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BlackBerry KEY2 and KEY2 LE receive September Android security update

Submitted by Bla1ze on Wed, 10/14/2020 - 14:31

BlackBerry KEY and KEY2 LE

Although many folks believed the final updates for the BlackBerry KEY2 and KEY2 LE were already issued after the announcement that TCL would no longer sell, design, or release any new BlackBerry Mobile devices, that appears to not be the case at all as both the BlackBerry KEY2 and KEY2 LE have now started receiving the September Android security update.

The update rolling out is noted as being ACS702 and comes in at around 85MB and seems to be spread across unlocked KEY2 and KEY2 LE variants, but not carrier versions. With that in mind, if you haven't already downloaded this nice little surprise, head to your system settings and check for updates. We're still trying to work out if it improves anything beyond what's included with the security patch, so if you spot anything let us know in the CrackBerry Forums.

Thanks, TechOdyssey!

Tag: 
BlackBerry KEY2
BlackBerry KEY2 LE
News & Rumors

BlackBerry Hub+ apps, and BBMe updated with bug fixes and improvements

Submitted by Bla1ze on Fri, 10/02/2020 - 15:58

BlackBerry KEY2 showing app updates with the Google Play Store

The latest BlackBerry Hub+ app updates have arrived on the Google Play Store along with a critical bug fix for BBMe. The updates started rolling out yesterday, but if you haven't got them downloaded yet, no time like the present. Here's what's new in each app, according to the Google Play changelogs.

BlackBerry Hub+ Inbox

  • Account setting to control whether emails are automatically marked read or not
  • Mails attached to calendar invites can be opened in Hub
  • Stability improvements for Priv and DTEK50/60 devices
  • Stability improvements and enhancements for Samsung DeX
  • Minor enhancements and bug fixes

BlackBerry Hub+ Services

  • Account setting to control whether emails are automatically marked read or not
  • Mails attached to calendar invites can be opened in Hub
  • Stability improvements for Priv and DTEK50/60 devices
  • Stability improvements and enhancements for Samsung DeX
  • Minor enhancements and bug fixes

BlackBerry Hub+ Calendar

  • Mails attached to calendar invites can be opened in Hub
  • Minor enhancements and bug fixes

BlackBerry Hub+ Tasks

  • Fixes for editing tasks associated with an Office365 account
  • Minor enhancements and bug fixes

BlackBerry Hub+ Contacts

  • Minor enhancements and stability fixes

BlackBerry Hub+ Notes

  • Fixes for editing tasks associated with an Office365 account
  • Minor enhancements and bug fixes

BBMe

  • Critical bug fix

While it seems there are several fixes here, there are also some issues popping up in the CrackBerry Forums when it comes to BBMe messages appearing in the Hub as unread, so perhaps there will be more updates coming soon to address those.

Apps
News & Rumors

BlackBerry announces Q2 Fiscal Year 2021 results

Submitted by Bla1ze on Thu, 09/24/2020 - 10:41

BlackBerry logo on black background

BlackBerry today announced its Q2 Fiscal Year 2021 results. As part of the announcement, John Chen, Executive Chairman & CEO, BlackBerry noted "We are pleased to report sequential and year-over-year revenue growth this quarter, exceeding expectations, despite the ongoing challenges from COVID-19,"

  • Total company non-GAAP revenue of $266 million; total company GAAP revenue of $259 million, both reporting sequential and year-on-year growth.
  • Non-GAAP earnings per basic and diluted share of $0.11; GAAP loss per basic and diluted share of $0.04.
  • Net cash generated from operating activities of $31 million.

"Continued demand for our secure, 'Work from Anywhere', solutions remains a major driver for our BlackBerry Spark business, which performed well this quarter. Some signs of recovery in auto production point to sequential revenue growth and a return to a normal run rate for QNX by early next year. Continued QNX design wins and significant cybersecurity partnerships position the business strongly for the future. We are also seeing positive signs from our focus on the key components of our go-to-market strategy, including: strong channel partnerships, marketing, customer success and investing in new talent for our sales force."

If you're looking for the full table breakdowns, they can be found on the BlackBerry Investors website in addition to the supplemental financial information as well as the conference call transcript once it has been uploaded.

Press Release

BlackBerry Reports Strong Fiscal 2021 Second Quarter Results, Beating Both Revenue And EPS Expectations

  • Total company non-GAAP revenue of $266 million; total company GAAP revenue of $259 million, both reporting sequential and year-on-year growth.
  • Non-GAAP earnings per basic and diluted share of $0.11; GAAP loss per basic and diluted share of $0.04.
  • Net cash generated from operating activities of $31 million.

