[_dimi_]

I never would have thought, but LinkedIn seems to be doing quite well?! Their revenues are growing and (except for the hardware revenue they obviously lack) I would not be unhappy to see BlackBerry achieve a similar business. If they do, and the markets give BlackBerry a similar P/E, I'd be a happy boy.

[chrysaurora]

So is it just me, or did JC just postpone his initial target of the reverse in service revenue decline by about 2-3 quarters?

what? didn't understand.

[spiller]

They will reverse when ez pass free support ends...Jan 2015...and revs included in march ER?

Posted via CB10

[_dimi_]

The increase in software revenue (target of 500 Mio) with additional revenue from BBM (target of 100 Mio) for fiscal year 2016. I believe he said he expects to start seeing the increase of software revenue offset the decline of service revenue in the latter part of fiscal 2016. I was anticipating we'd see a 'bottom' in Q2 rather than Q3/Q4. BES10 trial should stop end of Jan, plus all BES12 upgrades are charged so perhaps I was a little optimistic. Perhaps the gravity part of the old service revenue really is a matter of time before all of it is gone.. anyway, I'm not worried as long as his targets of 600 Mio software revenue materialize, to begin with. And yes, I'm having a beer..

[_dimi_]

OK, they need some kind of deal with LinkedIn! The possibilities would be endless.

Anyone in favor, Morgan??!

[sidhuk]

BNN - Watch TV Online | Four things you didn?t know about John Chen


Funny thing is BNN still hasn't put that second part of the interview back up. Will keep on it.

http://www.bnn.ca/Video/player.aspx?vid=483024

[_dimi_]

A few thoughts on the BNN interview:

1. Gotta love JC's honesty
2. Cute women get more info

[bungaboy]

BlackBerry CEO Chen says $15 a share is �way undervalued� for company


BlackBerry CEO Chen says $15 a share is "way undervalued" for company - Cantech Letter

BlackBerry CEO John Chen says $15 a share is �way undervalued� for the Canadian company.

Chen appeared on BNN�s �Business Day� this morning to talk about the once struggling device maker that has stabilized under his guidance. Host Amber Kanwar asked Chen if he could imagine a scenario in which BlackBerry could be acquired, and mentioned the recent rumours that Lenovo might be looking to pay $15 a share for it.

While declining to comment on the rumour specifically, Chen balked at the number.

�In my personal humble opinion that�s way undervalued,� he said.

Chen, who famously pegged the chances of BlackBerry�s survival at �50/50″ early in his tenure is striking a more bullish tone and he gains experience with the company. He says there is �an enormous amount of value� yet to be unlocked from BlackBerry. �I am very confident that we will create more value,� he told Kanwar, later adding: �We�re not done yet.�

Under Chen, BlackBerry has trimmed its losses considerably. In the company�s recent second quarter, it lost (US) $207-million, down from a loss of $965-million in the same period a year prior. The losses to date are coming against a backdrop of declining revenue; BlackBerry�s topline in the second quarter fell to $916-million, down from $1.57-billion in fiscal 2014�s Q2.

At press time, shares of BlackBerry on the TSX were down .3% to $11.81.

[kfh227]

Oh boy.... I always get scared when a CEO talks about what the share price should be in any context.

It's not his job to do so. It's a sign that he may care more about his stock options than the investors.

Posted via CB10

[bungaboy]

Oh boy.... I always get scared when a CEO talks about what the share price should be in any context.

It's not his job to do so. It's a sign that he may care more about his stock options than the investors.

Posted via CB10

Read the article to get the context.

". . . Host Amber Kanwar asked Chen if he could imagine a scenario in which BlackBerry could be acquired, and mentioned the recent rumours that Lenovo might be looking to pay $15 a share for it.

While declining to comment on the rumour specifically, Chen balked at the number.

“In my personal humble opinion that’s way undervalued,” he said. "

[world traveler and former ceo]

Kfh227: CEO showing great confidence in the company and its future... perfect answer.. seriously, what would you have him say? ...

Posted via CB10

[robot_ca]

[video]http://www.bnn.ca/Video/player.aspx?vid=483024[/url]

Any reason it's not playing on my Z30?

Sent from my awesome Z30

[W Hoa]

Well it looks like using your phone to pay for a coffee etc is yesterdays tech. Leave the phone at home, but take the wristband.

Canadian startup Bionym, maker of a wearable security device dubbed Nymi, is teaming up with credit card giant MasterCard Inc. and Royal Bank of Canada to test whether the beat of your heart is true enough to verify payments.

“Once their wristband is activated, they can leave their phone at home while they go for a run or run an errand, and conveniently and securely buy a coffee or groceries with a tap of the wrist."

MasterCard, RBC to test startup?s heartbeat payment technology - The Globe and Mail

[Corbu]

Here is finally the second part of JC's interview with Amber, from BNN:
BNN - Watch TV Online | The Internet of Things: John Chen's next frontier

Please disregard the prior link as BNN seems to have changed things.

BlackBerry's CEO takes BNN's Amber Kanwar through his vision for the company's entry into the so-called Internet of Things. Chen also shares his outlook on "new kids on the block" like Facebook and Snapchat.

