[Dapper37]

LICENSING BB10
By James N. @jmznvs
Posted in - BlackBerry 10 on June 3rd, 2013
0 Comments

What do a Swedish company Sigma AB, Sony Mobile and BlackBerry have in common? Each other. If we go back to the days of Research in Motion and Ericsson (before Sony) we see a long history predating the release of the ?BlackBerry?. Does anyone remember Mobitex? Ericsson open standard for wireless that laid the foundation for the PUSH email BlackBerry is so famous for. Let?s step forward in time, a lot has changed.

Ericsson became Sony-Ericsson, then after years, dropped the Swedish Ericsson and are now ?Sony Mobile? the minds behind the Xperia and many of Sony?s telecom plays. But Sweden is an innovation hub unlike any other. Aint that right TAT. We?ll come back to that?.

Licensing BlackBerry 10 has been on the board of directors minds at BlackBerry a very long time. Heins has been quoted time and time again saying that ?To deliver BlackBerry 10 we may have to look at licensing it to someone?. He extrapolates in an interview with the Telegraph

We don?t have the economy of scale to compete against the guys who crank out 60 handsets a year. We have to differentiate and have a focused platform. To deliver BB10 we may need to look at licensing it to someone who can do this at a way better cost proposition than I can do it. There?s different options we could do that we?re currently investigating.- TH

&&

You could think about us building a reference system, and then basically licensing that reference design, have others build the hardware around it ? either it?s a BlackBerry or it?s something else being built on the BlackBerry platform. We?re investigating this and it?s way too early to get into any details. ? TH

When it comes to the new BB10 operating system running QNX. It?s understandable why QNX is a wholly owned subsidiary. Because of its use in many regulated industries BlackBerry lets QNX do their own thing. BB10 is built off QNX. Meaning the ?reference platform? is still ubiquitous. BlackBerry 10 isn?t running nuclear power modules, QNX is. But because the OS is the same the amount of integration between them can be pure synergy. You can read more on that here. Drawing the line between QNX and BlackBerry 10 is the exact position BlackBerry wants to be in. Whether you license QNX or BlackBerry 10, by this fall the two will be synonymous with QNX 10. When that happens companies like Sigma AB, and Sony can really begin to sink their teeth into the new platform. And use the base BlackBerry has to build ?BB10? on their own hardware.

The internet of things, machine to machine, all of these are prevailing shifts that will come fast within the next 2-5 years.

Okay, now that we?re up to speed let?s dive into Sigma AB, the very interesting Swedish firm you?ve never heard of.

Sigma, founded by Swedish entrepreneur Dan Olofsson, will take over Sony Mobile?s development unit for mobile hardware and connectivity in Lund. The new company will be named Sigma Connectivity AB and have 200 connectivity experts to spread high-tech advances within the ?Internet of things?. Sony Mobile?s unique competence in leading production technology will complement the Sigma platform to enable new customer opportunities and business within the wider connectivity area.

Sigma will own 80 percent of the new company, and Sony Mobile?s former CEO and Chairman, Bert Nordberg, 20 percent. Nordberg will also become the Chairman of the company.

Nordberg is the key.Hired onto the BlackBerry Board of directors in Febuarywe see a very strategic trail of bread crumbs here. But for those who aren?t good at connecting the dots. Here?s an infographic:


As we look forward. Where is technology headed? Convergence. Let?s look at Cisco for a moment, who sold Linksys off to Belkin. Why sell it to Belkin? Because it makes a weaker competitor stronger (Against NetGear). Samsung will not likely license BlackBerry 10. Sony will. The key members needed are in place to make the synergy happen. I very much believe LG will also partner with BlackBerry in 2014, to help build the Cafe Series (Cappucino, Americano, Ontario) I could go on and on and on about all the hints that have been dropped. Like BB10 phones not coming to JAPAN. Aka Sony?s backyard. And luckily a member in the CB forums has gone on and on about it?if you want to read up on every coincidence.