Waterloo, Ontario - BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) today reported financial results for the three months ended August 31, 2020 (all figures in U.S. dollars and U.S. GAAP, except where otherwise indicated).

"We are pleased to report sequential and year-over-year revenue growth this quarter, exceeding expectations, despite the ongoing challenges from COVID-19," said John Chen, Executive Chairman & CEO, BlackBerry. "Continued demand for our secure, 'Work from Anywhere', solutions remains a major driver for our BlackBerry Spark business, which performed well this quarter. Some signs of recovery in auto production point to sequential revenue growth and a return to a normal run rate for QNX by early next year. Continued QNX design wins and significant cybersecurity partnerships position the business strongly for the future. We are also seeing positive signs from our focus on the key components of our go-to-market strategy, including: strong channel partnerships, marketing, customer success and investing in new talent for our sales force."

Second Quarter Fiscal 2021 Financial Highlights

  • Total company non-GAAP revenue for the second quarter of fiscal 2021 was $266 million. Total company GAAP revenue for the second quarter of fiscal 2021 was $259 million.
  • Recurring non-GAAP software product revenue continues to be approximately 90%.
  • Non-GAAP gross margin was 78% and GAAP gross margin was 77%.
  • Non-GAAP operating earnings were $63 million. GAAP operating loss was $22 million.
  • Non-GAAP earnings per share was $0.11 (basic and diluted). GAAP net loss per share was $0.04 (basic and diluted).
  • Total cash, cash equivalents, short-term and long-term investments were $977 million.
  • Net cash generated from operating activities was $31 million.
  • Following quarter-end successfully redeemed existing $605 million of convertible debentures and issued $365 million of new convertible debentures – reducing level of debt by $240 million and saving $16 million of interest expense on an annualized basis.

Second Quarter Achievements

  • BlackBerry QNX and Desay SV Automotive together developed the autonomous driving domain controller for Xpeng Motor's new P7 high-performance electric vehicle.
  • BlackBerry QNX technology to be used by StradVision, in ADAS and autonomous vehicle systems from South Korean automakers
  • Customer wins for new BlackBerry Spark Suites continue to build, including the US Air Force, the UK's Ministry of Defence, the Royal Canadian Mint, Rolls Royce and Lloyds Bank.
  • BlackBerry UEM became the only unified endpoint management system approved to be included on DoDIN Approved Products List (APL).
  • BlackBerry SecuSUITE for Government received accreditation from Government of Canada.
  • BlackBerry Secusmart technology now used by 17 governments around the globe.
  • Strong progress in various parts of go-to-market strategy, including recently announced partnership with TELUS to resell BlackBerry AtHoc, the most secure critical event management solution, across Canada. Adds to previous announcements with Bell and Vodafone.

Outlook

BlackBerry will provide fiscal year 2021 outlook in connection with the quarterly earnings announcement on its earnings conference call. The earnings call transcript will be made available on our website and on SEDAR.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The tables at the end of this press release include a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures used by the company to comparable U.S. GAAP measures and an explanation of why the company uses them.

Conference Call and Webcast

A conference call and live webcast will be held today beginning at 8:00 a.m. ET, which can be accessed by dialing +1 (877) 682-6267 or by logging on at BlackBerry.com/Investors. A replay of the conference call will also be available at approximately 11 a.m. ET by dialing +1 (800) 585-8367 and entering Conference ID #1797999 and at the link above.

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) provides intelligent security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world. The company secures more than 500M endpoints including more than 175M cars on the road today. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company leverages AI and machine learning to deliver innovative solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, safety and data privacy solutions, and is a leader in the areas of endpoint security management, encryption, and embedded systems. BlackBerry's vision is clear - to secure a connected future you can trust. BlackBerry. Intelligent Security. Everywhere.

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BlackBerry
News & Rumors

BlackBerry introduces BlackBerry AtHoc Public Safety edition

Submitted by Bla1ze on Wed, 09/23/2020 - 13:32

BlackBerry AtHoc Logo

Building off of the success of the core BlackBerry AtHoc offering, BlackBerry today announced a new edition of BlackBerry AtHoc aimed at Public Safety through local governments and universities.

"Over the past decade, BlackBerry has successfully provided local governments with the tools needed to quickly notify residents and share timely critical information to keep people safe. We are excited to announce the addition of the BlackBerry AtHoc Public Safety edition to help leaders more effectively protect the public," said Christoph Erdmann, Senior Vice President of Secure Communications at BlackBerry. "The solution can be deployed quickly to enable the most secure real-time information notifications to the community, so that people can make informed and safety-critical decisions in times of crisis."

