U.S. appeals court upholds decision in favour of BlackBerry

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Cyber security consultations begin

The federal government has launched public consultations in support of its review of cyber security, Public Safety Canada announced Tuesday.

BlackBerry mum on quarterly smartphone sales

BlackBerry Ltd. did not provide figures on smartphone sales for its third fiscal quarter, leaving it undisclosed how well its first smartphones to run on Android software are selling.

The Canadian smartphone-maker and mobile-services provider said in a press release Friday that revenue in the three months ended on Nov. 28 was $548 million US, down 30.9 per cent from $793 million US a year earlier.

Its net loss for the quarter was $89 million US, down from $148 million US one year earlier.

Power struggle at company headed by ex-BlackBerry boss: report

Three board members of Powermat Technologies Ltd., a maker of wireless mobile-device chargers, are suing the company and CEO Thorsten Heins, accusing them of unauthorized operations that threaten the operation's viability, according to a report.

The website CNet reported Wednesday, based on court documents filed in Israel, where Powermat has an office, that these board members accuse Heins, a former CEO of Canada's BlackBerry Ltd., and the company of operating without an approved budget and pushing the company toward financial ruin.

Wayne Wouters joins BlackBerry board

Former clerk of the Privy Council, Wayne Wouters, has joined BlackBerry Ltd.'s board of directors, the company said Tuesday.

Wouters was head of the Privy Council between 2009 and 2014, and before that was secretary of the Treasury Board and held deputy ministerial and other senior positions in the federal public service.

BlackBerry CEO John Chen said in press release that "Mr. Wouters brings to BlackBerry valuable experience in government relations, strategic leadership, international trade and economic policy."

Android-powered BlackBerry confirmed

BlackBerry Ltd. on Thursday confirmed that it will be releasing a smartphone that runs on Google Inc.'s Android system within the coming months.

It said in a press release that the device will be called the Priv and feature a slide-out keyboard.

BlackBerry said the new device will include "the best of BlackBerry security and productivity with the expansive mobile application ecosystem available on the Android platform." BlackBerry said the Priv will be available before the end of calendar year.

BlackBerry completes acquisition of AtHoc

BlackBerry Ltd. announced Wednesday it has completed its acquisition of AtHoc Inc., a software provider for secure networked crisis communication.

It said in the press release that AtHoc will operate as a division of BlackBerry under the leadership of AtHoc's current CEO, Guy Miasnik. The release noted that AtHoc’s software will help people, devices and organizations exchanging confidential and critical documents securely and in real time. 

BlackBerry buys Good Technology for $425M US

BlackBerry Ltd. said Friday it will pay $425 million US to acquire Good Technology Corp., which makes secure mobile device platforms geared for businesses and governments.

BlackBerry said the acquisition will allow it to “expand its ability to offer a unified, secure mobility platform with applications for any mobile device on any operating system.”

Global smartphone sales growth slows

Worldwide smartphone sales in this year's second quarter grew at their slowest rate since 2013, largely as a result of the first year-to-year decline on record for sales of smartphones in China, Gartner Inc. said Thursday.

The research company said in a press release there were 330 million sales of smartphones in the second quarter, up 13.5 per cent from a year earlier. In China, sales were down four per cent from the year before, Gartner said.

BlackBerry revenue falls to $658M US

BlackBerry Inc. reported revenue of $658 million US for its first fiscal quarter ended May 30, down from $966 million US a year earlier.

The company said in a press release that hardware accounted for 40 per cent of that revenue, services for 38 per cent, and software and technology licensing for 21 per cent. For the same quarter a year earlier, it reported at the time that 54 per cent of revenue was from services, 39 per cent for hardware, and 7 per cent from software and other revenue.

BlackBerry declines comment on Android report

BlackBerry Ltd. declined Friday to comment on a report that it was considering using Google Inc.'s Android software in an upcoming smartphone.

