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MWC: Blackberry, Last Roll of the Dice?

BlackBerry unveiled plans for BlackBerry Enterprise Service 12 (BES12), a new enterprise mobility solution that is application-enabled and unifies BES10 and BES5 to one platform. In addition, a new promotional program will provide free migration to BES10, while a new pricing structure enables customers to simplify their enterprise mobility management (EMM) environment to a single provider.

BlackBerry’s enterprise strategy is to extend beyond EMM to an application-based environment and ecosystem that provides a highly productive end-user experience. This will enable organizations to develop and deploy new services to mobile devices faster. By doing so, BlackBerry will target a global market that IDC has forecasted to reach $4.8 billion by 2017.

“BES10 is the only mobility management solution that meets the highest security demands of regulated industries and is also flexible enough for BYOD,” said John Sims, President, Global Enterprise Solutions at BlackBerry. “This value proposition is why the new BES12 architecture is designed to ensure that the more than 80,000 existing BES customers can seamlessly migrate forward. As we execute on our long term vision, we will offer all customers the opportunity to move forward with us. The investment customers make in BlackBerry today will be a valuable investment for the future.”

The Next Generation of BES – BES12

As part of BlackBerry’s long term strategy, the Company is developing the next generation of the BES platform to enable organizations to develop enterprise-grade applications that can be quickly deployed to BlackBerry smartphones and other mobile devices.

In a report by Forrester Research, Inc.(2), authors Christian Kane and Michele Pelino wrote, “The wide variety of mobile devices and increased mobile application adoption require enterprises to broaden their mobility strategy beyond the simple management of devices, to include developing, deploying, securing, and managing mobile applications of all genres and capabilities.”

Amidst this news about the Blackberry platform BlackBerry has also unveiled two new flagship smartphones designed to deliver its full and distinctive QWERTY experience on BlackBerry 10. The new BlackBerry Q20 smartphone will feature the familiar and classic ‘Menu’, ‘Back’, ‘Send’ and ‘End’ buttons and the integrated trackpad to enable the fast efficient navigation and one-handed use that has endeared the brand to its QWERTY customers.

“In my first 90 days on the job, I consistently heard from our ardent BlackBerry customers that the hard buttons and trackpad are an essential part of the BlackBerry QWERTY experience, that made their BlackBerry smartphone their go-to productivity tool. I want these customers to know that we heard them, and this new smartphone will be for them,” said John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO at BlackBerry. “Today, we’re delighted to announce the new BlackBerry Q20 smartphone, which is designed to give you the distinct experience that every BlackBerry QWERTY loyalist and high-productivity business customer absolutely loves. With the BlackBerry Q20 smartphone, you’ll get the familiar hard buttons and trackpad that you want, along with the best email service, the best keyboard experience and the best battery life possible.”

BlackBerry Z3 smartphone, a new all-touch BlackBerry 10 smartphone designed with Indonesian customers in mind.

“We are excited to introduce the new BlackBerry Z3, the first smartphone to emerge from our strategic partnership with Foxconn, which was announced in mid-December, 2013,” said John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO at BlackBerry. “The BlackBerry Z3 embodies all that BlackBerry 10 offers, with its exceptional productivity features and reliable communications, in a stylish, all-touch design made affordable for customers in Indonesia.”

“BlackBerry is beloved in Indonesia and its loyal fans have made it a popular smartphone brand. This is why we are so proud to be able to help bring BlackBerry even closer to Indonesia with a fantastic product that will be accessible to even more Indonesians. This is only the beginning of what we know will be a long and fruitful partnership between Foxconn and BlackBerry,” said Terry Gou, Founder and Chairman, Foxconn.