[BACK-2-BLACK]

I love my passport too.

Perfect size, perfect OS.... Best phone out there in my opinion.

I think the brand is too tarnished at the mainstream consumer level and would require a lot of money (and time) to advertise and get over that hump.

Samsung and Apple pay big bucks just to maintain and try and gain more market share, don't think BB has that kind of budget to compete.

[bspence87]

You say that handsets don't make money, but for whom? Apple makes lots and lots of money.
Posted via CB10

Yeah, and only Apple.
There was a time when Nike could charge $100 for a nylon track suit.
There was a time when every girl flocked to their closest Lululemon to buy a $150 pair of track pants.
There was a time when everyone wanted a Sony discman for $200 that performed the same tasks as the $22 ones at Radio Shack.
Heck, people used to love the small feel of Radio Shack.

In the first and third case, the company's adapted. Moved on and kept their product offering diverse.
In the second and fourth, not so much (we know how it ended for RS)



Posted via CB10

[MollyMorton]

I love my passport too.

Perfect size, perfect OS.... Best phone out there in my opinion.

I think the brand is too tarnished at the mainstream consumer level and would require a lot of money (and time) to advertise and get over that hump.

Samsung and Apple pay big bucks just to maintain and try and gain more market share, don't think BB has that kind of budget to compete.

Here, I honestly think you and perhaps BlackBerry have been mistaken. I absolutely agree with you when you point out the tarnished brand imagine, and when you hint that marketing on the scale that Apple and Samsung do would be impossible. What has happened, however, is that the lack of any real advertising push at all has led to a cycle of poor sales, followed by poor perception and brand image, which has fed back into poor sales, and so on. What most of us who own a Passport know is that people DO find the device engaging, and WOULD be interested in buying. I also find it hard to believe that failure on the hardware side hasn't hurt enterprise opinions/brand perception.

It's not all about gaining huge market share at this point; it's about ending these still-birth marketing (non)campaigns, and having enough confidence in the product to make a medium sized push rather than none, or one they can't afford. It's better not to launch a phone at all than to launch one and immediately doom it to poor sales and the laughter and derision that follow.

Posted via CB10

[theRock1975]

From BNN:

Earnings preview.




From theRock1975:

What to expect tomorrow:




Posted via CB10

[plasmid_boy]

Here, I honestly think you and perhaps BlackBerry have been mistaken. I absolutely agree with you when you point out the tarnished brand imagine, and when you hint that marketing on the scale that Apple and Samsung do would be impossible. What has happened, however, is that the lack of any real advertising push at all has led to a cycle of poor sales, followed by poor perception and brand image, which has fed back into poor sales, and so on. What most of us who own a Passport know is that people DO find the device engaging, and WOULD be interested in buying. I also find it hard to believe that failure on the hardware side hasn't hurt enterprise opinions/brand perception.

It's not all about gaining huge market share at this point; it's about ending these still-birth marketing (non)campaigns, and having enough confidence in the product to make a medium sized push rather than none, or one they can't afford. It's better not to launch a phone at all than to launch one and immediately doom it to poor sales and the laughter and derision that follow.

Posted via CB10

IIRC, they spent about $200 million on marketing the BB10 launch. Didn't do anything - money wasted IMO. How did BlackBerry became THE smartphone? The Pros used it. How did Apple (not just phones, but computers too)? The Pros used it (yes, I did started using Mac OSX for it's professional capable Linux OS, but now I have 3 top of the line Macs mostly collecting dust because they have shifted too far to consumers and became too buggy for important work. When the iPhone came out, I also switched from BlackBerry to iPhone hoping that I could do some work over the internet and use the GPS, both of which was unusable on the BlackBerry, but quickly found that the iphone was nothing more than a toy for consumption not for creation). So, I am guessing that if the Pros start using BlackBerry again (I am), then BlackBerry would become popular again. Before that happens, money spent on consumer marketing might not be effective.
People follow those who get $hit done and there is no better device for that than a BlackBerry.

[rarsen]

OT from the general IoT files, for after hours reading as we wait for good news from BB:

Top 10 Green Cars ? 2015 Vancouver Auto Show

[Mr BBRY]

Mr BBRY nicely put!

Just have to point out that there is always time to get in, and staying comfortable at the initial position. My 50/50 rule, good when the price goes up and good when it goes down.

Maybe my strategy is flawed, but I don't necessarily look at it like that. Yes, staying comfortable with your initial position is very important. However, if there was always time to get in, where is the incentive to invest? The whole idea is trying to stay ahead of the curve and make a prediction when the majority of the market disagrees with you. That contrarian viewpoint is how the big bucks are made. I've seen too many opportunities come and go and am always afraid of missing the boat. Just because BBRY hasn't taken off for the past 3 years doesn't mean that it'll stay below $10 for any amount of time. Past performance is NOT a predictor of future results in investing and especially in a company with new leadership and strategy. In fact, if Friday goes well, that may ignite some buying pressure that will mean we never see the opportunity to buy this stock below $10 again. Wouldn't that be nice?

