[_dimi_]

btw, I might seem overly negative in my last message. I'm sure JC knows what Cylance's exposure to Dell is , so that's comforting to know... because we all know that JC is "cheap" ? :-)

[morganplus8]

Hi Morgan,

What are the chances of JC renegotiating the acquisition price? As I understand it, the loss of a major customer is a very good reason to reassess the valuation of a company that you're purchasing? And since the deal hasn't yet closed, it would almost be a lost opportunity if they wouldn't try it? Seems only fair to me.

Thanks!

I guess we'll never know! Chen made the offer pending a look a the books, not certain if that customer (Dell) was in talks prior to the offer and he knew about the exit plan. Who knows, that's why both sides need to vet each other and ensure the business model carries far more weight to it then just one account. We'll know soon enough whether Chen did his homework. On the surface it looks expensive on a revenues basis but there is so much more to it than that. There could be potentially huge deals in the wings here to offset that news. I have no idea how they will deal with the fall out.

[rarsen]

For when individual Carriers decide to activate Wi-Fi Calling on KEY2 phones, ROGERS planned for February 19 while BELL and TELUS ??:

How to get Wi-Fi Calling on BlackBerry KEY2
https://gstylemag.com/2018/07/14/how...ackberry-key2/

[EchoTango]

Hi Morgan,

What are the chances of JC renegotiating the acquisition price? As I understand it, the loss of a major customer is a very good reason to reassess the valuation of a company that you're purchasing? And since the deal hasn't yet closed, it would almost be a lost opportunity if they wouldn't try it? Seems only fair to me.

Thanks!

Anything is possible but it would be in very bad form to change the deal sheet terms during the quiet period. The only way this occurs is when the diligence process reveals a material deviance from what the management had earlier presented to the purchaser. This is exactly what happend with Good Technologies when Blackberry swooped in after the original purchaser walked away in the middle of the quiet period.

If the diligence ultimately confirms what the management had indicated then the deal must go through. Anything that happens during or subsequent to the offer is at the risk of the purchaser.

[_dimi_]

Anything is possible but it would be in very bad form to change the deal sheet terms during the quiet period. The only way this occurs is when the diligence process reveals a material deviance from what the management had earlier presented to the purchaser. This is exactly what happend with Good Technologies when Blackberry swooped in after the original purchaser walked away in the middle of the quiet period.

If the diligence ultimately confirms what the management had indicated then the deal must go through. Anything that happens during or subsequent to the offer is at the risk of the purchaser.

Thanks for the info !

[W Hoa]

On Dell-Cylance-CrowdStrike question. I would suggest that Chen was fully aware of Dell's move (or ptential move) to CrowdStrike from Cylance. Considering that:

Dell Technologies holds a majority stake in Secureworks.....

Secureworks had already inked a go-to-market alliance with CrowdStrike, all but sealing the deal to bring it into the trifecta.

And in a 'not the best case' scenario:

While Dell will continue to offer and support the Cylance endpoint protection software, the company will no longer promote it.

“It’s still available but we’re not pushing it,” said Brett Hansen, Dell’s VP of client software and general manager for data security.

https://www.channelfutures.com/busin...ke-secureworks

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

On Dell-Cylance-CrowdStrike question. I would suggest that Chen was fully aware of Dell's move (or ptential move) to CrowdStrike from Cylance. Considering that:

Dell Technologies holds a majority stake in Secureworks.....

Secureworks had already inked a go-to-market alliance with CrowdStrike, all but sealing the deal to bring it into the trifecta.

And in a 'not the best case' scenario:

While Dell will continue to offer and support the Cylance endpoint protection software, the company will no longer promote it.

“It’s still available but we’re not pushing it,” said Brett Hansen, Dell’s VP of client software and general manager for data security.

https://www.channelfutures.com/busin...ke-secureworks

Dell was also an early funding source for Cylance... The question is did the move to Secureworks have more to do with the product or their investment strategies.

My guess is Chen isn't after Cylance revenues "today", the loss of Dell won't affect his plans... expect Cylance and anyone at BlackBerry watching Cylance new Dell had been doing this for a while now.

[bbjdog]

Dell was also an early funding source for Cylance... The question is did the move to Secureworks have more to do with the product or their investment strategies.

My guess is Chen isn't after Cylance revenues "today", the loss of Dell won't affect his plans... expect Cylance and anyone at BlackBerry watching Cylance new Dell had been doing this for a while now.

For **** sakes this is good reading material mate. Thank you!!!!

[smithm565]

Good interview with Charles Eagan, BlackBerry CTO. Some details on future plans for Cylance also mentioned.

https://www.networksasia.net/article...379?nopaging=1

"At BlackBerry, we are investing in AI to not only help our customers to stop attacks and breaches, but to anticipate and prevent them. Soon, we will close the acquisition of Cylance, an artificial intelligence and cybersecurity leader which will widen our capabilities in end-point management, security and threat detection and prevention."

