[timothybradley]

The way things look to me the right buyer either never surfaced or never even showed. Blackberry is tightening it's belt and pressing on leaner with some good phones, a great OS and BBM. The company stays whole and moves forward.

What do you folks think? To me all indicators point to the above.

Posted via CB10

[Peevish]

The way things look to me the right buyer either never surfaced or never even showed. Blackberry is tightening it's belt and pressing on leaner with some good phones, a great OS and BBM. The company stays whole and moves forward.

What do you folks think? To me all indicators point to the above.

Posted via CB10

I think it's the opposite, I think the right buyer came along, but didn't want to inherit thousands of employees that they would have to layoff and asked BlackBerry to do it as a part of their deal.

[RyanGermann]

Something has to change... just getting rid of a bunch of employees isn't going to make BB products successful.

Personally I think they need to rethink the device designs and their approach to their marketing messaging, and the devices could get a lot more interest.

Instead of all this film-school imagery and fake lens flare, how about a credible celebrity who actually appreciates BB10 for what it is simply saying something sincere and truthful along the lines of "I have tried other mobile devices and I prefer BB10..." and then we switch to a close up of the device with an actual human hand holding the device, showing the gestures and how the Hub is always there, a thumb-swipe away. In about 30 seconds, a lot of very basic BB10 functionality can be demonstrated, including swiping up to switch to the Active Frames, and how when you touch another frame it's INSTANTLY back, because of REAL multitasking.

In the UK, I've heard Stephen Fry is a fan of BB10 and it would be GREAT if he'd do an ad like that. In the US, well, why not use Alicia Keys, but not with CGI photos floating around and becoming buildings... just have her talking about the device and how it works! Even Apple puts out commercials where they show a human hand interacting with the device. BlackBerry needs to do the same, but just hasn't realized it yet. The upside is that these types of ads are pretty inexpensive to produce, compared to flying CGI photo piles.

[tsquare]

I think that you are both wrong.

Sold off in pieces... pre or post bankruptcy is the only future for BBRY.

Sorry...

[tsquare]

Something has to change... just getting rid of a bunch of employees isn't going to make BB products successful.

Personally I think they need to rethink the device designs and their approach to their marketing messaging, and the devices could get a lot more interest.

Instead of all this film-school imagery and fake lens flare, how about a credible celebrity who actually appreciates BB10 for what it is simply saying something sincere and truthful along the lines of "I have tried other mobile devices and I prefer BB10..." and then we switch to a close up of the device with an actual human hand holding the device, showing the gestures and how the Hub is always there, a thumb-swipe away. In about 30 seconds, a lot of very basic BB10 functionality can be demonstrated, including swiping up to switch to the Active Frames, and how when you touch another frame it's INSTANTLY back, because of REAL multitasking.

In the UK, I've heard Stephen Fry is a fan of BB10 and it would be GREAT if he'd do an ad like that. In the US, well, why not use Alicia Keys, but not with CGI photos floating around and becoming buildings... just have her talking about the device and how it works! Even Apple puts out commercials where they show a human hand interacting with the device. BlackBerry needs to do the same, but just hasn't realized it yet. The upside is that these types of ads are pretty inexpensive to produce, compared to flying CGI photo piles.

I'm sorry Ryan... it isn't going to happen. Too little, too late.

[timothybradley]

I agree with you. It's an identity and culture issue that does have a solution. Marketing/advertising and a sales force that is informed enough to sell Blackberry to the common user.

Posted via CB10

[timothybradley]

I disagree. Would you have said the same about Apple when they were on the brink?

Posted via CB10

[anon(4141156)]

I HOPE SO!!!!!!! But only if they pledge to pull their heads out of the a$$e$ and get a true marketing company, and some truly awesome hardware to go with the killer BB10 OS.

[iamagod]

The first reply is bang on. Leaning up for the sale. There are plenty of people looking into purchasing bbry at this time. They are just waiting til the stock bottoms out. And from the looks of it, BlackBerry is doing what it can to let the stock slide as low as possible.

Posted via CB10

[playbookster]

I want IBM to invest in them and use their name brand and finances to push blackberry where they can't get on their own.

Posted via CB10

[timothybradley]

I want IBM to invest in them and use their name brand and finances to push blackberry where they can't get on their own.

Posted via CB10

IBM or some other company that can fix their approach to the customer base

Posted via CB10

[Thunderbuck]

I think the OP's scenario is at least vaguely plausible. It might even need to.

If nobody wants to buy them, what else do they do?

[gfondeur]

I'm sorry Ryan... it isn't going to happen. Too little, too late.

F troll, go to troll somewhere else,

[Tuco Ramirez]

I think that you are both wrong.

Sold off in pieces... pre or post bankruptcy is the only future for BBRY.

Blackberry is like a large Battleship that's taken numerous torpedoes, and the crew is trying hard to plug the various leaks. The distress signal was sent by Captain Thorsten Heins when it was announced that a special committee of BlackBerry board members was in talks with potential bidders for a quick sale of the company. The ships crew (Blackberry employees) have headed for the life-rafts (unemployment office) in orderly fashion. Some crew members remain behind to put out fires. It's not a matter of if, but when the ship sinks to the bottom (Blackberry gets sold).

Blackberry, like the mighty German Battleship Bismark, that what was once a proud symbol of power and supremacy, ultimately has it's fate sealed, and will no longer reign dominance. Instead, it will lay in ruins.

[timothybradley]

Blackberry is like a large Battleship that's taken numerous torpedoes, and the crew is trying hard to plug the various leaks. The distress signal was sent by Captain Thorsten Heins when it was announced that a special committee of BlackBerry board members was in talks with potential bidders for a quick sale of the company. The ships crew (Blackberry employees) have headed for the life-rafts (unemployment office) in orderly fashion. Some crew members remain behind to put out fires. It's not a matter of if, but when the ship sinks to the bottom (Blackberry gets sold).