Moreover Sony already licenses QNX. Or do I need to remind you that Sony is a Tier 1 supplier for automotive infotainment? Like Bose, Pioneer, Harman etc. So when will we see licensing actually happen? Well now that the ducks are in a row. BlackBerry 10 needs only to do one more thing. Prove itself in the eyes of the consumer. With a solid userbase already on the platform, other OEMS will look to target the OS and bring true integration into the next decade of technology. This site is dedicated to explaining wtf that will look like.

In regards to the Sigma link in all of this:

?I know this operation well from my time as Chairman of the board of Sony Mobile,? states Bert Nordberg, ?and I have great respect for the leading-edge expertise within the unit. We have worked towards finding a solution that strengthens the region and that means this leading business can remain here and be further developed to benefit Sweden?s capacity to innovate. It is therefore very pleasing that Dan Olofsson and Sigma, with its sound consulting expertise, will take on a long-term ownership role for the business. For my part, I will as Chairman, work towards getting international major companies to place their development assignments with Sigma Connectivity.?

http://berryflow.com/licensingbb10/

Posted via CB10

[just_luc]

I think it's great... personally I will probably always use blackberry hardware myself, but what's the one thing that gets complained about over and over again? Apps! and what are app developers saying? We would support BB10 if it had more users! And this is how we get more users.. DO we think Android would have the user base it has if it was only on samsung? Nope.. Getting the OS on to as many devices as possible is the best way to grow the ecosystem.

[Kris Simundson]

I think it's great... personally I will probably always use blackberry hardware myself, but what's the one thing that gets complained about over and over again? Apps! and what are app developers saying? We would support BB10 if it had more users! And this is how we get more users.. DO we think Android would have the user base it has if it was only on samsung? Nope.. Getting the OS on to as many devices as possible is the best way to grow the ecosystem.

While I agree with that to some extent look at what has happened to Android OS. When you talk about it to any joe blow on the street they automatically assume your talking Samsung. It's why it has become Apple vs Samsung, not Apple vs Google anymore. HTC is finally back on their feet with a great comeback device in the One, and LG is still missing the mark in the Optimus line. Sony's Xperia Z/ZL is a beautiful device, but again not a home known name like sammy or apple. Now think about this, if someone, like say Sony takes a license on BB10/QNX platform, what if it becomes the death of Blackberry. I mean what if Sony built such a great UI overtop of QNX that it became the new face. Everything in the background would be BB10/QNX, yet Sony could be the forefront for it, like Sammy is for Android, and that could honestly be so destructive for BB.

[just_luc]

While I agree with that to some extent look at what has happened to Android OS. When you talk about it to any joe blow on the street they automatically assume your talking Samsung. It's why it has become Apple vs Samsung, not Apple vs Google anymore. HTC is finally back on their feet with a great comeback device in the One, and LG is still missing the mark in the Optimus line. Sony's Xperia Z/ZL is a beautiful device, but again not a home known name like sammy or apple. Now think about this, if someone, like say Sony takes a license on BB10/QNX platform, what if it becomes the death of Blackberry. I mean what if Sony built such a great UI overtop of QNX that it became the new face. Everything in the background would be BB10/QNX, yet Sony could be the forefront for it, like Sammy is for Android, and that could honestly be so destructive for BB.

I understand your concern, but BB10 isn't open source like android is. My understanding (and it's just my understanding) is that OEM's wouldn't be able to make UI changes if they licensed BB10. I'm sure some references to the word blackberry would be removed and whatnot on the copy they were sent, but basically they'd be running BB10 as we know it, which in my opinion can only add more relevance to the platform.

Posted via CB10

[Kris Simundson]

I don't think they'll be licensing BB10 direct but rather the QNX RTOS

Posted via CB10

[BB.David]

It's not the hardware keeping people away from BlackBerry, it's the software and OS.