[Corbu]

And now, ladies and gentlemen... JP Morgan!

I think we should be almost done by now... On with the real stuff. By tomorrow morning this time, it will all have been taken care of.

In a report published Thursday, JP Morgan analyst Rod Hall explained why he thinks BlackBerry Ltd. will post another sequential decline in services revenue when it reports its fourth quarter results on Friday before market open.

Hall cited the company's CFO James Yersh who said at CES that revenues are expected to hit a "low point" in the fourth quarter and then to grow from there driven by hardware sales. The analyst estimated BlackBerry will report total revenue of $791 million in the quarter (versus prior estimates of $807.9 million), marking a 0.2 percent decrease from the previous quarter and a 19 percent drop from the same quarter a year ago.

Hall forecasted smartphone shipments of 1.8 million, up 38 percent from a year ago but down 10 percent from the previous quarter. He also expects BlackBerry to report 1.4 million BB10 handsets to have been shipped in the quarter, up 3 percent from last quarter and more than tripling year-over-year. However, the company's subscriber base is estimated to have fallen by four million users to 36 million.

Hall noted his expectations for average selling prices to be up 20 percent from last quarter to $217 (versus prior estimates of $225.6 and a consensus estimates of $220), driven by the new high-end Classic and Passport smartphone shipments.

Finally, the analyst noted that BlackBerry achieved cash-flow breakeven in the third quarter and he expects the company to continue to be cash flow positive going forward.

JP Morgan Expects BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ: BBRY) Revenue To 'Bottom' This Quarter, Adjusts Estimates | Benzinga

[sati01]

This is why I think that smartphones STILL are critical. Maybe Chen is failing to recognize this, maybe not. Why no ad campaigns though?
Posted via CB10

If It's true that BES12 didn't change the perception of CTOs and BlackBerry is still having problems selling their subscriptions, then hardware becomes important again.
The main feature that differentiates BES12 from their competitors is the ability to manage BlackBerry devices. BlackBerry can't approach their current customers saying: "with BES12 you can manage all your devices with an unified system, including your big fleet of BB7 phones, but we're out of the hardware business, so you will have to migrate to iOS and Android anyways.".

[Supa_Fly1]

Internet is filled with attacks on blackberry. This much attention for a company which supposedly dead 3 years ago? The company which has less than .5% market share?
Priceless.

Posted with BlackBerry Passport

Saved!

This by far is the most intelligent yet humble and proud response to anyone hating BlackBerry publicly, especially those stating "BlackBerry is dead"

My fear is BlackBerry will stop making handsets and their services revenue doesn't sky rocket or climb. Then at that point they may be dare I say it. Just a fear.

Posted via CB10

[MollyMorton]

I'm going to apologize in advance for the tone of this response.

I think you need to go back and research the company you've supposedly invested in. Back in the day, they made handsets that ran a homegrown OS that could be managed by a homegrown SERVER software that they called BlackBerry Enterprise SERVER. While the handsets brought in loads of money, they sold SOFTWARE LICENSES to attach handsets to that server. They even sold data SERVICES through the wireless telephone companies for which they received Service Access Fees. So yes, they sold software way back when.

Guess what? Times changed. Handsets don't bring in the money they used to. A new handset OS was created and a new version of the SERVER SOFTWARE was created to manage the new OS and other OS's in the new world order. That new server software is called BlackBerry Enterprise SERVICE.

Now, if I may quote Private Hudson from the movie Aliens, "Maybe you haven't been keeping up on current events but we just got our ***** kicked, pal!"

The handsets-first route obviously ain't working. So the company changed focus and started pushing the SERVER and related software to try to carry the handset business while opening up new opportunities for extending their SERVICES capabilities. You must not have heard about the QNX OS running the telematics and infotainment systems in over half the cars manufactured today. Or that they bought a company called SecuSmart and worked with Vodaphone Germany to bring encrypted VOIP services to market. They are also bringing to market the SecuTablet. BBM just enhanced their BBM Protected service offering. These are all software-based products.

I can go on, but hopefully now you're caught up on current events and you see that you're just a little wrong in your assessment that BlackBerry being a software company is "far fetched."

Again, sorry for the tone of this message, but hey, I worked in a quote from Aliens.

Posted via CB10

Sorry for the tone of this message to, but all this hardware revisionism is sheer nonsense. Anyone who is interested can go and look at BlackBerry's own annual reports, and see what they push to the fore, and what made the money. It's amazing how people have managed to convince themselves otherwise. Feel free to call me out on what I've said, and include evidence from an annual report during the days of BlackBerry strength.