Reuters reported Thursday that four sources with knowledge of the matter said BlackBerry was considering using the Android operating system as a way to shift its focus more toward software and device management, and less on creating the actual devices.

SaskTel launches mobile-payment capabilities

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. said Thursday it has launched mobile-payment capabilities for wireless customers who bank with Toronto Dominion Bank and have certain devices.

SaskTel said the current service works with the mobile-payments app from TD, and other banks will be added in the future. It said it worked with EnStream LP, a partnership between BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp., to develop the technology for its mobile-payments service.

BlackBerry to purchase document-security company

BlackBerry Ltd. announced Tuesday that it has reached a deal to purchase a California-based company that makes technology to secure shared documents.

The company being bought is called WatchDox Ltd. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

BlackBerry posts 4Q profit, revenue down by third

BlackBerry Ltd. on Friday reported its first net quarterly profit in two years, though revenue was down by about a one-third from a year earlier.

The Canadian smartphone maker said in a press release Friday it had net income of $28 million US for the quarter, compared to loss of $423 million US during the same quarter a year before. The last time BlackBerry reported a positive bottom line was for the three months ended March 2, 2013. Revenue of $660 million US in the latest quarter compared to $976 million US a year before.

BlackBerry CEO open to producing another tablet: report

BlackBerry Ltd. CEO John Chen said he's open the idea of having the company produce another tablet, according to a report by CNet.

"It's not in the works, but it's on my mind," an article published on the website Tuesday reported Chen as saying during an interview from the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

The article reported Chen as saying he would "want it to be different. I want it to be iconic. Bringing a tablet out for a tablet's sake, it's not the right thing to do."

Google announces work software for Android devices

Google Inc. said Wednesday it has a developed a program that will help utilize Android devices for business purposes in a way that ensures security for employers.

A blog post from Google said the technology is called Android for Work and will help "businesses bring more devices to work by securing, managing and innovating on the Android platform."

BlackBerry seeks injunction against Typo 2: report

BlackBerry Ltd. is seeking an injunction against the latest version of a keyboard add-on made by Ryan Seacrest's Typo Products LLC for Apple Inc.'s iPhones, Reuters reported Tuesday.

The article said BlackBerry claimed in U.S. District Court filings that the Typo 2 copies "numerous proprietary BlackBerry designs and patents ... "

David Kleidermacher joins BlackBerry

David Kleidermacher has been appointed chief security officer of BlackBerry Ltd., the company announced Tuesday. 

Kleidermacher was previously chief technology officer at Green Hills Software, a maker of embedded operating systems, according to a press release. He has more than 20 years of experience in strategy and product engineering, the company said, and is the author of a book on security for embedded systems.

Judge orders Typo to pay BlackBerry $860,600 US

A U.S. district judge ordered Typo Products LLC to pay BlackBerry Ltd. $860,600, plus lawyers’ fees and costs, for selling an physical keyboard for iPhones despite an injunction being in place, Reuters reported Wednesday.

BlackBerry boss takes aim at Netflix in neutrality battle

BlackBerry Ltd. CEO John Chen said the battle for net neutrality in the United States should not only focus on service providers' traffic management practices, but should also include companies, such as Netflix Inc., that create content distributed through the Internet.

Documents show Samsung interested in BlackBerry: report

Documents indicate Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is still interested in buying device maker BlackBerry Ltd. despite denials from both companies that a deal was in the works, the Financial Post reported on Thursday.

The newspaper said it has obtained a report by U.S. investment bank Evercore Partners prepared for Samsung that outlines the case for making a BlackBerry purchase.

Ex-Microsoft exec calls out wireless industry on radiation issues

OTTAWA — The former president of Microsoft Corp.'s Canadian operations is calling on companies involved in wireless technology to be more forthcoming in addressing what he says are health risks associated with exposure to signals transmitted from various devices.

BlackBerry CEO to Industry Minister: no talks with Samsung on buyout

BlackBerry Inc. CEO John Chen told Industry Minister James Moore on Thursday that reports of talks about a potential acquisition of his company by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. weren’t true, Moore's press secretary Jake Enwright said in an email Monday.