Blackberry, like the mighty German Battleship Bismark, that what was once a proud symbol of power and supremacy, ultimately has it's fate sealed, and will no longer reign dominance. Instead, it will lay in ruins.

Tuco, you'll be left hanging from a tree like you were in the Good Bad and tje Ugly. That battleship was part of an evil empire and that empire sunk. C'mon man.

Posted via CB10

[Shlooky]

Dream on, this company cannot survive without a sale.

[southlander]

In about seven days you'll likely have a better idea of what's going to happen.

Z10STL100-4/10.2.0.1443

[h20work]

Blackberry is like a large Battleship that's taken numerous torpedoes, and the crew is trying hard to plug the various leaks. The distress signal was sent by Captain Thorsten Heins when it was announced that a special committee of BlackBerry board members was in talks with potential bidders for a quick sale of the company. The ships crew (Blackberry employees) have headed for the life-rafts (unemployment office) in orderly fashion. Some crew members remain behind to put out fires. It's not a matter of if, but when the ship sinks to the bottom (Blackberry gets sold).

Blackberry, like the mighty German Battleship Bismark, that what was once a proud symbol of power and supremacy, ultimately has it's fate sealed, and will no longer reign dominance. Instead, it will lay in ruins.

More like the Graf Spee. The captain scuttled her

[fin2007]

I want IBM to invest in them and use their name brand and finances to push blackberry where they can't get on their own.

Posted via CB10

How IBM could save BBRY? IBM does not want to and has no existence on consumer business today at all.

With BYOD, I do not see IBM could help bbry on enterprise side either.

[h20work]

How IBM could save BBRY? IBM does not want to and has no existence on consumer business today at all.

With BYOD, I do not see IBM could help bbry on enterprise side either.

Just more wishful thinking.

[playbookster]

Just more wishful thinking.

IBM wants to be bigger in enterprise do they not?

Posted via CB10

[h20work]

IBM wants to be bigger in enterprise do they not?

Posted via CB10

Buying bbry will help them? What's in it for IBM?

And yes it is wish full thinking unless you've heard IBM is making a run for bbry.

[sf49ers]

How IBM could save BBRY? IBM does not want to and has no existence on consumer business today at all.

With BYOD, I do not see IBM could help bbry on enterprise side either.

1) BYOD needs a MDM too where BBRY is a pioneer and IBM/Cisco/Oracle/HP/SAP has a lot of enterprise presence and can add a lot of confidence.
2) Companies like Cisco/IBM can leverege BBRY's NOC for future to come..M2M, Automotive, Health and Medical etc
3) BBRY can cuts costs by aligning it's sales and marketing teams.
4) Can remain as a niche phone maker with few employees(5000 - 6000)...say even if they sell 10 million units/year to governments and highly secured workplaces they will make enough money to keep going.
5) BBM, Patent play, software and service revenue (QNX)

[Micah Herzog]

Realistically, any company with 3 billion dollars in cash and no debt is not going to be going bankrupt any time soon, so all you BlackBerry haters out there can just keep on dreaming. If BlackBerry isn't sold, or parts of it sold, it will continue on in leaner form. Even with a tiny market share, BlackBerry can still make money. All the BB10 development money has been spent, all the hardware development money has been spent, and many of the employee severance dollars have been paid out. With some really decent marketing it shouldn't be that difficult to start making money soon. Once the multi-platform BBM begins to create revenue, the corner to profitability will have been rounded. As BBM popularity widens, sales of BB10 handsets will increase as well. Hello? Is anyone out there aware that in some parts of the world BlackBerry sales are up 300%?

[richardat]

Sorry OP,

No, it's not even remotely plausible. Maybe thinking of it this way will help:

Before launch they had: media/world attention, the promise of a completely new OS and new phones, tons of carrier goodwill (stupid invalid blaming of carriers aside - the carriers did a ton of promotion and commercial time), very limited but reasonable resources, claims of app support, strong (considering the circumstance) investor support, a new leader.

WIth all of that, they weren't able to compete....they didn't even come close....it was total shutout on all fronts. No glimmer or spark from any of the products. no app support,

Now, they have: a rejected OS, rejected phones, no investor confidence, no carrier confidence, no developer confidence, loss of marketshare, loss of human resources (with, whether it's 40% or some other figure, much more to come....their sales simply cannot sustain the company as is anymore), they are publicly up for sale, more consumer ill-will from the playbook debacle, unhappy legacy consumers, slow updates, missing features, app promises that went unfulfilled....

You think they can just eliminate much of their workforce, and carry on?! Compete with Apple, Google, Samsung, and MS?? NOPE.

I would agree that a tiny BB (maybe one tenth) it's old size, might be able to carry on as a niche phone-maker if they had an unassailable niche, but they don't. They have no safe zone against the competition. Thus, I doubt even that strategy would have a high chance of success.

BB10 is absolutely dead. Period. There is absolutely no way it can recover and be a competitive entity now. Now, if they were MS, or got an investor who wanted to pour money into phones, then yes, they could tank bb10, and simply devote all efforts to bb11. Hey, it's possible bb10 could even get a couple more percentage of marketshare if things went well (much like MS efforts), and they would then, be forced, again, to see if they could truly get out a compelling OS for the first time with BB11. The problem of course is, they aren't MS, and they don't have the deep pockets and other revenue streams to do that. We all knew this from the beginning.

Grim picture? Very. Sad? Very....but this is the reality of what they face.