerry.
Mulai tanggal 23 Oktober 2013, layanan BBM secara resmi bisa digunakan lintas platform dengan dirilisnya BBM untuk Android dan iOS.
Mulai tanggal 31 Mei 2019, layanan BBM secara resmi tidak beroperasi atau ditutup di semua perangkat seperti Android, BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 10, iOS, dan lainnya. Konsumen dapat beralih ke BBM Enterprise yang berbayar.
BlackBerry Messenger memiliki beberapa versi terdahulu yang disesuaikan dengan tipe masing-masing perangkat, yaitu:
Research In Motion (RIM) sebagai pemegang lisensi BlackBerry secara resmi meluncurkan BlackBerry Messenger versi terbaru yaitu OTA OS 5.0 untuk tipe 83xx / 81xx, 9000 Bold, 8900 Javelin, 95xx pada tanggal 13 Oktober 2009 di Indonesia.
Research In Motion (RIM) secara resmi meluncurkan BlackBerry Messenger untuk PlayBook dengan cara menghubungkan BlackBerry yang dihubungkan dengan BlackBerry Bridge.[3]
Terhitung Juni 2016 PT Elang Mahkota Teknologi Tbk (Emtek) telah resmi membeli BlackBerry Messenger, satu produk dari BlackBerry Limited, dengan nilai mencapai Rp 2,9 triliun. Kesepakatan senilai $207,5 juta atau sekitar Rp 2,7 triliun ini bakal berlangsung selama 6 tahun, dan akan memungkinkan Emtek untuk menggabungkan layanan mereka dengan BBM. Satu hal yang perlu dicatat adalah kesepakatan ini berlaku untuk BBM saja, tanpa menyertakan layanan BlackBerry Enterprise.
Aplikasi BlackBerry Messenger versi 4.5/4.6/4.6.1/4.7 mempunyai tampilan yang masih sangat sederhana, yang hanya terdiri dari nama-nama kontak dan status.
BlackBerry Messenger dapat menampilkan kontak dan status dari masing-masing pengguna. Untuk membuat suatu hubungan antar pengguna perangkat BlackBerry di dalam BlackBerry Messenger, pengguna harus menambah kontak dengan cara memasukkan nomor PIN dari pengguna lain. Selain menggunakan nomor PIN, menambah kontak bisa dilakukan dengan memasukkan alamat surat elektronik masing-masing pengguna. Selain itu,seperti layaknya Facebook atau Twitter, dalam BlackBerry Messenger juga dapat menampilkan status masing-masing pengguna yang akan muncul bersama dengan daftar kontak. Pengguna dapat memperbaharui status kapanpun dan dimanapun, hanya dengan mengetik status yang diinginkan di kolom status.
Pengguna BlackBerry Messenger juga dapat membagi berkas yang berupa data selain foto dan suara, kontak telepon dan kontak BlackBerry Messenger antar sesama pengguna. Berkas yang dikirimkan melalui aplikasi ini dapat tersampaikan ke pengguna yang dituju secara cepat dan mudah.
Dalam BlackBerry Messenger, pengguna juga dapat membuat percakapan grup. Mereka dapat melakukan percakapan dengan beberapa orang dengan waktu yang bersamaan. Untuk membuat suatu grup percakapan pengguna harus mengundang beberapa kontak untuk ikut dalam percakapan dalam grup ini. dalam satu grup beranggotakan maksimal 30.
Versi terbaru dari BlackBerry Messenger ini tentu saja banyak memiliki kelebihan dibandingkan dengan versi terdahulunya. Aplikasi baru ini juga sudah diunduh langsung di situs resmi BlackBerry.
Jika sebelumnya menambah kontak BlackBerry Messenger hanya dengan nomor PIN atau alamat surat elektronik saja pengguna, dengan BlackBerry kode batang spesial yang ada di layar BlackBerry Messenger di masing-masing pengguna perangkat BlackBerry dapat dipindai secara otomatis dan mengundang kontak baru untuk bergabung dengan daftar kontak BlackBerry Messenger. Contohnya dengan menggunakan kamera pada perangkat BlackBerry. Syaratnya perangkat harus mempunyai kamera untuk memindai kode batang perangkat lain. Kode batang ini juga dapat memudahkan pengguna BlackBerry untuk saling bertukar informasi kontak. Pengguna dapat melihat di Ubah Info Saya dan dapat digunakan untuk menyimpan data pribadi seperti nama, PIN BlackBerry, tautan situs dan yang lainnya.