There is a reason that everyone calls BlackBerry a smartphone maker. It's because BlackBerry - the BlackBerry we all fell in love with - was a smartphone maker. Or did folks join the Crackberry community because they find encryption really really sexy?

Posted via CB10

[kfh227]

Yeah, and only Apple.
There was a time when Nike could charge $100 for a nylon track suit.
There was a time when every girl flocked to their closest Lululemon to buy a $150 pair of track pants.
There was a time when everyone wanted a Sony discman for $200 that performed the same tasks as the $22 ones at Radio Shack.
Heck, people used to love the small feel of Radio Shack.

In the first and third case, the company's adapted. Moved on and kept their product offering diverse.
In the second and fourth, not so much (we know how it ended for RS)



Posted via CB10

With all due respect, Walkman actually had headph Jacks that lasted years.


Posted via CB10

[Corbu]

Lifting the Lid on Containerization | Inside BlackBerry for Business Blog

[plasmid_boy]

Sorry for the tone of this message to, but all this hardware revisionism is sheer nonsense. Anyone who is interested can go and look at BlackBerry's own annual reports, and see what they push to the fore, and what made the money. It's amazing how people have managed to convince themselves otherwise. Feel free to call me out on what I've said, and include evidence from an annual report during the days of BlackBerry strength.

There is a reason that everyone calls BlackBerry a smartphone maker. It's because BlackBerry - the BlackBerry we all fell in love with - was a smartphone maker. Or did folks join the Crackberry community because they find encryption really really sexy?

Posted via CB10

I think that it is nonsense to you because you are missing the sense being put forth. No one is arguing against the fact that devices had been the main source of revenue (even recently Chen mentioned something like 70%). What people are saying, I think, is that BB is no longer losing money on devices, so it can afford to keep on making them. There is large growth potential in the software and service side, so even if hardware stays where it is, the company can still grow. Now does that make more sense to you?

[jake simmons3]

Ok Everyone we are one day away from ER, lets put down are number

750 millions Rev and a EPS of (0.00) is what im thinking

[morganplus8]

Well, one of the nice things about ER day is that many of our speculations, guesses, and expert comments get their chance to face the light of day. I have been perplexed and frustrated by the device approach (releasing a great phone like the Passport that loads of people would definitely purchase if they knew it exists, and then not bothering to put a bit of money into advertising the thing properly), but have hoped that software gains would counterbalance this problem. Today we will see if the Passport sales approach was a good one (it wasn't), and we will see if King Software has really lead the way (hopefully it has). In the meantime, I'll continue carrying my Passport and counting the times people ask about it with excitement and declare that they had no idea BlackBerry 10 existed, but that they really want to check out the phone if they can find it anywhere.

Posted via CB10

Advertising for the Passport was nothing short of amazing! I don't think BlackBerry could have done a better job of getting this phone out there to the public. The media were all over it, celebrities were seen using the new device and the wave of international media promotion went on for many months. You still see the Passport getting plenty of online promotion today, something like twice that of the boring iPhone.

If BLackBerry had to pay for all of that media space and clicks it would have cost them a billion bucks far exceeding anything Apple would spend. The world knows about the Passport, the real problem is a lack of availability of the product, they need to get the product out there to the impulse buyers. I didn't need another phone, I bought it because I knew I would rock some people in meetings and it is the most complete business phone on the planet today. I can't tell you the number of times I have been communicating with wall huggers and they tell me they need help with something but only have 1% left on their phone. I charge my Passport twice a week and it is never shut off. I go out for the day with just 8% left on the battery and don't care, try that with an iPhone.

The media went crazy on the Passport, tons of reports, plenty of online voting, you don't sell products on TV any more, a large number of us record shows and watch Netflix, we don't see commercials any more. BlackBerry has been nothing but outstanding in their ability to take a unique product and let the media run with it. Clicks is where its at these days.

[Corbu]

BlackBerry PT Lowered to $9.70 at Nomura (BBRY) | sleekmoney

Nomura dropped their price objective on shares of BlackBerry (NASDAQ:BBRY) from $10.30 to $9.70 in a research note issued on Thursday. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. Nomura’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 4.53% from the stock’s previous close.

[Corbu]

BlackBerry Revenue in Focus as Fiscal 2015 Wraps Up ? Earnings Preview - Canada Real Time - WSJ

Canadian smartphone-maker BlackBerry Ltd. is expected to report quarterly results before the markets open on Friday. Here are a few things to watch:

EARNINGS FORECAST: Analysts are projecting a loss of 4 cents a share for the fiscal fourth quarter ended Feb. 28, according to a Thomson Reuters poll. That would be an improvement over the 8-cent-loss it posted a year earlier.

REVENUE FORECAST: Analysts expect quarterly revenue to fall 19% year-over-year to $794 million.