BlackBerry denies acquisition talks with Samsung

BlackBerry Ltd. has denied a report it has held talks with Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. about an acquisition.

“BlackBerry has not engaged in discussions with Samsung with respect to any possible offer to purchase BlackBerry,” the company said in a press release Wednesday. “BlackBerry's policy is not to comment on rumours or speculation, and accordingly it does not intend to comment further.”

BlackBerry launches IOT platform, BBM for wearables

BlackBerry Inc. said Wednesday from the CES technology trade show in Las Vegas that it launched an Internet of Things (IoT) platform, and that it will make its BBM service available on smartwatches.

BlackBerry posts smaller loss on less revenue in Q3

BlackBerry Ltd. reported on Friday a smaller net loss than a year earlier, and less revenue as well, for its third-quarter.

The company posted a $148-million US loss on revenue of $793 million US in the quarter ending Nov. 29, down from a $4.4-billion US loss on revenues of $1.19 billion US in the same quarter a year earlier.

The company said in a press release the drop in revenue was offset by the lower cost of sales and lower operating expenses from marketing, administration, and research and development.

EDC provides $850M US in financing to Vodafone

Export Development Canada (EDC), a federal Crown corporation that loans money to foreign companies doing business with Canadian companies, said Tuesday it has loaned $850 million US to British-based telecommunications service provider Vodafone Group PLC.

EDC said in a press release that the financing deal "will generate important connections and new business for many Canadian companies." The release noted that Vodafone is an "important" customer of BlackBerry Ltd.

Global smartphone sales up 20% in Q3: Gartner

Global smartphone sales to end users were up 20.3 per cent worldwide in this year's third quarter compared to a year earlier, technology research company Gartner Inc. said Monday.

The company said in a press release that smartphone sales amounted to 301 million in the third quarter. It said feature-phone sales were down 25 per cent, which made the overall mobile-phone market flat in the third quarter with 455.8 million sales.  A shrinking price gap between feature phones and Android-powered smartphones was cited as the reason for the trend.

BlackBerry offers iPhone holders up to $600 to buy Passport

BlackBerry Ltd. is offering up to $600 in incentives for Canadian iPhone users to purchase a BlackBerry Passport.

Starbucks starts wireless charger rollout in U.S.

Starbucks Corp. announced on Tuesday it is starting a U.S. rollout of wireless charging stations in its coffee shops.

It said in a press release that about 200 locations in the San Francisco Bay area have been equipped with Powermat charging stations. They stations are located on tables and counters where devices can be placed to be charged wirelessly. It said any phone is capable of being charged this way when a Powermat Ring is plugged into it, which will be available at Starbucks stores to purchase for $9.99 US or be loaned out.

Thorsten Heins to lead Powermat Technologies

Powermat Technologies Ltd., a New York-based maker of public charging stations for mobile devices, said Tuesday that it has appointed former BlackBerry Ltd. CEO Thorsten Heins as its new CEO and chairman.

Its outgoing CEO and founder Ran Poliakine will remain with the company as vice-chairman, Powermat said in a press release.

Powermat said it is in the midst of an expansion of its global presence, including a recent deal with Starbucks Corp. to install charging stations at its coffee shops across the U.S.

BlackBerry releases new enterprise system

BlackBerry Ltd. on Thursday announced the availability of its latest system for enterprise management of mobile devices.

The new system is called BES12, which BlackBerry said in a press release "is the foundation for BlackBerry's extensive portfolio of enterprise security, productivity, and communication and collaboration services that will help organizations securely connect employees with each other and with the corporate information and machines that are required to get their jobs done."

Fee-based privacy features introduced for BBM

BlackBerry Ltd. on Friday announced new privacy measures for its BBM messaging service that will eventually be offered, along with other services, for a fee.

