[Variante Alta]

In some form or other, BB10 survives ... too many ultra security conscience customers need them - a Catch 22 for JC to sort out ...

Posted via CB10

[masterful]

Just a thought. Rumors out there that the Vienna is a midrange device like the leap. I don't think it's wise to show off it so maybe they will pop it out like Ron did last time with the PRIV for like 5 second.

Posted via my PRIV

[Corbu]

A washing machine that does darks and lights simultaneously? BlackBerry's QNX can do that - Cantech Letter

[TGIS]

Just a thought. Rumors out there that the Vienna is a midrange device like the leap. I don't think it's wise to show off it so maybe they will pop it out like Ron did last time with the PRIV for like 5 second.

Posted via my PRIV

That makes a lot of sense. The Vienna (still) is in the early rumor stage, so for it to come out a long time after MWC would be a good idea, plus one word: anticipation.

 Priv... cue the comeback!

[_dimi_]

BlackBerry bought a new company! Can't post the link unfortunately... Where's Corbu when you need 'em? :-)

Posted via CB10

[bbjdog]

Reading material

http://blogs.blackberry.com/2016/02/...ices-practice/

Waterloo, Ontario � February 24 � BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB), a global leader in secure mobile communications, today announced the launch of its new Professional Cybersecurity Services practice that will further expand BlackBerry�s security portfolio by offering organizations new consulting services, tools and best practices to assess and thwart ever-changing cybersecurity risks.

Cybersecurity is a persistent and increasing business risk for organizations that depend on mobile endpoints that connect through networked and cloud-enabled platforms. It is estimated that data breaches currently cost the global economy more than $400 billion every year.[1] Some industry sectors, such as automotive, are being forced to grapple with cybersecurity threats for the first time as cars become more connected, intelligent and self-sufficient. As cybersecurity threats become more pervasive with increasing Internet connectivity, there is a greater demand for more robust defensive tactics to combat these risks. BlackBerry�s Professional Cybersecurity Practice is intended to address that market demand.

Cybersecurity consulting is currently estimated to be a $16.5 billion annual global business that is forecast to grow to $23 billion per annum by 2019[2]. As such, cybersecurity consulting represents a natural market opportunity for BlackBerry since it already securely manages hundreds of millions of mobile endpoints and provides critical systems software for more than 60 million connected cars.

BlackBerry�s new cybersecurity consulting services and tools, combined with BlackBerry�s existing security solutions will help customers identify the latest cybersecurity threats, develop risk appropriate mitigation strategies, implement and maintain IT security standards and techniques and defend against the risk of future attacks. BlackBerry�s new global Professional Cybersecurity Services practice will address:

�****** Strategic Security: best practices in IT operation ranging across enterprise mobility management and cloud services.

�****** Technical Security: technical assistance for infrastructure and product development lifecycle.

�****** Automotive and IoT Security: security consulting services as the rapid commercialization of IoT solutions makes security and privacy a top priority. *

�****** Detection, Testing and Analysis: threat detection and mitigation penetration testing, vulnerability assessment and incident response analysis. This includes forensic services, business security status via IT health checks, training, regulatory compliance and security breach management through incident response.

As part of the new Professional Cybersecurity Services practice � and aligned with BlackBerry�s core emphasis on securing mobile communications across all platforms � BlackBerry acquired UK-based Encription Limited, which brings years of cybersecurity consulting experience to the organization. The acquisition of Encription was completed on February 19, 2016. Specific terms of the deal are not being disclosed.*

Encription�s specialties range from deep technical skills in software security to hardware capabilities. This includes industry-leading assessments in penetration testing, mimicking the techniques of malicious hackers to ensure organizations are aware of cyber risks posed by criminal hackers and how to address them. Additionally, Encription has been entrusted by one of the UK government�s highest security standards with the CESG CHECK IT and ISO/IEC 27001 certifications. This adds another significant security certification to BlackBerry�s portfolio in order to meet the stringent standards and requirements for countries the company serves.

�BlackBerry is the gold standard when it comes to security and we�re always evolving to maintain this high standard as the complexity of enterprise mobility and security increases,� said John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO, BlackBerry. �We recognize that security vulnerabilities are a top risk concern for public and private sector organizations alike. The creation of our Professional Cybersecurity Services practice and acquisition of Encription reinforces our commitment to providing customers the industry�s most secure mobility solutions and helping them to assess and mitigate risks.�*

BlackBerry has provided the world�s most secure mobility solutions for more than two decades, and has earned more than 70 government certifications and approvals - greater than any other mobile vendor. BlackBerry is also the trusted mobility partner of all G7 governments, 16 of the G20 governments, 10 out of 10 of the largest global banks and law firms, and the top five largest managed healthcare, investment services, and oil and gas companies.