Aptly named BlackBerry AtHoc Public Safety edition, the Software as a service runs from certified secure cloud instances United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, and the Netherlands and is available at fixed cost pricing based on size, which helps make it a secure, and cost-effective solution.

Press Release

BlackBerry AtHoc Public Safety Edition Provides Local Governments and Universities Ability to Securely Communicate Critical Information Directly to their Community

WATERLOO, ON, Sept. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) today announced the BlackBerry AtHoc Public Safety edition, providing local governments and universities proven capabilities to deliver critical communications directly to the public in an accurate, secure and trusted manner. As part of their critical event management programs, BlackBerry AtHoc Public Safety edition enables public leaders to rapidly disseminate critical information to everyone in an affected area to keep their communities informed and safe.

Severe weather events, and other major occurrences like rolling blackouts, traffic advisories, public health emergencies and civil unrest impact the public. BlackBerry has supported local governments through crises including earthquakes in Latin America, hurricanes on the Gulf Coast, tornadoes in the Great Plains and wildfires on the West Coast. The AtHoc Public Safety edition builds on this experience to provide a complete cloud-based critical event communication system in a secure, easily managed and cost-effective manner.

"Over the past decade, BlackBerry has successfully provided local governments with the tools needed to quickly notify residents and share timely critical information to keep people safe. We are excited to announce the addition of the BlackBerry AtHoc Public Safety edition to help leaders more effectively protect the public," said Christoph Erdmann, Senior Vice President of Secure Communications at BlackBerry. "The solution can be deployed quickly to enable the most secure real-time information notifications to the community, so that people can make informed and safety-critical decisions in times of crisis."

Public safety requires a concerted effort by many people, teams and organizations. BlackBerry AtHoc can bridge the gap between employees, the public, and essential services when critical information needs to be delivered quickly and reliably. Official notifications can be sent through multiple channels including Apps, SMS, RF enabled sirens, digital signage, radio and TV to quickly reach everyone within a specified geography at the time of the communication. Residents also can self-register to receive additional enhanced notifications based on event types of interest to them.

Designed for the diverse population needs of local governments and universities, the SaaS offering operates from a certified secure cloud, can be up and running quickly, provides ADA 508 accessibility compliance and multiple language support and can connect into the notification networks of other organizations with a public safety mission. Fixed cost affordable pricing is available based on the size of the community that needs to be communicated with. BlackBerry AtHoc has cloud instances in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands to comply with local data residency mandates.

Learn more about BlackBerry AtHoc at the 2020 BlackBerry Security Summit (October 6-7). During the company's seventh annual event, industry experts and thought leaders from across the globe will come together virtually to discuss a range of topics, including security in a remote working world, business continuity, Zero Trust/zero touch, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and crisis communications for employee safety. To register, please visit: https://www.blackberry.com/securitysummit.

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) provides intelligent security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world. The company secures more than 500M endpoints including 175M cars on the road today. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company leverages AI and machine learning to deliver innovative solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, safety and data privacy solutions, and is a leader in the areas of endpoint security management, encryption, and embedded systems. BlackBerry's vision is clear - to secure a connected future you can trust.

BlackBerry. Intelligent Security. Everywhere.

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BlackBerry
BlackBerry AtHoc
Enterprise
News & Rumors

BlackBerry Spark chosen as United States Air Force secure productivity platform

Submitted by Bla1ze on Tue, 09/22/2020 - 14:29

BlackBerry Spark Logo

Aside from BlackBerry scoring big customer wins with BlackBerry AtHoc, BlackBerry today announced a win for BlackBerry Spark as well, letting it be known that the United States Air Force has chosen BlackBerry Spark as its secure productivity platform.

"BlackBerry and the United States Federal Government have been trusted partners for over twenty years," said John Chen, Executive Chairman & CEO, BlackBerry. "The United States Air Force has a rich history and a critical mission across air, space and cyberspace. We are proud to be their partner and to provide them superior technology that enables their operations."

Through the agreement, the United States Air Force will have access to the full BlackBerry Spark Suite including Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) and Unified Endpoint Security (UES), which offers a Zero Trust security environment.

Press Release

The United States Air Force Chooses BlackBerry Spark for Secure Productivity

WATERLOO, ON, Sept. 22, 2020 /CNW/ -- BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) announced today that the United States Air Force has selected BlackBerry Spark for their secure productivity needs. The agreement gives the organization access to the latest BlackBerry technologies for Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) and Unified Endpoint Security (UES).

BlackBerry Spark allows governments and enterprises to modernize their digital infrastructure, for high-performance 'work from anywhere', without any compromise on security. BlackBerry's secure productivity platform is powered by next-generation artificial intelligence and machine learning and unlocks the potential of connectivity across all deployment and endpoint types.

