[danielstefan35]

My employer has the same rule and is using IBM Maas as well.
Perhaps is an IBM requirement.
So I have to expect a similar message.

[tubularbell]

Ultimately, since your employer operates in highly regulated industry, that’s what your employer prefers anyway. It’s a trend I expect to grow.

Au contraire, my friend... ;-)
The bank is not making an official offering on company devices. Isn't that remarkable?

[jdcbomb]

Just to clarify, it's not just "regulated" industries that are requiring Android 9.0 starting next year. I'm talking about "unregulated" tech companies large and small that utilize generic MDM software with IT teams that administer. My company is considered quite large (50,000+ users) and they appear to follow a every 2 year update on minimum Android requirements. Clearly, from the responses here I'm not the only one. I was about to purchase a Key2 but now it would be waste.

[Jonneh]

That's a shame. I, too, haven't heard of such a strict policy for "recent-only" devices.
I guess Nexus/Pixel devices would be the best bets in this situation, from the Android side, considering their straight and clear update path from Google.

Really a shame BB/TLC/whomever abandoned their device updates.

[Chuck Finley69]

Just to clarify, it's not just "regulated" industries that are requiring Android 9.0 starting next year. I'm talking about "unregulated" tech companies large and small that utilize generic MDM software with IT teams that administer. My company is considered quite large (50,000+ users) and they appear to follow a every 2 year update on minimum Android requirements. Clearly, from the responses here I'm not the only one. I was about to purchase a Key2 but now it would be waste.

That's a shame. I, too, haven't heard of such a strict policy for "recent-only" devices.
I guess Nexus/Pixel devices would be the best bets in this situation, from the Android side, considering their straight and clear update path from Google.

Really a shame BB/TLC/whomever abandoned their device updates.

What do you expect from BBMo/TCL if all this is really happening? Should they just throw good money after bad? This can and will just shake out more smaller niche OEMs if these requirements become the norm.

[joshualebowitz]

It seems, according to draculito, that government agencies, not identified, are pushing this first. There’s also mention of larger corporations that are heavily regulated from a consumer perspective that are beginning to go or will be in the near future to corporate assigned devices or limited higher BYOD standards.

I stole this from someone else in a different thread...

https://techspective.net/2019/10/25/...tly-timed/amp/

Were you at the NYSE event last week when John Chen said that, perhaps, Brian Moynihan's dedication to his BlackBerry is making him reconsider his strategy on mobile phones? The crowd applauded.

[Chuck Finley69]

Were you at the NYSE event last week when John Chen said that, perhaps, Brian Moynihan's dedication to his BlackBerry is making him reconsider his strategy on mobile phones? The crowd applauded.

I wish but alas I’m here in Florida as usual. I don’t think BB has any design to reenter the mobile phone business from hardware perspective. I don’t think BB will reenter the mobile OS business from software perspective either.

[nkitt]

How shocking is that considering there likely won't be any more BlackBerry-branded devices anyway? We are all in the same boat, are we not?

I am mad and frustrated and worst of all feel backstabbed by the brand I was loyal to for past 10 years, still will hold on to my frustrating KEY2 for as long as possible and then go back to the port of nokia from where I boarded the BlackBerry boat.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Were you at the NYSE event last week when John Chen said that, perhaps, Brian Moynihan's dedication to his BlackBerry is making him reconsider his strategy on mobile phones? The crowd applauded.

Crowd might applaud, but shareholders would string him up.


Bottom line... how would he make a profit?

[joshualebowitz]

Crowd might applaud, but shareholders would string him up.


Bottom line... how would he make a profit?

Don't agree. Shareholders would be ecstatic to see the stock get out of the $5 range. The demand for BlackBerry-branded smartphones remains.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Don't agree. Shareholders would be ecstatic to see the stock get out of the $5 range. The demand for BlackBerry-branded smartphones remains.

No doubt that shareholders would like to see the stock price go up....

But the bottom line is the demand for BlackBerry smartphones has not been enough to make a profit in seven years. There would need to be a clear path for a profitable outcome... other than "if you make it they will come".

[joshualebowitz]

No doubt that shareholders would like to see the stock price go up....

But the bottom line is the demand for BlackBerry smartphones has not been enough to make a profit in seven years. There would need to be a clear path for a profitable outcome... other than "if you make it they will come".

