|
 The Waterloo, Ontario-based smartphone maker did not disclose the
terms of its deal to acquire Secusmart GmbH, which specializes in
encryption and anti-eavesdropping services for governments,
companies and telecommunications service providers.
The acquisition is the latest by the smartphone pioneer to build on
niche areas in an attempt to reinvent itself under new Chief
Executive John Chen and recover ground ceded to Apple Inc's <AAPL.O>
iPhone and Samsung Electronics Co's <005930.KS> Galaxy devices.
"It is a really reassuring sign that BlackBerry is now less focused
on firefighting and more focused on identifying and building for the
long-term into enterprise services," said CCS Insight analyst Geoff
Blaber.
Still, BlackBerry shares fell 4 percent to $9.54 on Nasdaq and
C$10.45 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Chen wants to remain a competitor in the smartphone segment, but is
focused on building on BlackBerry's strong mobile device management
abilities by beefing up its security and corporate app offerings.
Secusmart's technology is being used to protect the devices of
government officials in both Canada and Germany, including the
BlackBerry device used by German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the
wake of the U.S. spying scandal last year.
"Everybody wants to talk about eavesdropping, but it really isn't
just that. Both governments and enterprises are now more and more
focused on security in the mobile world," Chen said in an interview,
adding that the Secusmart deal gives BlackBerry yet another leg up
on the competition in relation to device security.
Besides the new line of BlackBerry 10 devices, Secusmart's
technology is also used to secure the landline phones of
corporations and government agencies.
"This is going to be where monetization is really going to lie for
BlackBerry in the future and they have to start building value,"
CCS's Blaber said. "That first and foremost is the most reassuring
sign from this acquisition."
[to top of second column] |
ON A GROWTH FOOTING
Chen said the company, which has gone through a rough and extended
restructuring process over the last two years, will be soon getting
back on a growth footing with the last of its lay-offs likely to be
completed by the end of July.
"We are already starting to turn on our machine to now hire people,"
said Chen, adding that any headcount growth is likely to be moderate
for now.
"I want to make sure that we don't get carried away and get
ourselves into trouble again financially, but then again, we do need
to invest in certain areas, if we want to compete in the future,"
said Chen, a well regarded turnaround expert in the technology
industry, who took the reins at BlackBerry some nine months ago.
The firm has also been expanding its enterprise sales team.
Chen said he expects the company's revenue to grow midway through
the next calendar year after the firm rolls out its Passport and
BlackBerry Classic devices, and an updated version of its mobile
device management software.
"Knock on wood. I feel pretty good about where we are in terms of
the turnaround," said Chen. "We still have work to do, so I wouldn't
say we've completed the turnaround, but the tough decisions and the
tough thinking have already been taken or are done."
(Reporting by Euan Rocha)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright
2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