"BlackBerry and the United States Federal Government have been trusted partners for over twenty years," said John Chen, Executive Chairman & CEO, BlackBerry. "The United States Air Force has a rich history and a critical mission across air, space and cyberspace. We are proud to be their partner and to provide them superior technology that enables their operations."

To learn more about BlackBerry Spark, visit www.BlackBerry.com/Spark.

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) provides intelligent security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world. The company secures more than 500M endpoints including over 175M cars on the road today. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company leverages AI and machine learning to deliver innovative solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, safety and data privacy solutions, and is a leader in the areas of endpoint security management, encryption, and embedded systems. BlackBerry's vision is clear - to secure a connected future you can trust.

BlackBerry. Intelligent Security. Everywhere.

Tag: 
BlackBerry
BlackBerry Spark
Enterprise
News & Rumors

BlackBerry and TELUS partner on BlackBerry AtHoc solution across Canada

Submitted by Bla1ze on Tue, 09/22/2020 - 14:09

Telus Logo On Building

As part of what appears to be an ever growing list of expanding partnerships for BlackBerry, BlackBerry and Telus today announced that Telus would resell BlackBerry AtHoc to organizations across Canada with their first customer win being Edmonton Police Services.

"I am thrilled that we continue to grow our long-standing partnership with TELUS," said John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO, BlackBerry. "We share a common objective to deliver the best connectivity solutions to Canadians. Together, we will help keep Canadians safe, prepared and informed during events, disasters and emergencies."

"This partnership builds upon our strong history of working with BlackBerry to bring best-in-class and secure mobility solutions to Canadians," said Darren Entwistle, President and CEO, TELUS. "We are delighted to be able to offer BlackBerry AtHoc to organizations across Canada, helping to ensure emergency personnel, first responders and government officials are empowered with vital state-of-the-art technology and connectivity that enable better outcomes in crisis scenarios. Whether managing an emergency situation or monitoring to prevent a crisis, enhanced communication solutions will contribute to a faster, more effective crisis response, helping to keep Canadians safe and connected."

The Edmonton Police Services cover approximately one million community members. Additionally, Telus will be the reseller of BlackBerry AtHoc to government institutions across British Columbia.

Press Release

BlackBerry and TELUS Partner on Critical Event Management Across Canada

Edmonton Police Services selects TELUS & BlackBerry AtHoc for emergency preparedness

WATERLOO, ON and VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 22, 2020 /CNW/ -- BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) and TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) today announced a new partnership to provide secure emergency management and crisis communications to organizations across Canada. The expansion of a long-standing relationship, TELUS will resell BlackBerry AtHoc, the most secure critical event management and communications solution, with TELUS' world-class connectivity so Canadian organizations have access to the emergency preparedness tools they need to keep their residents and employees safe.

The companies also announced their first customer win as part of this new arm to their partnership. Edmonton Police Services, with a community of a million citizens, has chosen BlackBerry AtHoc as its emergency preparedness solution. TELUS will also resell BlackBerry AtHoc to government entities across British Columbia, so municipalities across the Province are enabled to protect their citizens.

BlackBerry is trusted by thousands of government, enterprise, education, healthcare and humanitarian organizations around the world, for its connectivity and productivity solutions. The company's leading communications technology, BlackBerry AtHoc, gives organizations the information they need to make critical safety decisions in real-time, helping to protect lives, assets and operations, during planned and unplanned events.

To instantly reach a mass audience as well as targeted individuals and groups, many government, commercial and military organizations rely on one of their most pervasive and reliable assets – TELUS' IP network.

"I am thrilled that we continue to grow our long-standing partnership with TELUS," said John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO, BlackBerry. "We share a common objective to deliver the best connectivity solutions to Canadians. Together, we will help keep Canadians safe, prepared and informed during events, disasters and emergencies."

"This partnership builds upon our strong history of working with BlackBerry to bring best-in-class and secure mobility solutions to Canadians," said Darren Entwistle, President and CEO, TELUS. "We are delighted to be able to offer BlackBerry AtHoc to organizations across Canada, helping to ensure emergency personnel, first responders and government officials are empowered with vital state-of-the-art technology and connectivity that enable better outcomes in crisis scenarios. Whether managing an emergency situation or monitoring to prevent a crisis, enhanced communication solutions will contribute to a faster, more effective crisis response, helping to keep Canadians safe and connected."