Posted via my BlackBerry Passport

[_dimi_]

BlackBerry bought a new company! Can't post the link unfortunately... Where's Corbu when you need 'em? :-)

Edit

http://stks.co/vHGR

Posted via CB10

Posted via CB10

[kadakn01]

http://m.marketwired.com/press-release/-2099664.htm

BlackBerry to Offer Secure Enterprise Solutions and Services via Microsoft's Azure Cloud Platform

BARCELONA, SPAIN and WATERLOO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Feb. 24, 2016) - BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSX:BB), a global leader in secure mobile communications, today announced Microsoft customers now have access to BlackBerry's secure enterprise mobility solutions in the open, flexible, enterprise-grade cloud computing platform Microsoft Azure.

Enterprises can opt to install and manage their BES12 deployment through the Azure platform. This means customers have full access to their BES12 licenses while benefiting from the Microsoft cloud architecture - without having to invest in their own IT infrastructure. BlackBerry and Microsoft complement their best-in-class security capabilities in this combined offering. BES12 is designed with the compliance needs of the most strictly regulated industries in mind, while Azure places an emphasis on the customer's security and control over their own data. BES12 is part of the recently announced Good Secure EMM Suites and BlackBerry will continue to introduce other products in the Good Suites to Azure.

In the coming months, BlackBerry and Microsoft will also add the network crisis communication solution from AtHoc into the Microsoft Azure Marketplace. AtHoc enables people, devices and organizations to exchange critical information in real time during business continuity and life safety operations. The integration into the Azure Marketplace will further extend the AtHoc software platform globally, enabling crisis communications networks in the cloud for customers and helping them to address their local privacy concerns and regulations.

"By 2017, approximately 75% of EMM solutions will be deployed in the cloud, with on-premise solutions mostly reserved for legacy installations. Further, high capability EMM installations beyond simple mobile device management will represent 50% of deployments, up from 25% in 2014. This reflects the ease of enabling higher end capabilities like file management, app stores, single sign on and data security when provisioned by cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) systems," according to Jack Gold from analyst firm J. Gold Associates LLC.

"Working with Microsoft enables BlackBerry to provide our industry-leading enterprise software solutions to a larger business audience," said Marty Beard, COO at BlackBerry. "By utilizing BlackBerry's enterprise solutions through the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, customers have greater choice, more flexibility and the ability to reduce IT costs - backed by the gold standard in security, privacy and productivity."

"We are excited to have customers advance their business while protecting IP and customer data with BlackBerry�s multi-OS EMM platform BES12 on the Microsoft Azure platform," said Steve Guggenheimer, Corporate Vice President, Developer Experience & Evangelism and Chief Evangelist, Microsoft Corp.

BlackBerry and Microsoft will continue to collaborate to bring more integrated solutions for customers. Many organizations that run BlackBerry�s secure enterprise solutions also deploy Microsoft solutions. Those customers will start to see additional synergies as they mobilize BlackBerry solutions through the Microsoft Azure platform.

Posted via CB10

[Superfly_FR]

BlackBerry has announced the company will offer secure enterprise mobility solutions via Microsoft Azure, enabling customers of the cloud platform to take full advantage of the cloud while enjoying full access to BlackBerry's BE12 deployment. The two secure platforms fused together will pave the way for future BlackBerry tech to be incorporated into Azure.
It teased that AtHoc will also come to Azure in the coming months, which will add the network crisis communication solution to Microsoft's cloud service. It's a positive move for both companies with enterprise relying on not only BlackBerry products, but also Microsoft systems too. Mobilizing BlackBerry solutions through Microsoft Azure will unlock additional synergies for companies in the future.

http://crackberry.com/blackberry-wil...s-and-services


And here we go, 18+ months back ...
Chen's "WP is basically unsecure" dart seems forgotten and they are in bed together again. I still believe these two companies would be in a better shape if they'd been able to share synergies by then ...

Time to rewind history and remember how much I called for a MS/BB team ...
Buyout rumor, anyone ?

[TGIS]

No thanks

 Priv... cue the comeback!

[Superfly_FR]

re: multiple questions about MWC and what to expect.
As stated by Bla1ze in the blog, this is what you can reasonably expect.