Selain nama, pengguna dapat mengatur gambar tampilan sebagai personal avatar mereka. Avatar sebagai representasi pengguna tentang dirinya sendiri ataupun ego. Avatar dapat secara otomatis terlihat pada kontak BlackBerry Messenger. BlackBerry Messenger versi 5.0 juga mengumpulkan avatar dari semua kontak yang ada dalam kontak BlackBerry pengguna.
BlackBerry Messenger versi 5.0 dapat memungkinkan pengguna dapat memantau perubahan status dari setiap kontaknya. Pengguna bisa meng-klik panel Keadaan Terbaru di atas panel info tampilan Messenger untuk menampilkan daftar kontak yang baru saja memperbaharui status. Notifikasi akan selalu muncul di panel Keadaan Terbaru setiap kontak lain memperbaharui status mereka.
Jika pada versi BlackBerry Messenger terdahulu, cara menjaga data PIN kontak BlackBerry Messenger adalah dengan menyalin ke Buku Alamat, dengan BlackBerry Messenger versi 5.0, pengguna hanya tinggal mengklik saja Salin Daftar Kontak di tampilan menu. Pilihan tempat penyimpanan untuk menyimpan data kontak bisa ke memori internal atau memori eksternal.
Membagi info ke seluruh atau beberapa kontak tidak perlu dengan cara mengetiknya satu persatu. Klik Pesan Penyiaran pada menu untuk mengirim info yang sama ke beberapa kontak sekaligus. Klik Semua untuk mengirim pesan yang sama ke semua kontak, atau pilih beberapa kontak saja dengan memilih nama-nama kontak tertentu dari daftar kontak.
Jika ingin membagi lokasi dari posisi berada atau ingin membagi lokasi sebuah tempat, klik Kirim Lokasi pada menu. Pilihan untuk mengirimkan lokasi bisa langsung dari lokasi berada dengan memanfaatkan fitur GPS, atau dari data lokasi yang telah disimpan sebelumnya di Peta BlackBerry. Permintaan lokasi kontak bisa juga dilakukan atau mengatur notifikasi kedekatan dengan kontak lain.
Pada BlackBerry Messenger versi sebelumnya, fasilitas untuk melakukan percakapan secara berkelompok memang sudah ada. Hanya saja pada BlackBerry Messenger versi 5.0, fasilitas percakapan secara berkelompok ini bisa disertai dengan subyek obrolan. Jadi kontak yang baru diundang ketika percakapan sudah berlangsung tidak akan bingung untuk mengikuti topik percakapan. Aplikasi ini memungkinkan pengguna membuat atau bergabung dengan grup seseorang untuk tetap terhubung dan berbagi pengalaman secara waktu yang asli. Pengguna juga dapat melakukan percakapan maya dan berbagi pembaharuan lokasi, alamat, kalender, foto, daftar dan banyak lagi. Satu grup dapat menampung sebanyak 30 anggota.
Dengan BlackBerry Messenger versi 2,0, pengguna dapat berbagi berkas foto, suara, kontak telepon dan kontak BlackBerry Messenger berukuran besar sampai dengan ukuran 6MB. BlackBerry Messenger versi 5.0 ini juga mendukung pengiriman berkas video. Pengiriman berkas melalui BlackBerry Messenger versi 5.0 ini memungkinkan pengguna untuk mengirimkan berkas secara mudah dan cepat.
Adakalanya pengguna terlibat dalam percakapan seru dengan salah satu kontak, tetapi disaat yang bersamaan harus mengecek aktivitas lain di perangkat. Jelas agak merepotkan jika harus buka tutup layar BlackBerry Messenger. Pada BlackBerry Messenger versi 5.0 terdapat fasilitas untuk menempatkan kontak di layar tampilan awal. Jadi untuk membuka layar percakapan cukup mengakses dari lambang kontak yang ditempatkan pada tampilan awal.