One such feature allows users to set a time when their sent messages will expire, BlackBerry said in a press release. The feature does not prevent a screenshot from being taken of the message but users will be alerted if that happens, BlackBerry said. When this feature is used the recipient has to keep touching the screen in order for the message to be visible, the company said.

Alec Saunders steps down from BlackBerry

BlackBerry Ltd. vice-president Alec Saunders, who heads the company’s QNX cloud division, announced on his personal blog on Tuesday that he will be leaving the company Nov. 3.

Saunders took over the job in January, according to his LinkedIn page, after serving as BlackBerry’s head of developer relations since 2011.

Sybase alumnus Mike Daniels joins BlackBerry board

BlackBerry Ltd. CEO John Chen has brought in another one of his connections from his days leading Sybase Inc. into the BlackBerry fold.

BlackBerry devices bring in more cash in Q2

BlackBerry Ltd. posted a $207-million US net loss in its quarterly report released Friday, though it saw bump in the number of devices it derived revenue from in comparison to the previous period.

In its second quarter, which ended Aug. 30, the company posted revenue of $916 million US, down from $966 million US in the previous quarter and $1.57 billion US in the same period last year, though it recorded a net loss of $965 million US in that quarter, according to a press release.

BlackBerry launches Passport, new app

BlackBerry Ltd. launched a new smartphone, the Passport, on Wednesday, as well as an app that brings content from BlackBerry smartphones to computers and tablets.

The Passport, revealed at a launch event in Toronto that featured hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, is aimed at professional users, the company said in a press release, has a physical keyboard, as well as a 4.5-inch touchscreen shaped like a square and is roughly the size of a Canadian passport.

BlackBerry expands mobile-payment service in Indonesia

BlackBerry Ltd. said Thursday that its mobile payment application will be made available to iPhone and Android smartphone users in Indonesia in early 2015.

The company said in a press release that BBM Money has already been available in for BlackBerry users in Indonesia since early last year.

“By combining our DNA around security, and the real-time collaboration and privacy attributes of BBM, we are uniquely placed in the growing mobile payments space,” John Sims, BlackBerry's president of global enterprise services, said in the release.

Android makes up almost 85% of smartphone market: IDC

The dominant smartphone brands keep getting stronger as weaker brands, such as devices from BlackBerry Ltd., lose more ground, according to International Data Corp.

The technology research company said in a press release Thursday that worldwide smartphone shipments totalled 301.3 million in this year's second quarter, up 25.3 per cent from the same time a year earlier.

Facebook hires former BBM exec

Facebook Inc. has hired former BlackBerry Ltd. executive Andrew Bocking, who formerly led the BlackBerry Messenger unit at the Canadian smartphone manufacturer, to run its Internet.org mobile project, the company confirmed on Friday.

BlackBerry finished restructuring process: Reuters

BlackBerry Ltd. has concluded its restructuring process, Reuters reported Tuesday, quoting an internal company memo.

The news service said the memo, sent Friday by CEO John Chen, said: “We have completed the restructuring notification process, and the work force reduction that began three years ago is now behind us.”

He said the company would be “adding head count in certain areas such as product development, sales and customer service, beginning in modest numbers.”

Blackberry buying German encryption specialists

Blackberry Ltd. announced Tuesday that it is buying Secusmart GmbH, a German company that specializes in communications security and encryption.

The companies had an existing partnership, providing smartphones to governments and large businesses featuring Secusmart technology that provides separate disk space for encrypted communications and storage.

On Monday, a spokesperson for Germany’s interior ministry told the National Post that Blackberry devices were the only ones that meet their government’s standards for security.

Blackberry announces hosted BES10

BlackBerry Ltd. announced Wednesday that the BlackBerry Enterprise Services 10  (BES10) platform is now available from third-party providers as a hosted service.

BES10 is the enterprise management software bundle for BlackBerry administration, connecting the company’s different services together with locally managed solutions such as Microsoft Exchange.

