BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB)’s much anticipated release of its new smartphone device that took place on the 24th of September formed headlines, but it did not impress the critics with its square shape with a thin keypad. However, instead of Passport, Blend feature from BlackBerry stole the limelight. The device got mixed reviews from both the analysts and reviewers owing to its unique square shape, but there were no two opinions on the Blend feature and it was unanimously praised by all.
Blend takes away the limelight
Blend allows the users to share the messages and mobile content of their device seamlessly with other devices like PCs and tablets running on either similar or different operating systems.
“While the new Passport device attracted the most attention, to us the announcement of BlackBerry Blend is more important,” said RBC Capital Markets analyst Mark Sue in a note on Thursday. The analyst further said that the company’s new strategy is to adapt to the needs of large companies, and of the many key elements Blend is one as the employees of any organization prefer to use their personal devices more than those provided by the company.
“Blend has the potential to turn into a secure communication gateway to all the devices in users’ lives,” Chan wrote in a note, adding it could turn into a revenue stream as BlackBerry would charge service fees for access to corporate data.
Shifting focus of BlackBerry
John Chen, the CEO of BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) wants to bring a dynamic shift in the company’s focus from the smartphones to other areas like mobile data security and mobile device management.
Users of Blend receive notifications for messages, get access to their work and personal emails, read and respond to emails, text and other messages. They can use any device for accessing files, calendars, contacts and other media. The service supports all major platforms be it Apple’s Mac OS, Microsoft’s Windows platform and Google’s Android.
BlackBerry is striving to create a niche in the enterprise market gets a boost with the recent acquisitions it has made, and the company’s enterprise strategy is underpinned by Blend. In July, a voice and data encryption firm, Secusmart was acquired by the Canadian firm. The recent acquisition of a U.K.-based mobile technology start-up Movirtu by BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) is a smart move as the software developed by it allows the users to use a single device for supporting multiple phone numbers.