Even if a Samsung Galaxy S4 (for example) is running today's BB 10.1 - people still wouldn't buy into BlackBerry 10 because it has no apps. Samsung is successful because they great software and a eye-catching UI (even if its perceived as gimmicky) running on great hardware and at its core is Android - and yes that means Apps and Google's ecosystem - and they successful gotten the word (marketing) out that "our phone is better than the iPhone."

I believe BlackBerry 10 will be licensed to certain hardware companies but mostly as embedded industrial and corporate systems like how it is now with QNX.

[Chicago777Guy]

Class A research...Very Good Article

Posted via CB10

[75911]

While I agree with that to some extent look at what has happened to Android OS. When you talk about it to any joe blow on the street they automatically assume your talking Samsung. It's why it has become Apple vs Samsung, not Apple vs Google anymore. HTC is finally back on their feet with a great comeback device in the One, and LG is still missing the mark in the Optimus line. Sony's Xperia Z/ZL is a beautiful device, but again not a home known name like sammy or apple. Now think about this, if someone, like say Sony takes a license on BB10/QNX platform, what if it becomes the death of Blackberry. I mean what if Sony built such a great UI overtop of QNX that it became the new face. Everything in the background would be BB10/QNX, yet Sony could be the forefront for it, like Sammy is for Android, and that could honestly be so destructive for BB.

This would likely happen. Perhaps it would be an opportunity for BB to grow its own qwerty user base. Imagine if BB10 market share were something like 25% or more, along with the app support etc. How many closet qwerty lovers would come running?

[Double_J75]

interesting thanks for sharing.

Posted via CB10

[Dapper37]

While I agree with that to some extent look at what has happened to Android OS. When you talk about it to any joe blow on the street they automatically assume your talking Samsung. It's why it has become Apple vs Samsung, not Apple vs Google anymore. HTC is finally back on their feet with a great comeback device in the One, and LG is still missing the mark in the Optimus line. Sony's Xperia Z/ZL is a beautiful device, but again not a home known name like sammy or apple. Now think about this, if someone, like say Sony takes a license on BB10/QNX platform, what if it becomes the death of Blackberry. I mean what if Sony built such a great UI overtop of QNX that it became the new face. Everything in the background would be BB10/QNX, yet Sony could be the forefront for it, like Sammy is for Android, and that could honestly be so destructive for BB.

BlackBerry is sure to be thinking the same way and have all the past android experience to consider before licensing agreements are signed. Additionally they have a different platform with different attributes on offer. They've been planning this for years, one has to believe they are ready for it.

Posted via CB10

[Dapper37]

I don't think they'll be licensing BB10 direct but rather the QNX RTOS

Posted via CB10

It depends on why they're licensing and for what they decide to license. This particular Sony start up has the "earmarks" of licenses for all other Sony products, future embedded products. Yet if they decide to license BB10 for their phones it demands a different discussion.

Posted via CB10

[jstirtzinger]

Very thought provoking. Remember the Sony Clie line? They single handedly rocketed the Palm OS to its peak before all the shenanigans began.

Sony is not a lightweight in terms of hardware technology and converging markets. They just need a scalable OS.

Posted via CB10

[Dapper37]

Canadian Telecom Summit 2013: Traffic Will Skyrocket


If there's anything made clear by this year's Canadian Telecom Summit thus far, it's that wireless traffic and data consumption via mobile devices is on a quick, upward rise, with no signs of slowing down. The words zettabytes and exabytes are being thrown around as if they'll be commonplace within the next few years.

By 2018, predicts Ericsson President & CEO Hans Vestberg, there will be more mobile subscriptions in the world than people on this earth. The company predicts the number will surpass 9 billion; three-times as many people will have access to the Internet within the next five years as they do today.

"That's an enormous transformation," Vestberg declares.

And with that will come greater data traffic growth as both new customers come on board, and existing ones consume more data-heavy applications, like gaming and video.