Posted via CB10

[smithm565]

https://www.therecord.com/opinion-st...driver-s-seat/

Posted via CB10

[W Hoa]

Good interview with Charles Eagan, BlackBerry CTO. Some details on future plans for Cylance also mentioned.

"Cylance...is relatively light, requiring a minimal amount of memory and power to function, potentially making it useful for both regular computers as well as small connected devices.

We look forward to sharing more about this when the acquisition closes."

I'm looking forward to it as well.

[EchoTango]

Good interview with Charles Eagan, BlackBerry CTO. Some details on future plans for Cylance also mentioned.

https://www.networksasia.net/article...379?nopaging=1

"At BlackBerry, we are investing in AI to not only help our customers to stop attacks and breaches, but to anticipate and prevent them. Soon, we will close the acquisition of Cylance, an artificial intelligence and cybersecurity leader which will widen our capabilities in end-point management, security and threat detection and prevention."

Posted via CB10

While I think anything within reason Blackberry does to add to it's non-device centric portfolio is positive, I can't shake the impression this is in part a "me to" move. AI is the sexy darling of the tech world right now and everyone is using the term for just about everything. The fact is AI, as the term is used today, has been around for many years in the form of algorithms, fuzzy logic, predictive programming and many other labels. Today we just have the computing power the cheaply process millions of scenarios and the programming to perform the aggregation. No magic here just cheap hardware.

Cylance may be more smoke and mirrors than practical applications but I/we have to trust that the Blackberry acquisition team has the smarts to determine the relative value of the included assets.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

While I think anything within reason Blackberry does to add to it's non-device centric portfolio is positive, I can't shake the impression this is in part a "me to" move. AI is the sexy darling of the tech world right now and everyone is using the term for just about everything. The fact is AI, as the term is used today, has been around for many years in the form of algorithms, fuzzy logic, predictive programming and many other labels. Today we just have the computing power the cheaply process millions of scenarios and the programming to perform the aggregation. No magic here just cheap hardware.

Cylance may be more smoke and mirrors than practical applications but I/we have to trust that the Blackberry acquisition team has the smarts to determine the relative value of the included assets.

If you don't "me too" then you get left behind....

Cylance does work and is a practical application.... it value as a stand alone product or as part of a suite of products, that's it up to BlackBerry to determine - which is why they choose to buy Cylance.

I think it's a GREAT move... just more about the future direction of the company than instant boost to company valuation.

[EchoTango]

If you don't "me too" then you get left behind....

Yes, but I said "me to" and not "me too" which is something completely different......

[Corbu]

Meanwhile, we are having a rough day...

[Corbu]

morganplus8, FeitaInc, elfabio80 and 2 others like this.

[Corbu]

BlackBerry
Published on Feb 19, 2019
CTS is saving their drivers and dispatchers time with BlackBerry Radar. Hear from the President of CTS as he explains how BlackBerry Radar has made a different in his trucking business. Learn more at www.blackberry.com/radar.

[Corbu]

OT:
Samsung reveals Galaxy Fold and S10 5G

"... machine learning built into the camera... but guess what... the latest is shoe mode!"

I rest my case.

As for the Fold...
"Samsung said the Galaxy Fold would open up to create a 7.3in (18.5cm) tablet-like display and would be able to run up to three apps at once."

Oh, what could have been...

[smithm565]

Update on BB v FB/SNAP. On 2/14/19, all 3 parties filed a "Joint Claim Construction and Prehearing Statement".

They essentially agreed to 5 construction terms between all 3, one additional with FB only and one additional with SNAP only.

They also list 10 disputed terms, that they don't agree on a common definition. It doesn't appear BlackBerry was comfortable with just this 10, but the court asked for top 10.

FB then asks for 3 more terms be added, beyond the 10, with their construction definition which they claim would would assist in proving "non-infringement". SNAP asked for two more to prove their "non-infringement".

They expect 90 minutes each to present at the claim hearing in April and none expect to call witnesses,but reserve the right to do so.

In summary, depending on what the judge will allow in the construction hearing will be key. Looks like infringement could be determined by how these term definitions are interpreted.

Posted via CB10

[smithm565]

Facebook Challenges Blackberry Message Notification Patent

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law...ication-patent

"Facebook Inc. wants the Patent and Trademark Office to kill a Blackberry Inc. patent for a process behind silencing incoming messages on mobile devices."

Posted via CB10

[Bacon Munchers]

Facebook Challenges Blackberry Message Notification Patent

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law...ication-patent

"Facebook Inc. wants the Patent and Trademark Office to kill a Blackberry Inc. patent for a process behind silencing incoming messages on mobile devices."
Posted via CB10

Lol. Facebook can 'want' all they want, but there seems to be a disconnect with reality here.

What do they think a Patent is for, anyway?

BTW - I called my Internet provider today and asked that they 'kill' any amounts owing, as I believe that Internet should be free for everyone.
I will report back here with their answer....