Sejak 2017, BBM resmi bekerja sama dengan media Emtek Group, sejak itu juga BBM mengakses layanan streaming TV seperti SCTV, Indosiar, dan O Channel Sehingga BBM bisa menjadi alternatif streaming TV selain aplikasi Vidio.
Bách khoa toàn thư mở Wikipedia
BlackBerry Limited là một tập đoàn điện tử của Canada chuyên sản xuất, buôn bán các thiết bị di động và giải pháp di động như mẫu điện thoại ăn khách BlackBerry. Công ty này được thành lập năm 1984 tại Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Trước khi sản xuất BlackBerry, RIM hợp tác với RAM Mobile Data và Ericsson để chuyển mạng dữ liệu không dây thành mạng máy tính nhắn tin 2 chiều và e-mail không dây Mobitex do Ericsson phát triển trước đó. Thành tựu của việc phát triển này là sự ra đời của máy nhắn tin Inter@ctive 950, được đưa ra thị trường vào tháng Tám, 1998. Với kích thước khoảng một thỏi xà bông, thiết bị này cạnh tranh với mạng nhắn tin 2 chiều SkyTel của Motorola.
Canadian technology company
BlackBerry Limited (formerly Research In Motion or RIM for short) is a Canadian software company specializing in cybersecurity. Founded in 1984, it developed the BlackBerry brand of interactive pagers, smartphones, and tablets. The company transitioned to providing software and services and holds critical software application patents.
Initially leading the mobile phone and pager industry in the 1980s and 90s, the company struggled to gain a lasting presence in the smartphone market of the new millennium. BlackBerry led the market in many countries, particularly the United States, until 2010, with the announcement of the iPhone 4. The company withered against the rapid rise of Apple and Android. After the troubled launch of the BlackBerry 10, it transitioned to a cybersecurity enterprise software and services company under CEO John S. Chen.[3] In 2018, the last BlackBerry smartphone, the BlackBerry Key2 LE, was released. In 2022, BlackBerry discontinued support for BlackBerry 10, ending their presence in the smartphone market.
BlackBerry's software products are used by various businesses, car manufacturers, and government agencies to prevent hacking and ransomware attacks. They include BlackBerry Cylance, the QNX real-time operating system; BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BlackBerry Unified Endpoint Manager), and a Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) platform.
The Astonishing Tribe
The Astonishing Tribe (TAT), a user interface design company based in Malmö, Sweden, was acquired by the company on December 2, 2010.[161][162] With a history of creating user interfaces and applications for mobile, TAT contributed heavily to the user experience of BlackBerry 10 as well as the development of its GUI framework, Cascades.
In July 2011, RIM brought on JayCut, a Sweden-based company that is an online video editor.[163] JayCut technology was incorporated into the media software of BlackBerry 10.[163]
In March 2012, RIM acquired Paratek Microwave,[164] bringing their adaptive RF Tuning technology into BlackBerry handsets.
