After Blackberry posted a nearly one billion loss (largely due to its unsold handsets), it was very likely bought by Fairfax a financial firm for $4.7 billion. Fairfax is currently the largest shareholder of Blackberry with 10% of the stock. Blackberry has announced that they are shifting its core customers to enterprise and government users instead of focusing on general consumers. I think that is a good strategy and direction for Blackberry, because they cannot focus on being the best of both worlds. One of the reasons iPhone and Android phones are getting popularities among general consumers is because of all the social apps and games that were developed for the platforms. At the time, blackberry didn’t shift their focus on developing apps and they didn’t realize how much potential these things can generate. By 2013 when they have finally developed a operating systems and a phone that can handle quality apps, but it was already two years too late, and the market had already belong to iPhones and Androids.
Blackberry is known to set standards for enterprise security and productivity, and with the new core focus, BB will not need to compete with other phones on the consumer market. They don’t need to develop new phones every few months to keep up with Apple or Samsung, don’t need to spend money on newer or cooler features, and certainly don’t need to compete in terms of apps. They can focus on what they do best. But is the future bright for Blackberry? No one can tell, because right now a lot of companies are reluctant to purchase new BB10 devices, as they prefer their employees to bring their own smartphones in order to save costs. I think the change of management (to Fairfax) and shift of direction is necessary to Blackberry’s survival, but right now it is too early to call whether they will succeed or not.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24214301
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20130927PD205.html