By 2017, Vestberg, who spoke via satellite from Stockholm, predicts that people will use or surpass 10 exabytes of data per month. "That's more data than words ever spoken in the world." (To put this in perspective, one exabyte is equal to 1, 073, 741, 824 gigabytes.)

By 2018, 90% of the world's population will have mobile coverage, he adds. And by the end of this year, more than 100 million will subscribe to LTE services.

Doug Webster, Vice President, Global Service Provider Network Marketing at Cisco, continued throwing gargantuan numbers at attendees by predicting that mobile data will increase nine times between 2012 and 2017 to 1.4 zettabytes (1 zettabyte is 1,024 exabytes) with the average Canadian user generating 64GB of data per month by 2017. That's as much data as is included storage on the largest available iPhone today. Even more staggering as that this means traffic will surpass that of what we've seen with IP since its inception. Canadian IP traffic, Webster declares, will triple over the next four years as Canadian users increase by 33 million.

While this will be fueled in part by individual user consumption through services that are growing in popularity like mobile TV and high-quality gaming, the larger story will be the move toward Machine to Machine, or M2M, initiatives, many believe. Topping that list includes things like connected cars, which will put companies like QNX (now owned by BlackBerry) in a very good position: QNX is responsible for the connected software in 60% of cars.

But we'll also see concentration on initiatives within retail stores surrounding NFC, home automation, including simple apps and devices like the Nest thermometer, which learns your typical temperature habits, then automatically adjusts itself based on the information. The latest trend is in wearable devices that communicate with a smartphone to provide even more instant, and constant, data to the user.

Alec Saunders, Vice President of Developer Relations and Ecosystem Development (or, as he jokes, V.P. of "DRED," at Blackberry) provided the example of walking into a movie theatre and your phone automatically switches to silent/vibrate mode during a panel discussion on Devices, Screens, & Apps. All of these trends will see the always-on nature of a smartphone and tablet take on a whole new meaning; and the number of tasks a mobile device completes, and is involved in, jump drastically.

During the same panel discussion, Bell Mobility's Vice President of Products, Services and Content, Nauby Jacob, noted an initiative with OnStar and Desjardins that sees detailed driving habits sent to the insurance company, which can then be used to determine potentially reduced rates on insurance. On a simpler level, there's also the ability to conduct research and look up information whilst watching TV on the big screen; something most people already do today, and a trend that will only continue as more diverse, interactive apps are launched, and more providers of services come on board.

"Every device will be connected to the network in one way or another," says Jacob.

"Mobility will change the way we deliver electricity, health care, the way we drive, et cetera," adds James Maynard, President & CEO, Wavefront.

"What will be important," continues Jacob, "is how they connect to everything else that you do. The big transition will really happen when you get to M2M. That is the exciting part."

Naturally, the networks need to improve in order to accommodate the massive needs and demands of customers. This means become more robust, quicker, and more widespread. Already. Bell confirms that Mobile TV usage is on the rise (and is quick to point out that this complements traditional TV viewing rather than replaces it.) Many users have shifted their gaming focus (or augment it) from traditional consoles to smartphone gaming. Devices like Apple TV, and technologies like DLNA and smart TVs, make it easy to utilize a wireless connection to do things one could never have imagined.

What are the implications for wireless providers? Can they keep up with the rapidly growing demand? What does this mean for cost to consumers? If Rogers' Rob Bruce justifies Canadians pay high data rates based on the fact that we use a lot of it, what will the ever-growing connected landscape mean for usage costs rising even higher? Hopefully tomorrow's keynotes and panel discussions will shed some light on those topics, and more.

Stay tuned for more live coverage from the Canadian Telecom Summit 2013

Posted via CB10

http://www.marketnews.ca/LatestNewsH...Skyrocket.html

[Dapper37]

It's not the hardware keeping people away from BlackBerry, it's the software and OS.