Tag: 
BlackBerry
BlackBerry AtHoc
Telus
News & Rumors

BlackBerry expands partnership with American Red Cross

Submitted by Bla1ze on Mon, 09/21/2020 - 12:59

American Red Cross Logo

BlackBerry today announced they would be expanding their partnership with the American Red Cross with the intent of enabling safe and resilient communities. As part of the expanded relationship, BlackBerry will be donating BlackBerry AtHoc software to the Red Cross.

"We are so grateful for our partnership with BlackBerry, whose support enables us to help people in need, during large scale disasters like the recent and ongoing wildfires," said Jennifer Adrio Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region. "One thing you can't get back in a disaster is time, and BlackBerry's AtHoc system enables us to communicate through multiple channels during times of crisis."

"BlackBerry is proud to partner with the American Red Cross to empower sustainable communities," said Neelam Sandhu, Vice President of Business Operations & Strategic Accounts, Office of the CEO. "BlackBerry AtHoc enables communities to effectively respond to crisis, helping to save lives and aiding post-disaster recovery."

Press Release

BlackBerry Partners with American Red Cross on Community Safety and Resilience

WATERLOO, ON, Sept. 21, 2020 /CNW/ -- BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) announced today that it is extending its partnership with the American Red Cross, with the purpose of enabling safe and resilient communities. BlackBerry will donate its BlackBerry AtHoc software to the Red Cross, powering its mission to provide emergency assistance, disaster relief and disaster preparedness education to all people in need.

BlackBerry has been a partner of the Red Cross for several years, helping them respond effectively to disasters, including recent wildfires, hurricanes and other events.

Resilient communities are less vulnerable to economic, social and environmental crisis, increasing their long-term sustainability. Partnerships increase the impact of the critical work businesses must do to address the key global challenges we are all facing today. The partnership between BlackBerry and the Red Cross supports BlackBerry's commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals .

"BlackBerry is proud to partner with the American Red Cross to empower sustainable communities," said Neelam Sandhu, Vice President of Business Operations & Strategic Accounts, Office of the CEO. "BlackBerry AtHoc enables communities to effectively respond to crisis, helping to save lives and aiding post-disaster recovery."

"We are so grateful for our partnership with BlackBerry, whose support enables us to help people in need, during large scale disasters like the recent and ongoing wildfires," said Jennifer Adrio Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region. "One thing you can't get back in a disaster is time, and BlackBerry's AtHoc system enables us to communicate through multiple channels during times of crisis."

BlackBerry AtHoc, the most secure critical event management solution, gives organizations the information they need to make critical safety decisions in real-time, helping to protect lives, assets and operations, during planned and unplanned events. For more information, visit BlackBerry.com/AtHoc.

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) provides intelligent security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world. The company secures more than 500M endpoints including 175M cars on the road today. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company leverages AI and machine learning to deliver innovative solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, safety and data privacy solutions, and is a leader in the areas of endpoint security management, encryption, and embedded systems. BlackBerry's vision is clear - to secure a connected future you can trust.

BlackBerry. Intelligent Security. Everywhere.

Tag: 
BlackBerry
BlackBerry AtHoc
News & Rumors

BlackBerry earns NIAP Certification for BlackBerry UEM

Submitted by Bla1ze on Wed, 09/16/2020 - 13:54

BlackBerry UEM Logo

Adding another feather to its security cap, BlackBerry today announced BlackBerry UEM has now achieved NIAP Certification. The NIAP certification comes shortly after BlackBerry UEM was approved for Department of Defense Information Network use along with NATO Restricted Level certification.

Enterprise
News & Rumors

BlackBerry legacy devices and services will reach End of Life on January 4, 2022

Submitted by Bla1ze on Sun, 09/13/2020 - 21:25

BlackBerry Passport smartphones

Although BlackBerry has extended the life span of BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 10, and PlayBook a few times now, that time has seemingly finally run out. As announced on their software lifecycle page, BlackBerry will be terminating legacy services for BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry PlayBook effective January 4, 2022.

In 2016, BlackBerry Executive Chairman and CEO John Chen announced that the company's transition to a software company was complete. Since then, we've made great strides executing on our business strategy and today, we are focused on providing intelligent security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world.

As another milestone in the BlackBerry journey, we will be taking steps to decommission the legacy services for BlackBerry 7.1 OS and earlier, BlackBerry 10 software, BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1 and earlier versions, with an end of life or termination date of January 4, 2022. We have chosen to extend our service until then as an expression of thanks to our loyal partners and customers.

As part of the End of Life process, BlackBerry applications and services such as BlackBerry Link, BlackBerry Desktop Manager, and BlackBerry Blend will no longer reliably work or will have limited functionality due to the backend infrastructure being removed. BlackBerry has a full list of devices, software, and applications available here.