Attachment 392353

[BanffMoose]

No thanks

 Priv... cue the comeback!

Ditto

Posted via CB10

[Superfly_FR]

No thanks

Of course, I'm not in favor of a buyout still, a strong partnership (can it be stronger than this ? devices ?) and even a joint-venture would perfectly fit my hopes.

[masterful]

I guess we have to wait for tomorrow for more excited announcements.

Posted via my PRIV

[Jahcure]

OT: Encana with a surprise beat of 0.13 vs 0.00 estimate

Posted via CB10

[Corbu]

BlackBerry COO Marty Beard talks cross-platform strategy, IoT and more with Mobile World Daily | CrackBerry.com

[Corbu]

BlackBerry bought a new company! Can't post the link unfortunately... Where's Corbu when you need 'em? :-)

Edit

BlackBerry buys cybersecurity consultancy; moves deeper into services - The Globe and Mail

Thanks _dimi_!

For the record, your G&M piece:

BlackBerry buys cybersecurity consultancy; moves deeper into services

BlackBerry said on Wednesday that it has acquired U.K.-based cybersecurity consultancy Encription, moving the company deeper into the services business as it continues to morph into a more software-focused entity amid its ongoing turnaround.

The smartphone industry pioneer, which is pivoting to focus more on security software and services as the popularity of its devices have waned, said it sees massive potential in the area, with cybersecurity consulting currently worth an estimated $16.5-billion a year globally.

The terms of the Encription deal, which closed Friday, were not disclosed.

The acquisition will bring a team of about 40 cybersecurity professionals, who have helped test network vulnerabilities for both government agencies and large corporate entities, into the BlackBerry fold.

“This is a natural extension of what we do right now,” said James Mackey, BlackBerry’s head of corporate development. “We’re very excited about this new offering and we think it is highly complementary and a nice addition to our security portfolio.”

The acquisition will give BlackBerry the opportunity to also cross-sell some of its own security products, said Mackey.

BlackBerry said the new consulting services and tools, along with its existing security offerings, will help its clients to identify the latest cybersecurity threats, develop mitigation strategies, and implement the necessary IT security standards to defend against cyberattacks.

The acquisition of Encription is the latest in a string of software and services focused acquisitions made by BlackBerry in the last year.

In September, the company agreed to acquire rival security software maker Good Technology for $425-million. That deal came soon after its acquisition of privately-held AtHoc, a provider of secure, networked crisis communications.

BlackBerry is attempting to boost revenue from software and services to offset the revenue declines from its smartphone unit and legacy system access fees.

[Corbu]

QNX OS for Safety Named Best Software Product at Embedded World | Inside BlackBerry for Business Blog

bungaboy, Superfly_FR, morganplus8 and 7 others like this.

[Corbu]

OT:
Nissan Leaf electric cars hack vulnerability disclosed - BBC News

[Corbu]

As BlackBerry reiterates its position:
BlackBerry reiterates stance on encryption: lawful compliance and no backdoors | CrackBerry.com

Another background story on Apple and its "evolution"...
Apple?s Evolution Into a Privacy Hard-Liner - WSJ

In 2010, Apple Inc.'s then-chief executive, Steve Jobs, expressed concern that the company's smartphones could erode users' privacy, imagining a scenario in which a stalker tracked a teenager by tapping iPhone location data.

With other companies hungry to gobble up user data, it was Apple's responsibility to create privacy controls, Mr. Jobs said, or "something terrible is going to happen because of our phone."

Today, police and prosecutors are making the same claim, but they blame the privacy protections Apple subsequently built into its products. In a closely watched showdown with the company, federal prosecutors want Apple to help unlock an iPhone used by one of the gunman in the deadly terrorist attack in San Bernardino, Calif., arguing that the phone might contain information about other terror plots.

The standoff highlights how Apple's stance on privacy has evolved over the past five years, from protecting consumers from commercial surveillance to fiercely resisting government efforts to harvest data from its phones.

Unlocking the phone of gunman Syed Rizwan Farook would set a "dangerous precedent that would threaten everyone's civil liberties," Apple's current chief executive, Tim Cook, wrote in an email to Apple employees on Monday.

In the iPhone's early days, Mr. Jobs told employees that the company, in effect, had a handshake agreement with customers: In exchange for buying the device, Apple would mess with their lives as little as possible, one former employee said. Generally speaking, this person said, that meant staying away from users' data and respecting their privacy.

