BlackBerry CEO John Chen has written an editorial about the company's decision to start selling the BlackBerry Classic on May 13 via T-Mobile again, saying that the move was "an important step that does the right thing for both of our customers and shareholders."
In April 2014, BlackBerry announced it would not renew its smartphone sales agreement with T-Mobile, in part because of a campaign the carrier launched earlier that year that tried to get BlackBerry owners to switch to the iPhone. In today's editorial that was posted on CNBC.com, Chen talked about that breakup:
Don't get me wrong, at the time, the decision we made a few months ago, to agree to disagree, was in the best interests of both of our companies too. So, a year ago, I couldn't have imagined this. But if being at the helm of BlackBerry has taught me anything, it's that a lot can change in a year. And that two strong-willed executives who say what we think, as we lead companies that are successfully doing things differently, can meet on common ground, especially when there is so much potential benefit for our shared customers.
Chen wrote that the new partnership with T-Mobile "is an exciting one" for both companies and added:
While we may not always see eye-to-eye, we share the unwavering agreement that customers need and deserve the best and most differentiated products and services we can offer. So, let's not forget what they say: the bigger the break-up, the better the make-up.
Chen also joked that he won't be wearing a magenta t-shirt that T-Mobile CEO John Legere seems to prefer anytime soon but at the end of his editorial, he seemed to be open to that possibly as well, writing, "And about that magenta shirt – who knows? I need John Legere to ship one to me first."
Source: CNBC.com
Read more
John Chen responds to T-Mobile's BlackBerry campaign
T-Mobile's caught flack from BlackBerry users over the past weekend for their efforts to woo them over to the iPhone 5s. The "Great offer for BlackBerry customers" campaign went over like a lead balloon for the CrackBerry faithful on T-Mobile, resulting in enough of an uproar that even T-Mobile USA CEO John Legere found himself in the crosshairs. Just a day after the ads went out,...
John Chen talks Cylance, AI, and what's ahead for BlackBerry
Speaking from the RSA Conference taking place in San Francisco, BlackBerry CEO John Chen today, spoke to Bloomberg's Amanda Lang and Shery Ahn to discuss a wide range of topics ahead of BlackBerry's 35th anniversary.
John Chen discusses BlackBerry's big pivot with RBC Disruptors
BlackBerry CEO John Chen has been all over the place recently. Attending CES 2019, posting up new blog posts on LinkedIn and most recently, sitting down with RBC Disruptors moderator John Stackhouse to discuss BlackBerry's Big Pivot.
Watch the replay of John Chen's fireside chat from the Toronto Global Forum
BlackBerry CEO John Chen took part in a fireside chat hosted by Amanda Lang at the Toronto Global Forum and now, you can watch the replay!