On September 18, 2012, it was announced that the RIM social calendaring service,[165] Tungle.me would be shut down on December 3, 2012. RIM acquired Tungle.me in April 2011.[166]
In July 2011, RIM acquired NewBay, an Irish-based company that is an online video, pics and tool for media networks editor.[167] RIM subsequently sold NewBay to Synchronoss in December 2012 for $55.5 million.[168]
On June 7, 2011, Scoreloop was acquired by BlackBerry for US$71 million.[169][170] It provided tools for adding social elements to any game (achievements/rewards etc.) and was central to the BlackBerry 10's Games app. On December 1, 2014, all Scoreloop services were shut down.[171]
Gist was acquired in February 2011, by BlackBerry. Gist was a tool that helps users to organise and view all their contacts in one place. Gist's services closed down on September 15, 2012, in order for the company to focus on BlackBerry 10.[172]
BlackBerry Ltd. acquired Scroon in May 2013. The French startup manages Facebook, Twitter and other social-media accounts for large clients like luxury-good maker LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA, wireless operator Orange SA (ORA) and Warner Bros. Entertainment. The deal was publicly announced in November 2013. According to Scroon founder, Alexandre Mars, he had not disclosed the purchase by BlackBerry before because of the "delicate media buzz" around the company. Scroon is part of BlackBerry's strategy to profit from the BlackBerry Messenger instant-messaging service by utilizing the newly unveiled BBM Channels. Financial terms were not disclosed.[173]
Movirtu was acquired in September 2014, by BlackBerry. Movirtu is a U.K. startup that allows multiple phone numbers to be active on a single mobile device. At the time of the acquisition BlackBerry announced they would expand this functionality beyond BlackBerry 10 to other mobile platforms such as Android and iOS.[174]
Secusmart was acquired in September 2014. The German-based company was one of the steps to position BlackBerry as the most secure provider in the mobile market. Secusmart had the agreement to equip the German Government with high secure mobile devices that encrypt voice as well as data on BlackBerry 10 devices. Those phones are currently in use by Angela Merkel and most of the ministers as well as several Departments and the Parliament.[175][non-primary source needed]
WatchDox was an Israel-based Enterprise File Synchronization and Sharing company which specialized in securing access to documents on a cloud basis. BlackBerry acquired the company in April 2015.[176] On December 8, 2016, BlackBerry renamed WatchDox to BlackBerry Workspaces.[177]
In August 2019, BlackBerry closed down its Israel development center.[178]
On July 22, 2015, BlackBerry announced that it had acquired AtHoc, a provider of secure, networked emergency communications.[179]
On September 4, 2015, BlackBerry announced the acquisition of mobile security provider Good Technology for $425 million.[180] On December 8, 2016, it rebranded Good's products and integrated them into the BlackBerry Enterprise Mobility Suite, a set of tiered software offerings for its enterprise customers.[181]
On February 24, 2016, BlackBerry acquired UK-based cyber security consultancy Encription.[182]
On November 16, 2018, Cylance was purchased for US$1.4 billion by BlackBerry Limited in an all cash deal.[183] The technology behind Cylance would enable BlackBerry to add artificial intelligence capabilities to its existing software products for IoT applications and other services. Cylance will run as a separate division within BlackBerry Limited's current operations.[184]
John Chen resigns from BlackBerry
On October 30, 2023 John S. Chen announced his resignation as CEO through an employee letter posted to the Blackberry Limited blog page stating he will cease his role on November 4, 2023.[99]
Until 2013, the number of active BlackBerry users increased over time. In the fourth quarter of fiscal year ended March 3, 2012, RIM shipped 11.1 million BlackBerry smartphones, down 21 percent from the previous quarter and it was the first decline in the quarter covering Christmas since 2006. For its fourth quarter, RIM announced a net loss of US$125 million (the last loss before this occurred in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year 2005).[100] RIM's loss of market share accelerated in 2011, due to the rapidly growing sales of Samsung and HTC Android handsets; RIM's annual market share in the U.S. dropped to just 3 percent, from 9 percent.[101]
In the quarter ended June 28, 2012, RIM announced that the number of BlackBerry subscribers had reached 78 million globally.[102] Furthermore, RIM reported its first quarter revenue for the 2013 fiscal year, showing that the company incurred a GAAP net loss of US$518 million for the quarter, and announced a plan to implement a US$1 billion cost-saving initiative. The company also announced the delay of the new BlackBerry 10 OS until the first quarter of 2013.[103]
