BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) has two big days next week. September 24th will be the launch day for the long awaited BlackBerry Passport and just two days later, on September 26th, BlackBerry will report the results for the second quarter of fiscal 2015.
BlackBerry CEO, John Chen, ever since taking the helm has focused on cost cutting and working on making BlackBerry a leaner operation. Manufacturing and operation expenses were also cut by making a deal with Foxconn to manufacture cheaper phones. The successful launch of the Z3 was the first BlackBerry phone manufactured by Foxconn.
With manufacturing load off, BlackBerry started to focus more on software and service leadership. The Canadian company is now heavily involved in the Internet of Things which is the next tsunami to come with a projected market of $7 trillion and some even put it at $19 trillion. BlackBerry with its QNX software is well positioned to take a leading role in the Internet of Things.
The company recently launched the Z3 which has seen impressive sales since launch and other same phones will be made for the emerging markets. According to John Chen, all BlackBerry need to do to become profitable is to sell about 10 million devices a year. Between the Z3, Z30, the Passport and Classic, and with a gross margin of anywhere between 15% to 20%, profitability can easily be achieved.
Many analysts agree that BlackBerry has made all the right moves so far. John Chen is regarded as a smart CEO a lot of investors have confidence in him including many Wall Street analysts.
The Passport launch event will unveil the long awaited first BlackBerry phablet which up to now has received many positive reviews. Designed for professionals, the Passport is expected to gain popularity especially among health professionals for its wide screen and slick keyboard. Doctors can view patient X-Ray pictures right on the Passport screen. Definitely the Passport has a specific target market which is another catalyst for success.
Security is at the heart of everything BlackBerry does, and the Passport is no exception. Exchanging and viewing patient information without compromise is a huge plus for BlackBerry especially when security has become so vital no a days. Almost every week or month, we hear a story about compromise, hacking or data breach. BlackBerry seems secure and well positioned when the Internet of Things is all upon us. Make no mistake, it’s not fiction anymore, it’s already here and BlackBerry is here to stay and move forward.
Over the last couple of months BlackBerry stock has been doing very well, we can only speculate about Q2 results, but all indications suggest that BlackBerry will take off to new heights. According to TechInsider, one FM trader, Jon Najarian, said: “I think this stock continues to trade higher, I think it’s mid $15s by the end of the year.”