If you're making use of an Android-based BlackBerry smartphone, it's important to note that none of this applies to you. BlackBerry Android devices will not be impacted, and applications such as BBMe will continue to work per usual unless they are assigned an Enterprise Sim Based License (ESBL).

Some folks will no doubt have additional questions, so be sure to check out the full announcement on the BlackBerry site or swing by the CrackBerry Forums, and we can help with any questions or concerns you may have. This was a long time coming, but it's still a bit sad to see it official. At least we still have a new 5G BlackBerry Android smartphone with a keyboard to look forward to.

Tag: 
BlackBerry
BlackBerry OS
BlackBerry 10
BlackBerry Playbook
News & Rumors

BlackBerry to announce Q2 Fiscal Year 2021 results on September 24, 2020

Submitted by Bla1ze on Thu, 09/10/2020 - 16:29

BlackBerry Intelligent Security

Sticking to their Investor schedule, BlackBerry has now announced they will be sharing their Q2 Fiscal Year 2021 results on September 24, 2020. As always, after the release they will be hosting a conference call that everyone can tune into.

Tag: 
BB
BlackBerry
News & Rumors

StradVision to use BlackBerry QNX software in AI-based SVNet

Submitted by Bla1ze on Tue, 09/08/2020 - 15:33

StradVision

Adding another name to their ever-growing list of partners, BlackBerry has recently announced that StradVision has chosen to utilize BlackBerry QNX software in their AI-based camera perception software tool, better known as SVNet.

"The competitiveness of SVNet lies in its flexibility with its broad hardware support and deep learning software for the advancement of safer driving," said Junhwan Kim, CEO, StradVision. "Leveraging BlackBerry technology will reinforce SVNet as one of the most reliable, safe and robust camera perception solutions for ADAS & Autonomous Vehicles, enabling us to bring more innovation and convenience to customers."

"We are excited to work with StradVision to help our automotive customers surpass their competition with our reliable and secure QNX Neutrino Real-time Operating System," said John Wall, SVP and Co-Head, BlackBerry Technology Solutions. "This relationship further cements our leadership as a provider of secure operating systems and foundational software solutions designed to meet the evolving needs for connected, and autonomous vehicles across the South Korea automotive industry."

As part of the agreement, BlackBerry will license QNX technology to StradVision for use across the South Korean automotive industry within next-generation Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Autonomous Vehicles (AV).

Press Release

StradVision Selects BlackBerry to Drive Advancements Across South Korean Automotive Industry

Agreement will accelerate the deployment of BlackBerry-powered ADAS and AVs for automotive suppliers and OEMs

WATERLOO, ON and SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) today announced StradVision, an industry leader in AI-based camera perception technology, will utilize the QNX Software Development Platform within a number of next generation Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Autonomous Vehicles (AV) from South Korean automakers.

With the agreement, BlackBerry will license its BlackBerry QNX technology to StradVision, including its QNX Software Development Platform (SDP) 7.0 for use in the company's SVNet, an AI-based camera perception software tool that is expected to be adopted by South Korea's top automotive supplier and a leading automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM).

"The competitiveness of SVNet lies in its flexibility with its broad hardware support and deep learning software for the advancement of safer driving," said Junhwan Kim, CEO, StradVision. "Leveraging BlackBerry technology will reinforce SVNet as one of the most reliable, safe and robust camera perception solutions for ADAS & Autonomous Vehicles, enabling us to bring more innovation and convenience to customers."

"We are excited to work with StradVision to help our automotive customers surpass their competition with our reliable and secure QNX Neutrino Real-time Operating System," said John Wall, SVP and Co-Head, BlackBerry Technology Solutions. "This relationship further cements our leadership as a provider of secure operating systems and foundational software solutions designed to meet the evolving needs for connected, and autonomous vehicles across the South Korea automotive industry."

Empowered by StradVision's patented and cutting-edge Deep Neural Network, SVNet saves power and is compatible with target hardware systems, allowing vehicles to detect objects; including other cars on the road, lanes, pedestrians, animals, signs and traffic lights. SVNet remains fully operational even in harsh climates and continues to improve vehicle safety by analyzing collected data with speed and accuracy.

The QNX Software Development Platform (SDP) is the most secure, highest performance and reliable OS platform. It includes the QNX Neutrino RTOS, QNX Momentics Tool Suite and QNX Software Center to provide a full-featured, real-time operating system and development tools for embedded developers.

BlackBerry has a broad portfolio of embedded software including a Type 1 hypervisor, real-time operating system, development tools and middleware for embedded systems. Outside of automotive, the QNX OS is widely used in life and safety-critical systems for medical devices, industrial controls, rail, robotics and aerospace & defense.