[Corbu]

Owning BlackBerry stock is a big gamble, this analyst

“I think it’s still a work in progress,” says Hodson, founder and head of research at 5i Research, to BNN Bloomberg Wednesday. “I think it’s a three to five-year window of time before you can give it a scorecard on whether this move has been the right one or not. But so far so good.”

“It’s a decent little company but it wouldn’t be our favourite tech stock because we would rather have a company that doesn’t have to reinvent themselves,” he says. “We’d rather a company that just continues to do what they did before and do it well.”

[...]

“They’ve done the right thing by shifting the company’s focus to encryption and the auto market,” says Hodson. “They still have the cash, sales are going down but margins are going up.”

[_dimi_]

the Cylance deal is official.

[Corbu]

La Emperor, W Hoa, FeitaInc and 2 others like this.

[Corbu]

BlackBerry and Cylance Synergy Yields Trust for Enterprises

Earlier today, BlackBerry announced the completion of its acquisition of Cylance. The combination of a secure communications powerhouse with a native artificial intelligence (AI) security pioneer represents a synergistic union that will have a tremendous impact on how we navigate and secure the increasingly interconnected world.

Divergent Paths, One Destination

For more than three decades, BlackBerry has earned a reputation for being the trusted provider of secure communications products and services, making it an undisputed leader in security solutions for mobile and distributed workforces. The BlackBerry brand has since become synonymous with the notion of trust, enabling the rapid adoption of cutting-edge technologies ranging from autonomous vehicles to the embedded smart devices that increasingly drive efficiency in our daily lives. In fact, BlackBerry is now the de facto platform for secure communications for the G7 and all of the Fortune 100.

The company finds its counterpoint in Cylance, a six-year-old upstart that has defined the effective application of advanced mathematical algorithms using AI to revolutionize the endpoint protection and response market. Prior to Cylance, the sages of security had all but abandoned the notion that attackers could be neutralized before they caused harm, and the industry collectively acquiesced to the post-breach defense approach, virtually assuring the recurring cycle of compromise to critical systems we see today. Cylance upended that paradigm, restoring confidence that a prevention-first security posture is not only possible but imperative.

Industry Synergy Snapshot: Healthcare

In their own ways, both BlackBerry and Cylance are mission-driven organizations fueled by a passion to protect people and their data wherever they reside. Their respective commitments in the healthcare industry are just one of the many examples that illustrate the enormous opportunities the combined organization can create.

Let’s start with BlackBerry and the fight against melanoma. Treating melanoma costs healthcare organizations in Australia approximately $201 million every year, and the disease is impacting thousands of lives and millions of families. Melanoma rates have increased in other parts of the world, too: The U.K., Sweden, and Norway have all seen annual increases at about 3%, and the percentage of melanoma cases in the U.S. has more than doubled in the past 30 years.

To combat this trend, BlackBerry partnered with the Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA), a leading organization that pioneers the prevention and cure of melanoma through world-class research, treatment, and education programs. MIA required a solution that would let researchers around the world securely access and share data in real-time, while complying with Australian, European and Canadian privacy regulations. The secure collaboration platform BlackBerry Workspaces played a critical role in the process by allowing clinicians, researchers, and other stakeholders to share data securely, collaborate on timely clinical data, reduce the risk of data leakage, and accelerate research efforts. Ernie White of MIA noted, “As we continue to expand our research network, [we are] accelerating how our researchers can freely collaborate in a very regulated environment while maintaining data integrity.”

Cylance’s work on the front lines manifested a little differently. When the WannaCry ransomware attack hit in 2017, it was one of the largest reported cyber attacks in history. Among thousands of other victims and hundreds of thousands of infected endpoints, some 40 hospitals in the U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS) were torpedoed by the ransomware, forcing critical medical procedures to be delayed and potentially endangering human lives.

The Cylance over-the-horizon prevention capability against known and unknown threats offered a predictive advantage to customers like Phoenix Children’s Hospital (PCH) and Tufts Medical Center, because it proactively prevented all known samples of the ransomware. In fact, the entire network of Cylance customers had been continuously protected from WannaCry by sophisticated, native AI models created nearly two years prior in November 2015, long before the threat manifested as a successful attack. As a result, Cylance was able to deliver a safe systems environment for patients to receive high-quality care without interruption by ensuring that all medical devices were protected at all times. Daniel Shuler at PHC remarked, “We rest a little easier knowing this level of protection is on our endpoints.”

A Bright Future

The union of BlackBerry and Cylance creates the foundation for the world’s largest AI security company. Their common mission, to protect people and their data wherever they reside, has never been more critical. As the world faces a crisis of trust in the midst of the digital revolution, BlackBerry – with the addition of Cylance – is uniquely positioned to cultivate trust by offering the next-generation technologies that not only help save lives but also work to improve them.

BlackBerry is dedicated to continuing to foster and protect the trust that our customers have rightfully come to expect. After all, trust is at the heart of the BlackBerry and Cylance synergy, and it is the touchstone that drives our mission forward.