 With hosted BES10, companies will have a choice of providers for their BlackBerry mobile management. 

Marty Beard named BlackBerry COO

BlackBerry Ltd. on Monday said it has made Marty Beard its new chief operating officer.

The company said in a press release Beard was most recently chairman and CEO of LiveOps Inc., a maker of cloud-based applications for customer service. Prior to that, he was president of Sybase 365, the mobile messaging and mobile commerce unit of Sybase Inc.

Apple, IBM team up to target enterprise business

Apple Inc. and International Business Machines (IBM) Corp. have entered a partnership that will integrate IBM’s “big data and analytics capabilities” with Apple’s iPad and iPhone products.

BlackBerry lays off 65 staff

BlackBerry Inc. has laid off 65 employees, “primarily” in its Global Alliances and Ecosystem group, the company confirmed Tuesday.

BlackBerry posts first-quarter profit

Blackberry Ltd. on Thursday posted a profit for its first quarter of $23 million US, up from a loss of $84 million US one year earlier.

The company said in a press release that it had reduced operating expenses by 57 per cent since the same period last year.

Its results were buoyed by changes in the company’s long-term debt and pre-tax restructuring charges, without which the company would have posted a loss of $60 million US, it said.

CIBC payment app available for Bell wireless customers

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and BCE Inc. on Wednesday said that CIBC's mobile payment app will be available in the coming weeks for certain mobile phones on the Bell network.

In a joint press release, the companies said the app will be available for Samsung Electronics Co.’s Galaxy S4, Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II, HTC Corp.'s One (M7), and BlackBerry Ltd.'s Q10, Z10 and Bold 9900.

Netflix for BlackBerry, among other things

BlackBerry users will gain access to several applications this fall, including Netflix, as a result of making Amazon.com Inc.'s Appstore part of the BlackBerry 10.3 operating system that becomes available this fall, BlackBerry Ltd. said in a news release Wednesday.

There are more than 240,000 Android apps BlackBerry 10 users gain access to as a result of this partnership with Amazon, including Groupon, Pinterest, Candy Crush Saga and Minecraft, the company said.

BlackBerry releases enterprise-version BBM

BlackBerry Ltd. on Monday announced the availability of BBM Protected, a version of its BBM messaging service for enterprise use.

The company said in a press release that the new application is "the most secure and reliable real-time mobile messaging experience in the industry."

BlackBerry to support financial transactions for wireless incumbents

BlackBerry Ltd. said Thursday it has reached a three-year deal with a consortium comprised of Canada's three incumbent wireless providers to support financial transactions conducted through smartphones.

BlackBerry and EnStream LP, which is a joint venture run by BCE Inc., Telus Corp. and Rogers Communications Inc., did not disclose financial details of the agreement.

BlackBerry might make phablets: report

BlackBerry Ltd. chief executive John Chen said the company might get into the business of making so-called phablets, or smartphones with extra-large screens, according to an article in an Indonesian publication.

Growing smartphone market won’t help BlackBerry: report

A new report says smartphone sales will continue to grow in the coming years, though the opposite trend will be seen with BlackBerry Ltd.’s handsets.

International Data Corp. said in a news release issued Wednesday that global smartphone sales are expected to rise 23.1 per cent to 1.2 billion units this year. In 2018, smartphone sales will reach 1.8 billion, representing average annual growth of 12.3 per cent between 2013 and then.

BlackBerry launches Internet of Things project

BlackBerry Ltd. announced Wednesday a number of initiatives it said will be the “cornerstone” of its “vision to offer end-to-end solutions for the Internet of Things.”

The company said in a press release this effort has been codenamed “Project Ion.” Among the things it said it would be doing is establishing a platform that will securely manage the transfer of data across millions of end points involving various devices. The company said its QNX software and enterprise mobility management system would be key to such a platform.