For more information on BlackBerry QNX products and engineering services for embedded systems, please visit BlackBerry.QNX.com.

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) provides intelligent security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world. The company secures more than 500M endpoints and over 175M cars on the road today. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company leverages AI and machine learning to deliver innovative solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, safety and data privacy solutions, and is a leader in the areas of endpoint security management, encryption, and embedded systems. BlackBerry's vision is clear - to secure a connected future you can trust.

Tag: 
BlackBerry QNX
QNX
News & Rumors

BlackBerry UEM achieves Department of Defense Information Network approval

Submitted by Bla1ze on Thu, 09/03/2020 - 13:50

BlackBerry UEM

Adding to their already large list of certifications for BlackBerry products, BlackBerry recently announced BlackBerry UEM has achieved Department of Defense Information Network (DoDIN) approval, making BlackBerry UEM the only Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution on the DoDIN Approved Product List (APL).

"BlackBerry is extremely proud to be a partner of the United States Federal Government for over twenty years," said John Chen, Executive Chairman & CEO, BlackBerry. "DISA is responsible for delivering world-class secure communications and collaboration tools across the DoD and BlackBerry is honored to receive approval to be on the DoDIN APL."

You can check out the full press release right here, and if you're looking to learn more about BlackBerry UEM, including how you can get a free trial, be sure to check out the BlackBerry UEM site right here.

Enterprise
News & Rumors

Register today for the BlackBerry Security Summit 2020!

Submitted by Bla1ze on Thu, 09/03/2020 - 13:20

Looking to take its Security Summit 2020 virtual, BlackBerry has now announced registrations for the event which takes place on October 5-7, 2020, are now open. In addition to opening registrations, BlackBerry has also shared the agenda and keynote speakers.

  • Partner-Event: A dedicated Partner Summit featuring a panel discussion on BlackBerry's Product Strategy and Roadmap. Hear from BlackBerry's leadership team, product experts and partner leaders on their insights.
  • Conference Day One: John Chen (BlackBerry CEO and Executive Chairman) will deliver the opening keynote discussing BlackBerry's commitment to innovation and moving the security industry forward. John will be followed by guest speaker Rob Smith, Research Director from Gartner's Endpoint and Operations Security group who will speak about trends within the overall unified endpoint security (UES) market and implications for security buyers. Additional sessions will explore uses cases and best practices through themes such as crypto-jacking, business agility and business continuity.
  • Conference Day Two: Tom Eacobacci (BlackBerry President) and Charles Eagan (BlackBerry CTO) will deliver the Day Two kick-off keynote looking at BlackBerry's platform differentiation and innovation roadmap. The day will focus on BlackBerry solutions and Advanced Threat Research. Dedicated breakout tracks will feature demonstrations and how-to sessions for BlackBerry's secure communications and endpoint security & management products.

"Moving the BlackBerry Security Summit to a virtual format provides a wealth of new opportunities and a new forum for the cybersecurity community to discover, learn, and engage," said Mark Wilson, CMO at BlackBerry. "We look forward to sharing ideas and bringing our audience together to explore key issues and topics with BlackBerry subject matter experts, customers and partners."

Register for the BlackBerry Security Summit 2020

News & Rumors

A new 5G BlackBerry Android smartphone with a keyboard will arrive in 2021

Submitted by Bla1ze on Wed, 08/19/2020 - 08:00

BlackBerry Logo on device

While many folks wrote off the possibility of future BlackBerry smartphones after TCL announced they would no longer design, manufacture, or sell any new BlackBerry devices, it turns that might have been too quick of a judgment. A new joint announcement from BlackBerry, OnwardMobility, and FIH Mobile lays out the plans for a new 5G BlackBerry Android smartphone with a physical keyboard to be brought to market in North America, and Europe within the first half of 2021.

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BlackBerry
News & Rumors

BlackBerry releases free reverse engineering tool

Submitted by Bla1ze on Mon, 08/03/2020 - 14:35

Monitor Displaying Error Text

Looking to help fight cyberattacks, BlackBerry today announced the release of its free and open-source reverse engineering tool called PE Tree, which can help specialsts view Portable Executable (PE) files.

"The cybersecurity threat landscape continues to evolve and cyberattacks are getting more sophisticated with potential to cause greater damage," said Eric Milam, Vice President of Research Operations, BlackBerry. "As cybercriminals up their game, the cybersecurity community needs new tools in their arsenal to defend and protect organizations and people. We've created this solution to help the cybersecurity community in this fight, where there are now more than 1 billion pieces of malware with that number continuing to grow by upwards of 100 million pieces each year."