Taking a pro-privacy stance was easier for Apple than for many other Silicon Valley companies because it didn't have a large advertising business that sold targeted ads based on a device user's data.

Around 2010, Apple started investigating how to safeguard its customers' data so that it was completely inaccessible to the company, people familiar with the matter said. There was some resistance to the idea, because it might inconvenience users if, for example, they forgot a password and Apple couldn't retrieve the data.What's more, there was little evidence at the time that the public cared about privacy.

The secrets leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden in 2013 changed the internal debate. Mr. Snowden exposed U.S. government data-collection programs, and the degree to which technology companies, including Apple, had been cooperating.

"After the Snowden revelations, the public reaction was compelling. This gave us evidence that people wanted privacy protections, despite the impact on user experience," said Window Snyder, who left Apple last year as its senior product manager of security and privacy. She is now the chief security officer at Fastly, a content-delivery network.

As customers questioned Apple about its involvement in the surveillance programs, Apple's senior executive started to embrace the idea of encrypting more data and making it harder for the company to access it.

Ms. Snyder said she promoted the idea because Apple could be compelled to turn over data it held. As a global company, she added, it needed to consider the implications everywhere it operated.

An Apple spokeswoman said the company has long recognized the value of privacy and security, and said its current position wasn't prompted by any single event.

In 2013, Apple introduced phones with Touch ID fingerprint readers, making it simpler for people to lock their phones. Until then, many users didn't use passcodes because it was a hassle to punch one in each time they wanted to use the phone.

A year later, Apple introduced a new version of its iPhone software, iOS 8, that encrypted a user's photos, messages, email, contacts, call history, iTunes purchases and other data, and which was protected with the phone's passcode. In previous versions of iOS, only some of that data was encrypted.

The new safeguards meant Apple could no longer extract data from a locked phone for law-enforcement agencies, as it had done in the past. Apple also became more vocal about the limits of its cooperation with authorities.

On its website at the time, Apple said it wasn't "technically feasible" for it to comply with a warrant seeking information protected by a passcode on a device using iOS 8. It also said that because it encrypts iMessage texts between Apple users that it "wouldn't be able to comply with a wiretap order even if it wanted to."

That raised the ire of law-enforcement officials. Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey criticized the new features, saying they could make the U.S. "no longer a country governed by the rule of law," and allow criminals to "go dark," out of sight from law enforcement.

Apple said it had gone to great lengths to cooperate with federal authorities in the San Bernardino case and works with investigators when presented with a valid search warrant.

Still, it wasn't long before prosecutors around the country started requesting that Apple find ways around the locked phones. In October 2015, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said his office had 101 iPhones it couldn't access. Last week, Mr. Vance said that number had grown to 175 phones.

Federal prosecutors are pursuing court orders to make Apple help investigators extract data from iPhones in about a dozen cases around the country, according to a court document unsealed Tuesday.

Since October, Apple has objected to law-enforcement requests to extract data from phones running earlier versions of iOS--requests with which Apple previously complied. Apple said it acted after a judge in New York questioned the use of an 18th-century law called the All Writs Act to compel the company to help unlock phones, and is waiting for the judge to rule in that case.

[INTz]

Say it ain't so lewis.....

http://www.engadget.com/2016/02/24/l...la-1-mwc-2016/

Posted via CB10

[morganplus8]

Just a quick message to thank you guys for keeping up with the news on BlackBerry this week. I think they are doing a stellar job in software and security, this explains why the stock trades positive on the afternoon while the general market cratered. CJ was right, the stock is showing some positive TA against a weak background.

As for BlackBerry talking up new phones, I think they aren't close enough to talk about anything at this point and I wouldn't read anything more into it than that. The market wants them to drop handsets and become a pure play, they would gain $ .60/shr in EPS if they did that so the dropping of handsets is a major positive for the stock. I don't want them to give up on another potentially highly leveraged product. As software and security grow and take the limelight, handsets will go unnoticed and not matter in the scheme of things.

Thanks again for the timely updates team!

[Corbu]

lech31, rarsen, morganplus8 and 8 others like this.

[Corbu]

Encription's website:
Encription | Penetration Testing | Information & Network Security | Cyber Security

Encription has 40 employees and is based in Birmingham, U.K. The company has large enterprise and government customers, but works under non-disclosure agreements. BlackBerry has 15 employees today who focus on security services internally, but it's immaterial to the company's financial results.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/blackbe...services-unit/

[Elephant_Canyon]

Dear Kara,

Clean your d*** lens.

Yours,
E_C

3MIKE likes this.