Correct. It is all about the marketing.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Correct. It is all about the marketing.

Marketing....

[joshualebowitz]

Marketing....

Yep. You'd be surprised how many people at the BlackBerry event at the New York Stock Exchange didn't even know about the existence of the KEY2 by BlackBerry Mobile. Bankers, analysts, lawyers, etc., all asked to try the device and where they could go place orders for their firms.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Yep. You'd be surprised how many people at the BlackBerry event at the New York Stock Exchange didn't even know about the existence of the KEY2 by BlackBerry Mobile. Bankers, analysts, lawyers, etc., all asked to try the device and where they could go place orders for their firms.

No I wouldn't be surprised at all... most signs point to TCL winding things down at this point.
You don't market something that you aren't really trying to sell anymore.

As for BlackBerry, Chen cut back their mobility division six months ago, so it's little wonder that at BlackBerry events it's not mentioned.

While I agree more marketing back in the KEYone days was needed. I too understand that for every dollar spent, adds to the cost of the product. It was a balancing act that TCL had to deal with as best as they could.

[Jonneh]

Yup. Marketing is everything. TV ads still reign king for people 30 and above.

The only marketing I see are Instagram posts from Blackberry mobile. And when they post, they usually make really logical points that would be fantastic if more people saw them.

The Key2 has some amazing and unique abilities that other Android handsets don't, and especially iOS doesn't. It would behoove them to increase their marketing by a lot.

However, at this point, it's pretty late in the game, and they're not even offering it for sale in the US anymore; I don't know, I think they kind of let the ball slip on this one, whether it was intentional or not. It's a damn shame, really.

Take me for example. I began with Blackberry Bold 9000 on AT&T back in, like, 2008/2009. After that, I moved on to Android devices, and have been Android ever since. But I came back to BB with the Priv, and now Key2.
Here I am with a Pixel 2 I've owned since its release, and a Key2 I've owned for 2 months now. I'm using the Key2 as my daily driver, and the Pixel 2 for Android 10 and for its VASTLY superior camera.
Add to this I'm a 30 year-old male from the US and general tech lover.

There's a reason I'm using the Key2. Blackberry needs to capitalize on this; but the silence is deafening.

ETA: I've got a second Key2 for sale in the Marketplace forum if anyone's interested. Good spacebar, black, 64GB, unlocked.

[tubularbell]

Today I had a chat with some IT guy about my complaint that I'm forced to upgrade to a Android 9 device. Rationale behind this is that Google has stated to stop security patches forr Android 8.
Someone here can confirm that?

[Chuck Finley69]

Today I had a chat with some IT guy about my complaint that I'm forced to upgrade to a Android 9 device. Rationale behind this is that Google has stated to stop security patches forr Android 8.
Someone here can confirm that?

Across the Android spectrum, three years of security patches is about the MOST support you’ll see for now. It’s just part of IT planning for companies. Just use your device for personal use and let your employer provide a company device.

[tubularbell]

Across the Android spectrum, three years of security patches is about the MOST support you’ll see for now. It’s just part of IT planning for companies. Just use your device for personal use and let your employer provide a company device.

Yes, probably will.
But Oreo is just over two years old, right? Just hoped there would come some more.
Unless BBMo decides to push Android 9 before we're half way through december I'll be carrying just the regular Android slab for work...
Hate the thought...

[Paulelmar18]

The BBMo devices will not get PIE.

[Chuck Finley69]

Yes, probably will.
But Oreo is just over two years old, right? Just hoped there would come some more.
Unless BBMo decides to push Android 9 before we're half way through december I'll be carrying just the regular Android slab for work...
Hate the thought...

Ultimately, I think liability will force companies to revert back to Android/iOS company issued hardware that it owns so it can exercise greater threat control over employee carelessness and misuse. BYOD will continue but at such restrictions that employees won’t or can’t necessarily risk to support.

[tubularbell]

The BBMo devices will not get PIE.

Source?

[Paulelmar18]

Still the same. Please search here in the forum.

[elfabio80]

The BBMo devices will not get PIE.

What a sad end for Blackberry...

[chain13]

What app that requiring android 9 to run? None. But it's your right to get OS upgrade within 2 years. But it's also fine if you don't need it. Because the company had already sucked your 600$ money, and you're okay with that.