After the release of the Apple iPhone 5 in September 2012, RIM CEO Thorsten Heins announced that the number of global users was up to 80 million, which sparked a 7% jump in shares.[104] On December 2, 2012, the company reported a decline in the global subscriber base of BlackBerry to 79 million, after peaking at an all-time high of 80 million the previous quarter.[34] Later that same month, media reports confirmed that BlackBerry lost US$1.049 billion during the second fiscal quarter of 2013. In the wake of the loss, Heins stated: "We are very disappointed with our operational and financial results this quarter and have announced a series of major changes to address the competitive hardware environment and our cost structure."[105]
Between 2010 and 2013, the stock price of the company dropped by 87 percent due to the widespread popularity of the iPhone. Goldman Sachs estimated that, in June 2014, BlackBerry accounted for 1 percent share of smartphone sales, compared to a peak of around 20 percent in 2009.[31]
With the release of its financial results for the first fiscal quarter of 2015 in June 2014, Chen presented a more stable company that had incurred a lower amount of loss than previous quarters. The New York Times described "a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss." Following the news release, Chen stated that BlackBerry was comfortable with its position, and it is understood that his plan for the company mainly involves businesses and governments, rather than consumers.[106]
Government access to encrypted communication
After a four-year stand-off with the Indian government over access to RIM's secure networks, the company demonstrated the ability to intercept consumer email and messaging traffic between BlackBerry handsets, and make these encrypted communications available to Indian security agencies. This agreement does not include its enterprise services.[222]
Through the Canadian Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act, Blackberry has given its master encryption keys to law enforcement, allowing the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to view communications and other encrypted information.[223] Then-CEO John Chen defended the company's sharing of data, saying "(we) have long been clear in our stance that tech companies as good corporate citizens should comply with reasonable lawful access requests."[224]
Electronics industry in Canada
43°31′02″N 80°30′57″W / 43.5171578°N 80.5158791°W / 43.5171578; -80.5158791
BlackBerry 2FA (Formerly Strong Authentication)
A two-factor, certificate-based VPN authentication solution that allows users to authenticate without requiring PINs or passwords. [citation needed]
An IP-based enterprise instant messaging platform that provides end-to-end encryption for voice, video, and text-based communication. On February 7, 2017, Blackberry released the BBM Enterprise SDK, a "Communications Platform as a Service" kit that allows developers to incorporate BBM Enterprise's messaging capabilities into their own applications. Said capabilities include secure messaging, voice, video, file sharing, and presence information.[187]
An emergency communication system, AtHoc provides two-way messaging and notifications across a range of devices and platforms. On May 17, 2017, BlackBerry released AtHoc Account to help businesses more easily keep track of their staff in an emergency.[188]
An anti-eavesdropping solution that provides voice, data, and SMS encryption. [citation needed]
A real-time embedded operating system, QNX drives multiple software systems in modern auto vehicles, and forms the basis of solutions like BlackBerry Radar, an IoT-based asset tracking system for the transportation industry.[189]
BlackBerry IVY is an edge-to-cloud vehicle data platform.[190]
Since the turn of the century, RIM has been embroiled in a series of suits relating to alleged patent infringement.[191]
In 2001, Research In Motion sued competitor Glenayre Electronics Inc. for patent infringement, partly in response to an earlier infringement suit filed by Glenayre against RIM.[7] RIM sought an injunction to prevent Glenayre from infringing on RIM's "Single Mailbox Integration" patent.[192] The suit was ultimately settled in favour of RIM. [citation needed]
In June 2002, Research In Motion filed suit against 2000 start-up and competitor Good Technology.[193] RIM filed additional complaints throughout the year.[194] In March 2004, Good agreed to a licensing deal, thereby settling the outstanding litigation.[195]
On September 16, 2002, Research In Motion was awarded a patent pertaining to keyboard design on hand-held e-mail devices. Upon receiving the patent, it proceeded to sue Handspring over its Treo device.[194][196] Handspring eventually agreed to license RIM's patent and avoid further litigation in November of the same year.[197]
During the appeals, RIM discovered new prior art that raised a "substantial new question of patentability" and filed for a reexamination of the NTP patents in the United States Patent and Trademark Office. That reexamination was conducted separately to the court cases for infringement. In February 2006, the USPTO rejected all of NTP's claims in three disputed patents. NTP appealed the decision, and the reexamination process was still ongoing as of July 2006 (See NTP, Inc. for details).