Even if a Samsung Galaxy S4 (for example) is running today's BB 10.1 - people still wouldn't buy into BlackBerry 10 because it has no apps. Samsung is successful because they great software and a eye-catching UI (even if its perceived as gimmicky) running on great hardware and at its core is Android - and yes that means Apps and Google's ecosystem - and they successful gotten the word (marketing) out that "our phone is better than the iPhone."

I get where your coming from but believe your being highly shortsighted. BlackBerry World is currently the fastest growing app store EVER! Lots of people love BlackBerry 10 UI at the same time they realize how young it is. That generally adds up to faster and better upgrades. But that's a different discussion.



Posted via CB10

[tharrison4815]

I think licensing BlackBerry 10 is a good idea as long as it's done right.

I believe that If they do it Android style and let everyone do whatever they want then it will fail. However I think that if they do it Windows Phone style and have guidelines that the manufacturers have to follow then it would succeed.

Having big hardware manufacturer behind BlackBerry can only make the platform stronger. Fragmentation is the only thing that scares me.

Posted via CB10

[Whyareallthegoodnamestaken]

I would love a Sony phone with BlackBerry 10 on it. Sony make beautiful hardware.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

[lawguyman]

I think there is a good chance that this is happening. It may happen only for certain regions or for certain kinds of devices (tablets) but I think it is going to happen.

Posted via CB10

[RECOOL]

Seems more licensing for TV and their electronic gear.Not phones not anytime soon.This just seems a way to spread qnx/BB10 around for M2M and connected world.

This just sounds like distribution of the platform nothing more.

[Dapper37]

Seems more licensing for TV and their electronic gear.Not phones not anytime soon.This just seems a way to spread qnx/BB10 around for M2M and connected world.

This just sounds like distribution of the platform nothing more.

I agree, it's a start and gives bb10 time to mature. I would bet we see a selected phone manufacturer use BB10 within a year though. My guess. Most likely for the Asia markets of China, Japan and Korea.

Posted via CB10

[John Pawling]

I wouldn't like to see the b@stardizing of OS10 as a consequence of other phone manufacturers. Just my honest opinion.

Let's just see how cross platform BBM works out, shall we?

Posted via CB10 v1.4.2 on my Zed10 10.1.0.273 on Rogers

[h20work]

Ok, a little lost here. Where does it say anything about anyone actually licensing it, other than speculation on the author's part?

I'd like to see Sony as a partner, their name alone still carries more weight than most companies.

[Rello]

I think at this point, it needs to happen. I think that we're they to try and do this alone, it would take many years to make a comeback that people here on crackberry would like to see....especially in the US. More manufacturers, more marketing, more exposure, more apps. I really don't see how they couldn't benefit from this.

I personally just hope they don't let other manufacturers change the UI (which I don't think they will), and hope they still make hardware once a year or so. Maybe like how Google does with the Nexus line....but even if they don't, I say bring on the licensing

[PippinTook]

I think licensing will good be as long as:

1. They can't change the ui experience

BB10 ui need to stay the same from anyone who licenses it. The core experience needs to be the same I don't care if they include some app features that make them different but the core needs to remain

2. They can push updates at a reasonable time

Android oems are not really forced to update their devices on a schedule. If BlackBerry required oems to update devices oses X many days after release it would save lots of pain.

Having a partner would bring a lot to bb10. Extra advertisinf, an expanded user base. I don't think BlackBerry should quit making devices no one makes physical keyboards like BlackBerry but expand the horizon a lil more. We still have a market for a slab phone with a smaller screen size, a slider, ect ect

Posted via CB10

[sexybabe88]

What's the point? The problem is the software and ecosystem. Not the hardware. Licensing doesn't solve the fundamental issues.

[bahandi]

What's the point? The problem is the software and ecosystem. Not the hardware. Licensing doesn't solve the fundamental issues.

Licensing increases user-base. More users may draw more developers. More developers means more apps. More apps means more users. Wash, rinse, repeat...