[cjcampbell]

Well it looks like using your phone to pay for a coffee etc is yesterdays tech. Leave the phone at home, but take the wristband.

Canadian startup Bionym, maker of a wearable security device dubbed Nymi, is teaming up with credit card giant MasterCard Inc. and Royal Bank of Canada to test whether the beat of your heart is true enough to verify payments.

“Once their wristband is activated, they can leave their phone at home while they go for a run or run an errand, and conveniently and securely buy a coffee or groceries with a tap of the wrist."

MasterCard, RBC to test startup?s heartbeat payment technology - The Globe and Mail

.... completely ignoring the fact that few people let their phone be outside of 10 feet away at any given time, let alone left at home when going to the store. lol

[Corbu]

Here?s How Much These Users Want the BlackBerry Classic | Inside BlackBerry

[bungaboy]

.... completely ignoring the fact that few people let their phone be outside of 10 feet away at any given time, let alone left at home when going to the store. lol

The next thing you'll hear is that they invented the dumb no-phone. Or, better yet, a piece of plastic you can use to buy stuff.

[Corbu]

After first year, John Chen displays ?cogent roadmap? for BlackBerry | Financial Post

It’s been a year since BlackBerry Ltd. chief executive John Chen was given the unenviable task of reviving the struggling technology company, amidst a collapsed deal to take it private.

The Waterloo, Ont.-based smartphone maker still has recovering to do, but analysts and investors reflecting on Mr. Chen’s first year paint a picture of an organization a far cry from the one he inherited.

“John came into an extremely difficult situation, and has done a commendable job given all the challenges he faced coming in,” said Mike Walkley, managing director of Canaccord Genuity. “He seems to have a cogent roadmap for the company, and we finally have a path for the future.”

Still, BlackBerry’s “clearly not out of the woods,” as it needs to generate much needed revenue growth, he said.

Mr. Chen was appointed last Nov. 4, in a surprise announcement that came after BlackBerry had failed to find a buyer to rescue it and a US$4.7-billion deal to take it private collapsed.

The announcement by BlackBerry’s largest shareholder, Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd., that it was abandoning its tentative deal to instead raise and inject $1-billion and reshuffle the ranks was the culmination of six weeks of backroom negotiations, and swirling questions about the company.

Staying public was the “worst case” scenario, as one analyst termed it at the time.

But for those within the company, Fairfax’s appointment of Mr. Chen and the dose of certainty after months of turmoil and layoffs came as a relief, one former BlackBerry executive said.

In his first few weeks — and at meetings with executives in a company boardroom where former CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis had once held their weekly roundups — Mr. Chen’s candid nature was a “breath of fresh air” compared to his predecessors, he said.

“Finally, we were getting to the reality of the situation,” said the former BlackBerry executive who did not want to be named.

A lot has happened in a year under Mr. Chen, who came in with a reputation for turnarounds after his stint at struggling software company Sybase Inc.

Analysts and shareholders say Mr. Chen has made solid moves to stabilize BlackBerry’s finances and refocus the company on its core base of enterprise customers.

Still, the next step is to drive up revenue growth. While its latest quarterly earnings showed a smaller than expected loss of US2� per share, BlackBerry’s revenues continued to drop to just US$916-million in the latest quarter ended Aug. 30. High-margin service revenue generated from its older devices continues to slip some 10% to 15% per quarter, and it’s unclear sales from enterprise clients and software will cover the shortfall, analysts and investors say.

BlackBerry’s share price has risen 29% since Mr. Chen’s appointment to US$10.25, yet 25 analysts rate the stock as a hold, 10 say sell, and just one has a buy rating, according to Bloomberg.

“We’re not big bulls on this name,” said Manash Goswami, portfolio manager at First Asset Investment Management, which owns shares of BlackBerry. “It’s more of a wait and see.”

Still, Mr. Chen has refocused the company, analysts say, repositioning it away from the consumer smartphone market it pioneered towards software and enterprise clients. Other smart tactics include outsourcing some of its production to Taiwanese handset manufacturer Foxconn Technology Co. Ltd., and bringing back keyboard devices such as the recently launched Passport.

BlackBerry also cut back its cash burn to hold a cash balance of US$3.1-billion, according to its latest quarterly earnings.

“We cut costs dramatically and doubled down on reducing losses and growing profits,” Mr. Chen wrote in a post on networking website LinkedIn in late October. “We still have a few water buckets on hand. But no one is cooking our funeral dinner on the flames, because we took action.”

He added he was in it “for the long haul.”

In turn, there has been a shift in the mood at the Canadian smartphone maker, including in the boardroom, says Prem Watsa, Fairfax’s CEO and lead director of BlackBerry’s board.

“The boardroom is hugely supportive of John,” he said in an interview. “They can see what John is doing… the intangible change is very significant. There is a confidence that this company is going to survive and thrive.”

It was Mr. Watsa who recruited Mr. Chen to replace former chief executive Thorsten Heins.

After meeting at a leadership conference in San Francisco last year, Mr. Watsa invited Mr. Chen to his hotel room for a confidential meeting about taking the top role at BlackBerry.