Canada needs stronger IP defences: Balsillie

Canadian companies need to build their capacity for defending patents and asserting intellectual property rights in order to build more technology success stories like the company he founded, Research in Motion (now BlackBerry Ltd.) founder Jim Balsillie told a conference in Toronto, according to the Globe & Mail.

Money for messaging — BlackBerry mines BBM for dollars

It’s hard to pin down David Proulx, BlackBerry Ltd.’s senior director of BBM, on when exactly the company started to see this application as something that could generate revenue directly.

“Starting off by saying this is something that can be monetized either directly or indirectly, I think, misses the point, because it needs to have not just casual usage but really frequent, deep meaningful usage, which is what we see on BBM,” Proulx said in a phone interview this week with The Wire Report.

BlackBerry won’t renew contract with T-Mobile

BlackBerry Ltd. said in a release issued late Tuesday that it will not renew T-Mobile US Inc.’s licence to sell BlackBerry products after it expires on April 25.

BlackBerry CEO John Chen said in the release: “Regretfully, at this time, our strategies are not complementary and we must act in the best interest of our BlackBerry customers. We hope to work with T-Mobile again in the future when our business strategies are aligned."

U.S. judge bars sales of iPhone case with physical keyboard

A U.S. district judge has ordered Typo Products LLC to stop selling its case for Apple Inc.'s iPhone that includes a physical keyboard for typing on the device while a lawsuit against Typo by BlackBerry Ltd. proceeds.

Bloomberg reported Saturday that Judge William Orrick wrote in his decision that “BlackBerry has convincingly shown that BlackBerry’s keyboard designs are a key driver of demand and goodwill for BlackBerry phones.”

BlackBerry’s hardware business shrinking proportionally

BlackBerry Ltd.’s fourth-quarter earnings show the company is a getting smaller proportion of its revenue from hardware and a bigger slice from services.

BlackBerry receives U.S. military certification

BlackBerry Ltd. has received an exclusive security certification from the U.S. military, the company announced on Thursday.

The Waterloo, Ont.-based smartphone maker said in a release it earned the Full Operational Capability (FOC) designation from the U.S. Department of Defense, which allows the company’s phones to be used to access the email and applications on the department’s network.

BlackBerry work app for iPhone, Android security certified

BlackBerry Ltd. said Wednesday that its Secure Work Space application for Apple Inc.’s iPhones and devices running on Google Inc.’s Android software has been certified in a way that should appeal to “security-conscious organizations.”

Government said no to BlackBerry sale to Lenovo: CBC

BlackBerry Ltd. abandoned a potential sale of the company last year to Chinese computer manufacturer Lenovo Group Ltd. after the Canadian government indicated it would not approve such a transaction, CBC reported online on Monday.

The report said some time after BlackBerry announced in August it was considering a sale, the former Canadian smartphone giant asked the government about a possible sale to Chinese PC maker Lenovo. Government officials advised BlackBerry that sales to either Chinese or Russian interests would be unlikely to pass, CBC reported.

BlackBerry lays off 90 people in Ottawa

BlackBerry Ltd. laid off about 90 workers from its Ottawa operations this week, a company spokesperson said Tuesday.

The BlackBerry official said these employees were part of the company’s product-development and wireless-technology teams.

BlackBerry cuts 120 employees

BlackBerry Ltd. on Monday said it has laid off 120 employees in Waterloo, Ont., as part of its efforts to restore the company’s fiscal sustainability.

A statement from the company said the latest cuts came from its product-development and wireless-technology teams.

“BlackBerry is working hard to return to profitability and we continue to optimize our resources to meet our mandatory operational targets,” the company said in an emailed statement.

BlackBerry testing sponsored content on BBM

BlackBerry Ltd. said in blog post that it is testing sponsored content on its BBM messaging service with some users.

A posting on BlackBerry’s website Tuesday by Jeff Gadway, head of product and brand marketing for BBM, said the company is seeing how its BBM Channels feature functions as a way for certain brands and businesses to directly connect with BBM users.

