[D_Gui]

So, let's pretend you're BlackBerry's CEO (John Chen if you wish) and you're given a $500 million budget to make some changes within the company. You decide to make an acquisition/s, what/who do you buy?

For example:
Pebble: The Pebble Steel is sexy, sleek and elegant. It's for the professional. Imagine BlackBerry getting it onto the arms of most of the Fortune 500. The original Pebble is durable, efficient and affordable. It's for everyone. Imagine BlackBerry getting it onto the arms of pretty much anyone you can imagine. Pebble could use BlackBerry's global distribution chain and gives BlackBerry a head start in the wearables market, even if they are not officially pursuing it. Plus, there should be quite a chunk of that $500 million left...

Who would you like to see with the BlackBerry logo slapped on?

[bhrgvr]

So, let's pretend you're BlackBerry's CEO (John Chen if you wish) and you're given a $500 million budget to make some changes within the company. You decide to make an acquisition/s, what/who do you buy?

For example:
Pebble: The Pebble Steel is sexy, sleek and elegant. It's for the professional. Imagine BlackBerry getting it onto the arms of most of the Fortune 500. The original Pebble is durable, efficient and affordable. It's for everyone. Imagine BlackBerry getting it onto the arms of pretty much anyone you can imagine. Pebble could use BlackBerry's global distribution chain and gives BlackBerry a head start in the wearables market, even if they are not officially pursuing it. Plus, there should be quite a chunk of that $500 million left...

Who would you like to see with the BlackBerry logo slapped on?

Durable, efficient and affordable is all fine... but what about the looks?

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[Ben1232]

Some Apple marketers, but tell them to back off on the BS a bit.

Posted from my Z30 via CB10 app

[Gatmyer]

If I were CEO? Well I'm a crooked SOB! I would embezzle every last cent and run to Mexico.

That or buy KIK and shut them down.

[ESCON]

............

[dalight13]

The Expos

Posted from my Q10 with only 1GB of RAM

[allengeorge]

MobileIron

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[ironlung00]

Agreed. Problem is that $500million wouldn't be enough. It might have been 2 years ago but that would have meant BB saw their own demise coming.

[Playbookjoe]

Would have bought globalstar back when it was cheap and got that paratek antenna tuned for BBM.

Now it would be Sierra.

Edit - add in newbay, lol. Maybe then we can have an icloud alternative.

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[donmateo]

Invest in your own company, stabilize finances, make profit then with the newly acquired finances, consider an acquisition. Consider. Or can your target's product be produced less expensively in-house? There's a million possibilities to this question with slight variance.

[ravenskman1]

A new house?

[NotGoodIMO]

Sierra Wireless, leader in machine to machine modules, next revolution waiting to happen. Look forward, not backwards, money in devices has already been made by the likes of Apple and Samsung. It's only downhill from here with commoditization of smartphones. There will be more than 500 million smartphones sold in Indian and China alone in 2014. That money will be made at the low end. The cheaper prices will find its way to North America and Europe as well. Sierra wireless is a Canadian company and has more than doubled in the last year in market cap, so may be $500 million may not be enough at this point, more like 1 billion. I believe, if Blackberry stabilizes and grows this year, it might end up buying Sierra Wireless later unless it's not grabbed by someone already. There are lot of rumors of Sierra Wireless getting acquired in the near future, may be Cisco.

[the_game969]

The Expos

Posted from my Q10 with only 1GB of RAM

I would give my money to this gentleman here!

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[Dirtymike14]

I'd give it to Crosby to come play for the Leafs

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[D_Gui]

Sierra Wireless, leader in machine to machine modules, next revolution waiting to happen.

Yes, Sierra's problem is it's valuation for an acquisition would be ~$1 billion, BlackBerry won't be able to afford it with all the expenses going on right now with restructuring etc. They can however borrow some cash, but then they're in debt and few companies would lend them money at this point.

[trwallace]

im not spending it on acquisitions. im spending it on possible joint venture opportunities. Take someone that has mobile enterprise software and partner with them . SAP or IBM you get them to develop corporate software for mobile in all kinds of different fields. Banking, healthcare and government agencies. These are the accounts you are going to be focusing on anyway. You also add small companies innovating in instant messaging features. If you can add some innovative features to the mix then you do so. They need to tighten their focus the automotive space with QNX is also another area to add some smaller innovations. Tying everything together would be nice as well. They actually dont need to do many if any acquisitions. maybe some more patented technology in the security space as well. You work with what you have. The consumer space is no place to start. Just ask HTC or Sony how far they are getting in the space? even with a great product its almost impossible to gain traction. So you find some strengths and you work from there. 500 million wouldnt be enough to make big changes anyway. It might be some money for more corporate sales teams. Thats about it.

[f1mx]

I'd revamp the whole marketing division and start building a new campaign from the ground up

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[southlander]

Hardly any companies that could be bought for that price are ones anyone here would be familiar with.

Z10STL100-4/10.2.1.2141

[BerryRipe]

I would partner with Nokia and Motorola, invest the money in advertising and focus on only a total of four different devices pushing out hardware with superior specs and a mobile experience that provides the ultimate in mobile tech.

Keep The Faith ? BlackBerry Q10 ?

[Tariq Nasir]

Offer a dollar to each person that joins BBM, that isn't already a member, and stays active for 3 months... my bbm active user base would, in theory exceed 500 million and give bbm, in theory, a valuation exceeding 19 billion.

Happy shareholders, employees and users

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[incongruent]

Buy Spritz Inc.

Incorporate into BlackBerry Hub. Revolutionize email, again.

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[Bearcatrp]

Buy T-mobile! Make it a Blackberry service only! Get rid of the rest of the phones. Pull BB phones from the other carriers too. One stop shop and service for Blackberry. Build in BB enterprise and lease to businesses instead of selling it to businesses. Less cost for businesses to run. Grow this model to take control of there own destiny, to be the number one most secure cell phone service!

[tinochiko]

A couple of ideas;

1) Wanelo - mix it in with bbm channels (and make it much better than it is right now) ..http://wanelo.com/

2) Seene - again mix it in with Channels, would really make it unique and drive active users + to bbm channels and again, refine it first.. http://seene.co/

3) with the change attract skilled technicians to make all these services stable on a BlackBerry phone no lag EDIT etc and also to make use of the patents they have..http://www.simplyhired.co.uk/a/jobs/...twich,+england

TechCraze C0008DDD1

[cjcampbell]

POET Technologies. It would be a long term investment but would/could pay off in spades.

Poet Technologies |

[D_Gui]

I thought about it, and what about 50 $10 million investments in some promising startups? Look at Yahoo, their investment in Alibaba has paid off greatly, as has Sequioa's interests in WhatsApp (about $3 billion). Look at Google Ventures, repeatedly hitting some home runs with several investments getting acquired for $1 billion and up.

In the course, they might even scout some proper talents and maybe some groundbreaking tech to acquire...