“He was intrigued,” said Mr. Watsa. “He had bought every BlackBerry device, knew the company, and he just felt it was too iconic a name not only from Canada’s perspective, but from a worldwide perspective. And it didn’t deserve to die.”

Still, Mr. Watsa acknowledges that Mr. Chen’s turnaround isn’t complete yet.

“A year ago, it was whether the company will survive,” said Mr. Watsa. “Now the comment is: What’s going to happen with the revenue base?… I understand the concerns that people have, but I have no doubt in my mind.”

Mr. Chen has set a target of operational profitability by the next fiscal year, and aims to double annual software revenue by next fiscal year to US$500-million and generate some $100-million in annual revenues from its BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) platform.

Initial sales of the Passport — a cross between a smartphone and a tablet — have shown promise, with 200,000 pre-orders placed immediately after its launch in September.

Next month, BlackBerry will launch the Classic device, which brings back features such as a row of navigation keys and a track pad to cater to its core base of customers. While software and enterprise is where Mr. Chen sees’ the company’s future, it is devices that will generate profits in the short term as it pivots.

Later this month, the company will be introducing a new version of its BlackBerry Enterprise Service technology, also known as BES 12, which will enable companies to manage older BlackBerrys running its BB7 and BB10 software, as well as Apple’s iPhone and devices on Google’s Android platform.

Still, speculation around a potential sale continues to to swirl. Last month, BlackBerry shares rose after a news website said China’s Lenovo might offer to buy the company for $15 per share.

A sale is a prospect that Fairfax, which focuses on long-term investments, wouldn’t entertain, said Mr. Watsa.

“We just think John’s going to do extremely well over the long term,” he said. “Why would we sell, when the company is just recovering?”

[laketrout73]

From today's Globe and Mail Report on Business:
http://m.theglobeandmail.com/report-...ticle21432165/

The article goes against what we've heard so far about BlackBerry in Indonesia. Yet, if the Z3 was a run-away success we would have heard some boasting about sales.

Q10SQN100-1/10.3.1.1016 | Bell | via CB10

[INTz]

http://m.intomobile.com/2014/10/30/a...t-like-device/

Posted via CB10

[sidhuk]

Take this.
http://n4bb.com/blackberry-passport-...ty-test-video/

Posted using BlackBerry passport.

[b121]

Any reason it's not playing on my Z30?

Sent from my awesome Z30

Me too. Found their mobile site, though.

$15/share
http://capi.9c9media.com/destination...manifest.m3u8v

Four things about Chen
http://capi.9c9media.com/destination.../manifest.m3u8

IOT
http://capi.9c9media.com/destination.../manifest.m3u8

O'Leary
http://capi.9c9media.com/destination.../manifest.m3u8

Posted via CB10 (7250 -> 8703e -> 9530 -> 9550 -> 9650 -> 9930 -> PlayBook -> Z10 -> Z30)

[kfh227]

Kfh227: CEO showing great confidence in the company and its future... perfect answer.. seriously, what would you have him say? ...

Posted via CB10

That we are doing everything possible to improve shareholder value. That's his job. Not to provide his personal thoughts on where the market cap should be.

[slipstream89]

Ot!! Halo

Halo will have their conference call November 10 hopefully some good things to move the sp finally

Any expectations morgan?

Posted via CB10

[bungaboy]

BlackBerry CEO Beats Nasdaq in 1st Year: Chart of the Day

BlackBerry CEO Beats Nasdaq in 1st Year: Chart of the Day - Bloomberg

BlackBerry Ltd. investors are buying into John Chen’s turnaround strategy in his first year at the helm -- so much so that the stock is on track to beat the Nasdaq Composite Index this year for the first time since 2009.

The CHART OF THE DAY shows the Canadian smartphone maker’s shares are up 58 percent to $10.25 since Chen took over as chief executive officer a year ago. That compares with an 18 percent gain for the Nasdaq, an index predominantly made up of technology stocks like Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corp. BlackBerry’s 38 percent gain in 2014 alone is on pace to outperform the Nasdaq for the first time in five years.

Chen, who joined BlackBerry after a proposed $4.7 billion buyout collapsed, has outsourced some manufacturing and sold real estate. He’s focused on core business customers by bringing back phones with signature physical keyboards and offering more software-based services. That’s helped put the Waterloo, Ontario-based company on track for break-even cash flow by the end of this fiscal year and for a return to profit the next year.

The turnaround hinges on whether BlackBerry can get big corporate customers to use its new business enterprise server, known as BES12, to manage their devices, said Steven Li, an analyst at Raymond James Financial Inc.

“Ultimately it’s going to come down to whether the company gets back on track,” Li said. “It’s still wait-and-see.”

One of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars -- Kim Kardashian -- came out as a fan of the company last month, saying she loves her BlackBerrys and is on a mission to make sure the phones don’t go extinct.

BlackBerry’s U.S. shares are still a long way off from their peak closing price of $147.55 in June 2008, when its market value topped $83 billion. Chen, who previously led a turnaround at Sybase Inc. and sold it to SAP AG for $5.8 billion, has said BlackBerry’s odds of a successful turnaround are “better than 80/20.”