On March 3, 2006, RIM announced that it had settled its BlackBerry patent dispute with NTP.[198] Under the terms of the settlement, RIM agreed to pay NTP US$612.5 million[198] in a "full and final settlement of all claims". In a statement, RIM said that "all terms of the agreement have been finalized and the litigation against RIM has been dismissed by a court order this afternoon. The agreement eliminates the need for any further court proceedings or decisions relating to damages or injunctive relief."[199]
On July 17, 2003, while still embroiled in litigation with NTP and Good Technology, RIM filed suit against Xerox in the U.S. District of Hartford, Connecticut. The suit was filed in response to discussions about patents held by Xerox that might affect RIM's business and also asked that patents held by Xerox be invalidated.[200]
On May 1, 2006, RIM was sued by Visto for infringement of four patents.[201] Though the patents were widely considered invalid and in the same veins as the NTP patents – with a judgement going against Visto in the U.K.[202][203] – RIM settled the lawsuit in the United States on July 16, 2009, with RIM agreeing to pay Visto US$267.5 million plus other undisclosed terms.[204]
On January 22, 2010, Motorola requested that all BlackBerry smartphones be banned from being imported into the United States for infringing upon five of Motorola's patents. Their patents for "early-stage innovations", including UI, power management and WiFi, are in question.[205] RIM countersued later the same day, alleging anti-competitive behaviour and that Motorola had broken a 2003 licensing agreement by refusing to extend licensing terms beyond 2008.[206] The companies settled out of court on June 11, 2010.[207]
On December 5, 2011, Research In Motion obtained an order granting its motion to dismiss plaintiff Eatoni's claims that RIM violated Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act and equivalent portions of New York's Donnelly Act. Eatoni alleged that RIM's alleged infringement of plaintiff's '317 patent constituted an antitrust violation. Eatoni Ergonomics, Inc. v. Research In Motion Corp., No. 08-Civ. 10079 (WHP) (S.D.N.Y. Dec 5, 2011), Memorandum and Order, p. 1 (Pauley, J.).[208]
In July 2012, a U.S. federal court jury awarded damages (later overturned) of $147 million against Research In Motion. The jury decided that Research In Motion had violated patents of Mformation and calculated damages of $8 each on 18.4 million units for royalties on past sales of devices to nongovernment U.S. customers only, not including future royalty payments inside and outside the U.S.[209] On August 9, 2012, that verdict was overturned on appeal. RIM had argued that Mformation's patent claims were invalid because the processes were already being used when Mformation filed its patent application. Judge James Ware said Mformation failed to establish that RIM had infringed on the company's patent.[210]
On May 26, 2017, BlackBerry announced that it had reached an agreement with Qualcomm Incorporated resolving all amounts payable in connection with the interim arbitration decision announced on April 12, 2017. Following a joint stipulation by the parties, the arbitration panel has issued a final award providing for the payment by Qualcomm to BlackBerry of a total amount of U.S.$940,000,000 including interest and attorneys' fees, net of certain royalties due from BlackBerry for calendar 2016 and the first quarter of calendar 2017.[211]
On March 8, 2018, BlackBerry Limited sued Facebook Inc. in federal court in Los Angeles. According to BlackBerry Limited, Facebook has built swaths of its empire on the messaging technology which was originally developed by them during the time when the Facebook chief, Mark Zuckerberg, was still living in a Harvard University dorm room.[212] Blackberry Limited alleged that many features of the Facebook messaging service infringe on BlackBerry patents.[213] In January 2021, BlackBerry shares jumped 20% after settling its patent dispute with Facebook.[214]
In November 2011, Blackberry, then RIM, was ranked 15th out of 15 electronics manufacturers in Greenpeace's re-launched Guide to Greener Electronics.[215] In its 2012 report on progress relating to conflict minerals, the Enough Project rated RIM the sixth highest of 24 consumer electronics companies.[216] In 2014, RIM partnered with Solutions for Hope to expand the number of conflict-free mineral regions in the Congo.[217]
On October 10, 2011, RIM experienced one of the worst service outages in the company's history. Tens of millions of BlackBerry users in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and North America were unable to receive or send emails and BBM messages through their phones.[218] The outage was caused as a result of a core switch failure, "A transition to a back-up switch did not function as tested, causing a large backlog of data, RIM said."[219] Service was restored on October 13, with RIM announcing a $100 package of free premium apps for users and enterprise support extensions.[220][221]