BlackBerry CEO would consider selling BBM: reports

BlackBerry Ltd. CEO John Chen said Tuesday he would consider selling BBM, the company’s messaging service, according to different media reports Tuesday.

CNBC quoted Chen in an interview as saying: "If somebody comes to me with $19 billion, I would definitely sell it. I would recommend to the board to take it."

BlackBerry makes BBM available for Windows, Nokia phones

BlackBerry Ltd. said Monday that its BBM instant-messaging service would become available to users of Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Phones and Nokia Corp.’s X smartphones.

BlackBerry made the announcement from the Mobile World Congress, happening in Barcelona, Spain, this week.

Blackberry CEO John Chen slams “inappropriate” T-Mobile offer

BlackBerry Ltd. CEO John Chen said in a blog post Tuesday he was “outraged” at T-Mobile US Inc. after the U.S. carrier sent a targeted email to BlackBerry users last week offering them a deal if they switched to an Apple iPhone 5S.

In a posting on the BlackBerry website, Chen said the offer, which was billed as “a great offer for BlackBerry customers,” was “clearly inappropriate and ill-conceived.”

Android, iPhone users can make free calls on new BBM

BlackBerry Ltd. announced a new version of its BBM messaging system Thursday that will, among other features, allow users of Apple Inc.’s iPhone and smartphones powered by Google Inc.’s Android system to make free calls to other BBM users over a WiFi or data connection.

Andrew Bocking leaves BlackBerry’s BBM unit

BlackBerry Ltd. confirmed Monday that Andrew Stocking has left his post as executive vice-president of BlackBerry Messenger (BBM).

His LinkedIn profile shows that he’s held that position since June last year, and has been an employee of BlackBerry and its predecessor, Research In Motion Ltd., since 2000.

BlackBerry spokeswoman Kim Geiger said in an emailed statement that Bocking “made the decision to leave BlackBerry. We thank him for his years of leadership and contribution.”

BlackBerry update unlocks FM radio

BlackBerry Ltd. announced an update to its operating system on Tuesday that, among other things, unlocks a built-in FM radio on certain models.

The company said in a release Tuesday that version 10.2.1 of its BlackBerry 10 OS will unlock that radio on its Z30, Q10 and Q5 devices, and that no network connection is needed to use the radios.

Reports of U.S. military BlackBerry order incorrect: spokesman

The U.S. Defense Department says reports from earlier this week of a major purchase of BlackBerry Ltd. devices were not correct.

A emailed statement Friday from a department spokesman to The Wire Report said: “The Department of Defense is not planning to purchase upwards of 80,000 BlackBerry devices, as reported in multiple press outlets this week. The coverage stems from a press release posted Jan. 16 by the Defense Information Systems Agency, which references 80,000 existing BlackBerrys in DoD inventories.”

New U.S. military program to support 80,000 BlackBerrys: reports

The U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency will use about 80,000 BlackBerry Ltd. devices on a new mobile communications system to be launched at the end of January, news agencies reported Monday.

The agency said in a release Thursday that the first phase of a new initiative to provide mobile capabilities to as many as 100,000 users in the Department of Defense will be ready on Jan. 31.

BlackBerry names Eric Johnson to head global sales

BlackBerry Ltd. said Monday it has named Eric Johnson as president of global sales.

Ron Louks joins BlackBerry

Ron Louks is the new president of devices and emerging solutions at BlackBerry Ltd., the company said Monday.

CEO John Chen said in a release that Louks would focus on “BlackBerry’s long-term product roadmap, including hardware, software and design, as well as the company's joint development efforts.”

Chen added that Louks would spend “a good deal” of time with customers, partners and carriers.

BlackBerry reports $4.4B Q3 loss

BlackBerry Ltd. reported a net loss of $4.4 billion US in its third fiscal quarter results, deepening from the $965-million US loss it reported in the second quarter and compared to a profit of about $9 million US one year earlier.