STOCK REACTION: BlackBerry shares are up about 44% since John Chen took the helm as chief executive in November 2013, a testament to his cost-cutting success. However, the shares have fallen around 15% since the start of 2015, reflecting some uncertainty about the company’s revenue prospects.

WHAT TO WATCH:

–REVENUE: Investors will be eyeing revenue again this quarter as a gauge of how CEO John Chen’s turnaround efforts are going. He has already called the quarter a “transition” period and doesn’t expect to reap the benefits of new products — like new security software and the Passport and Classic smartphones — until the summer. Of particular interest will be software sales. BlackBerry’s goal is to double revenue from software to $500 million in fiscal 2016, largely fueled by BES12, the new mobile-device-management software it launched in November to help win back traditional corporate customers.

–DEVICE SALES: BlackBerry launched its Classic smartphone — a throwback to its traditional qwerty keyboard design — in December, but the rollout has been slower than some analysts expected. That means the device had a limited impact on fourth-quarter sales, but analyst are still positive about a successful outcome for the device. Scotia is forecasting stronger fiscal first-quarter revenue after a full quarter of Classic sales. BlackBerry needs to sell 10 million phones a year to make a profit from the device business. In the third quarter, it recognized hardware revenue on about 2 million devices, for a nine-month total of 5.7 million. That would mean the company needs to recognize revenue on 4.3 million devices in its final quarter of fiscal 2015 to turn a profit in that business.

–OUTLOOK: The company surprised investors last quarter with news it had turned cash-flow positive, about one quarter ahead of schedule, and said it continues to expect break-even or better cash flow from operations going forward. BlackBerry also surprised with an operating profit in the third quarter. It is guiding for sustained operating profitability sometime in fiscal 2016, now underway.

–BBM TARGET: BlackBerry is targeting revenue of $100 million in fiscal 2016 from its BBM messaging service, which at the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2015 had a subscriber base of more than 90 million monthly active users. Investors will be watching to see if the company maintains its BBM revenue target.

[Im Mo Green]

Sorry for the tone of this message to, but all this hardware revisionism is sheer nonsense. Anyone who is interested can go and look at BlackBerry's own annual reports, and see what they push to the fore, and what made the money. It's amazing how people have managed to convince themselves otherwise. Feel free to call me out on what I've said, and include evidence from an annual report during the days of BlackBerry strength.

There is a reason that everyone calls BlackBerry a smartphone maker. It's because BlackBerry - the BlackBerry we all fell in love with - was a smartphone maker. Or did folks join the Crackberry community because they find encryption really really sexy?

Posted via CB10

Molly "BBUK14" Morton how are you buddy? I knew for some time now this was you. Please for nostalgia stake, bring back the batman/robin BBM "underground" marketing avatar. Your best work by far!!!

[sidhuk]

Molly "BBUK14" Morton how are you buddy? I knew for some time now this was you. Please for nostalgia stake, bring back the batman/robin BBM "underground" marketing avatar. Your best work by far!!!

Hahahahaha.
I don't think that's BBUK bro. Let's vote.

Posted with BlackBerry Passport

[Shanerredflag]

Classically Posted.

[bungaboy]

Molly "BBUK14" Morton how are you buddy? I knew for some time now this was you. Please for nostalgia stake, bring back the batman/robin BBM "underground" marketing avatar. Your best work by far!!!

I think there are several other aliases.

[BACK-2-BLACK]

just want to throw this in there...



Wyckoff effect ...(since 1937)

"When he wishes to accumulate a Compnay , he raids the market for that stock, makes it look very for a week or two, and gives it the appearance of heavy liquidation by sending in selling orders through a great number of brokers. He has had to accumulate a fair numbers of shares at the start of this process through small orders to buy, then start selling through various brokers ...scare the life out of the people who hold the stock of a up and comming company.... then, collect the stock off of weak hands. Simple, yet so effective. Scare the weak hands, for longer term profit"

Source: Wyckoff (1937)

[bungaboy]

Hahahahaha.
I don't think that's BBUK bro. Let's vote.

Posted with BlackBerry Passport

Sorry, you lose! LoL

[Shanerredflag]

just want to throw this in there...



Wyckoff effect ...(since 1937)

"When he wishes to accumulate a Compnay , he raids the market for that stock, makes it look very for a week or two, and gives it the appearance of heavy liquidation by sending in selling orders through a great number of brokers. He has had to accumulate a fair numbers of shares at the start of this process through small orders to buy, then start selling through various brokers ...scare the life out of the people who hold the stock of a up and comming company.... then, collect the stock off of weak hands. Simple, yet so effective. Scare the weak hands, for longer term profit"

Source: Wyckoff (1937)

Exactly right...works for "short" term positions too.

Classically Posted.