I'm surprised there hasn't been a post on this idea considering yesterdays news. "(Reuters) - BlackBerry Ltd said on Monday that it was considering strategic alternatives, including a possible sale".
This is going to be a long post, please read through it and then discuss it with comments afterwards. I'd love to hear other people's views on this topic.
Its been clear for the past couple of years that Blackberry aka RIM is failing fast and does not have many options left. Their big reboot with two new flagship phones was not well received and sales have been poor.
The options which Blackberry have are to take the company private or to be sold to another technology company.
I know this could be an unpopular idea but i'm sure this proposal has been discussed in the executive suites at Apple's HQ. Could Apple purchase Blackberry. five years ago everyone would say its not possible but now it could definitely happen and for an exceedingly cheap price compared to the value it would have cost in previous years.
Last year Andrew Ross Sorkin at the NYTimes wrote a fun article about companies which could be on Apple's shopping list to own. Here it is: http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/suggestions-for-an-apple-shopping-list/?_r=0
ARS mentions Path, Twitter, Square, Nuance and Sprint (Japan's Softbank got there first). Yet the acquisition of Blackberry intrigues me.
"Such a deal would instantly put Apple into the enterprise market, giving it access to corporate and government customers that require RIMs highly secure servers. Apple could build access into RIMs network directly into future iPhones and maybe even create an iPhone with BlackBerrys famous keyboard, which for many of us would create the ultimate smartphone".
My feelings are the same about this. It puts Apple further into the enter enterprise market where it can push further Apple and iOS products on corporate and government customers.
It would allow Apple to diversify its iphone offering and this to me is going to be the biggest shake up in the iPhone in years. The iphone 5C is going to address the cheaper end of the market especially in the developing world and third world countries where Apple wants more market share. The 2014 iphone will likely be a full redesign and a larger screen/display. But by acquiring Blackberry this could allow Apple to have more than one iPhone model - and include one with a keyboard. Many people think this would be a step back but its not if you continue to offer the touch screen models. In short unless Apple wants to continue losing marketshare it needs to diversify its iphone offerings. Think of the benefits over the next few years if Apple could release two iphones a year. One in September the usual upgraded touch screen model. Then another one six months later in March a touchscreen phone with a keyboard and the same iOS. Its sounds unusual but I think this would boost Apple's revenues by being able to sell more phones.
Another reason Apple could buy Blackberry is patents. As we've seen the past year with its court battle with Samsung patents are increasingly important.
In addition the QNX software owned by Blackberry used as an in-dashboard operating system, and already in 20 million cars, like Chryslers and Porsches is very attractive for Apple to leverage and become the dominant player for "In-Vehicle Entertainment" - if you can easily blend the QNX software and iOS software then Apple can be the leader in a new field.
It does not seem to be reported that Apple is interested in acquiring Blackberry and I doubt if Steve Jobs was alive it would happen but with a more conventionally corporate minded Tim Cook in charge at Apple I think this might be one company which Apple decides to open up their huge cash vaults and acquire. Not for the headline grabbing handset ideas but more the long term plays of taking over a rival and removing their market share while gaining their intellectual property, patents and future business plans. The other option is that Blackberry takes itself private but i can't see the long term value for investors choosing that option. Of course another choice would be for Microsoft or Google to purchase Blackberry. HP already bought Palm (where did it go?) so its got to be unlikely they would do such a similar move again. The Canadian government has already said it would probably step in and decline an offer from a Chinese tech firm if they wanted to acquire it on national security grounds.
Please discuss.
This is going to be a long post, please read through it and then discuss it with comments afterwards. I'd love to hear other people's views on this topic.
Its been clear for the past couple of years that Blackberry aka RIM is failing fast and does not have many options left. Their big reboot with two new flagship phones was not well received and sales have been poor.
The options which Blackberry have are to take the company private or to be sold to another technology company.
I know this could be an unpopular idea but i'm sure this proposal has been discussed in the executive suites at Apple's HQ. Could Apple purchase Blackberry. five years ago everyone would say its not possible but now it could definitely happen and for an exceedingly cheap price compared to the value it would have cost in previous years.
Last year Andrew Ross Sorkin at the NYTimes wrote a fun article about companies which could be on Apple's shopping list to own. Here it is: http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/suggestions-for-an-apple-shopping-list/?_r=0
ARS mentions Path, Twitter, Square, Nuance and Sprint (Japan's Softbank got there first). Yet the acquisition of Blackberry intrigues me.
"Such a deal would instantly put Apple into the enterprise market, giving it access to corporate and government customers that require RIMs highly secure servers. Apple could build access into RIMs network directly into future iPhones and maybe even create an iPhone with BlackBerrys famous keyboard, which for many of us would create the ultimate smartphone".
My feelings are the same about this. It puts Apple further into the enter enterprise market where it can push further Apple and iOS products on corporate and government customers.
It would allow Apple to diversify its iphone offering and this to me is going to be the biggest shake up in the iPhone in years. The iphone 5C is going to address the cheaper end of the market especially in the developing world and third world countries where Apple wants more market share. The 2014 iphone will likely be a full redesign and a larger screen/display. But by acquiring Blackberry this could allow Apple to have more than one iPhone model - and include one with a keyboard. Many people think this would be a step back but its not if you continue to offer the touch screen models. In short unless Apple wants to continue losing marketshare it needs to diversify its iphone offerings. Think of the benefits over the next few years if Apple could release two iphones a year. One in September the usual upgraded touch screen model. Then another one six months later in March a touchscreen phone with a keyboard and the same iOS. Its sounds unusual but I think this would boost Apple's revenues by being able to sell more phones.
Another reason Apple could buy Blackberry is patents. As we've seen the past year with its court battle with Samsung patents are increasingly important.
In addition the QNX software owned by Blackberry used as an in-dashboard operating system, and already in 20 million cars, like Chryslers and Porsches is very attractive for Apple to leverage and become the dominant player for "In-Vehicle Entertainment" - if you can easily blend the QNX software and iOS software then Apple can be the leader in a new field.
It does not seem to be reported that Apple is interested in acquiring Blackberry and I doubt if Steve Jobs was alive it would happen but with a more conventionally corporate minded Tim Cook in charge at Apple I think this might be one company which Apple decides to open up their huge cash vaults and acquire. Not for the headline grabbing handset ideas but more the long term plays of taking over a rival and removing their market share while gaining their intellectual property, patents and future business plans. The other option is that Blackberry takes itself private but i can't see the long term value for investors choosing that option. Of course another choice would be for Microsoft or Google to purchase Blackberry. HP already bought Palm (where did it go?) so its got to be unlikely they would do such a similar move again. The Canadian government has already said it would probably step in and decline an offer from a Chinese tech firm if they wanted to acquire it on national security grounds.
Please discuss.