The company said in a release Friday that its revenue in the three months ended Nov. 30 was about $1.2 billion US, down from $1.6 billion US in the previous quarter and $2.7 billion US in the same quarter one year earlier.

BlackBerry adds three executives

BlackBerry Ltd. appointed John Sims as its new president of global enterprise services, James Mackey as executive vice-president for corporate development and strategic planning and Mark Wilson as senior vice-president of marketing.
 
The company made the announcements in a pair of releases Tuesday and Wednesday.
 

Three more BlackBerry departures

BlackBerry Inc.’s executive vice-president of global sales, Rick Costanzo, and Chris Wormald, the company’s vice-president of strategic alliances, are leaving BlackBerry, Canadian Press reported Monday.

Costanzo has been with the company since 1999, and Wormald since 2000, CP said.

CP also said Mark Cameron, the company’s director of global public policy, left BlackBerry for public relations company Hill and Knowlton, though it noted BlackBerry did not confirm that departure, as it did for Costanzo and Wormald.

Obama still uses BlackBerry: report

U.S. President Barack Obama is still a customer of Canada’s BlackBerry Ltd., Reuters reported.

The news article said Obama told an audience of youth on Wednesday that he continues to use a BlackBerry and is not permitted to use Apple Inc.’s iPhone because of because of “security reasons.” He does use an iPad, the article noted.

Competitors pitch their services as options for BlackBerry’s enterprise customers

As BlackBerry Ltd.’s problems mount, other companies are jumping in to capitalize on any inklings its corporate customers might have about switching to other mobile devices.

BlackBerry no longer for sale; Heins leaving

BlackBerry Ltd. said it concluded its strategic review and is no longer looking for a buyer, and will instead receive a $1 billion investment from Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd.

The company said in a release Monday that the special committee it launched in August to explore the company’s strategic options, including a sale, had concluded the process.

It said Fairfax would invest “in BlackBerry through a U.S. $1 billion private placement of convertible debentures.”

Facebook meets with BlackBerry: WSJ

BlackBerry Ltd. executives met with Facebook Inc. in California last week “to gauge its interest in a potential bid” for the company, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

In a report citing anonymous people familiar with the situation, WSJ said it is unclear whether Facebook is interested in bidding for BlackBerry.

BBM downloads top 10m in 24 hours

BlackBerry Ltd., which launched BlackBerry Messenger apps for the Android and iOS mobile operating systems this week, said the apps were downloaded 10 million times in the first 24 hours.

“We’ve already had more than 10 million downloads of BBM,” BlackBerry said in a posting on its blog on Tuesday. “BBM is looking great on iPhone, Android and BlackBerry, and the team here is very excited about the success of this launch.”

BlackBerry founders looking at buying the company back

BlackBerry Ltd.'s founders Mike Lazaridis and Doug Fregin are considering an offer to buy back the Waterloo, Ont.-based smartphone maker, they said in a regulatory filing Thursday.

The founders said they are looking at “all available options” including “a potential acquisition,” and have hired Goldman Sachs and Centerview Partners LLC as advisers.

Rogers will now carry BlackBerry Z30

Rogers Communications Inc. said it will offer the new BlackBerry Z30 to its customers a week after the company said it would not stock that model when it becomes available in Canada Oct. 15.

“In response to customers' feedback and excitement about the device, Rogers looks forward to offering the new Z30 to its customers,” Rogers spokeswoman Patricia Trott said in an emailed statement.

Cisco, Google, SAP show interest in BlackBerry: report

BlackBerry Ltd. is talks with Cisco Systems Inc., Google Inc. and SAP AG about its possible sale, Reuters reported Monday.

The news service, citing anonymous sources, said BlackBerry was in talks "about selling them all or parts of itself.”

New York firm eyeing BlackBerry

New York-based private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP is looking at BlackBerry Ltd. in a possible acquisition, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

The New York firm plans to sign an agreement with BlackBerry so that it can see the smartphone maker's financials, WSJ reported.

NATO approves BB10 for use