The previously internal tool is available now from the BlackBerry GitHub account, and is compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems. You can check out the BlackBerry blog post to learn more.

Press Release

BlackBerry Releases Free Reverse Engineering Tool to Help Fight Cybersecurity Attacks

WATERLOO, ON, Aug. 3, 2020 /CNW/ -- Black Hat USA 2020 - BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX:BB) today announced it is making available a free open-source tool for cybersecurity professionals, called PE Tree that significantly reduces the time and effort required to reverse engineer malware. Today's announcement demonstrates BlackBerry's continued commitment to the cybersecurity community in the fight against constantly evolving cyber threats.

Reverse engineering of malware is an extremely time- and labor-intensive process, which can involve hours of disassembling and sometimes deconstructing a software program. The BlackBerry Research and Intelligence team initially developed this open source tool for internal use and is now making it available to the malware reverse engineering community.

"The cybersecurity threat landscape continues to evolve and cyberattacks are getting more sophisticated with potential to cause greater damage," said Eric Milam, Vice President of Research Operations, BlackBerry. "As cybercriminals up their game, the cybersecurity community needs new tools in their arsenal to defend and protect organizations and people. We've created this solution to help the cybersecurity community in this fight, where there are now more than 1 billion pieces of malware with that number continuing to grow by upwards of 100 million pieces each year."

The PE Tree enables reverse engineers to view Portable Executable (PE) files in a tree-view using pefile and PyQt5, thereby lowering the bar for dumping and reconstructing malware from memory while providing an open-source PE viewer code-base that the community can build upon. The tool also integrates with Hex-Rays' IDA Pro decompiler to allow for easy navigation of PE structures, as well as dumping in-memory PE files and performing import reconstruction; critical in the fight to identify and stop various strains of malware. PE Tree was developed in Python and supports the Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems. It can be installed and run as either a standalone application or an IDAPython plugin, allowing users to examine any executable Windows file and see what its composition is.

Also this week at Black Hat USA 2020, Kevin Livelli, BlackBerry's Director of Threat Intelligence will be presenting on Decade of the RATs on August 5 at 11-11:40 am PT. BlackBerry will also be presenting a sponsored webinar about its partnership with Intel to stop cryptojacking malware, and drill down into BlackBerry Optics AI-based EDR technology for Linux.

To learn more about the PE Tree, please visit https://blogs.blackberry.com/en/2020/08/blackberry-open-source-pe-tree-tool-for-malware-reverse-engineers.

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) provides intelligent security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world. The company secures more than 500M endpoints including over 175M cars on the road today. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company leverages AI and machine learning to deliver innovative solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, safety and data privacy solutions, and is a leader in the areas of endpoint security management, encryption, and embedded systems. BlackBerry's vision is clear - to secure a connected future you can trust.

BlackBerry. Intelligent Security. Everywhere.

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BlackBerry
News & Rumors

BlackBerry expands partnership with Vodafone to offer BlackBerry AtHoc

Submitted by Bla1ze on Wed, 07/29/2020 - 18:08

Vodafone BlackBerry announcement

BlackBerry today announced an expanded partnership with Vodafone that will see the organization offer BlackBerry AtHoc to its business and government customers in the UK with Greater Manchester Police and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service having already making use of the emergency alert and crisis communications solution.

"BlackBerry and Vodafone, one of the largest telecommunication companies in the world, have had an ongoing relationship since 1999. We are excited to expand this relationship and now offer the comprehensive BlackBerry AtHoc critical event management solution to Vodafone's business and government customers in the UK," said Christoph Erdmann, Senior Vice President of Secure Communications at BlackBerry. "The solution can be deployed quickly to enable the most secure real-time information exchange across organizations, their people and devices, so that leaders can make informed and safety-critical decisions in times of crisis."

Speaking about why BlackBerry AtHoc was chosen, Darren Spurgeon, Police Inspector at Greater Manchester Police noted, "BlackBerry AtHoc will help us rapidly respond to internal operational issues and ensure accurate information is shared across multiple police departments and personnel using both analog and digital channels."

Press Release

Vodafone Chooses BlackBerry AtHoc for Secure Crisis Communications Offering

WATERLOO, ON, July 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) today announced an expanded partnership with Vodafone to offer BlackBerry AtHoc as its emergency alert and crisis communications solution. Greater Manchester Police and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service are the first two customers who have selected BlackBerry AtHoc to deliver secure communications and real-time alerts through this partnership.

"BlackBerry and Vodafone, one of the largest telecommunication companies in the world, have had an ongoing relationship since 1999. We are excited to expand this relationship and now offer the comprehensive BlackBerry AtHoc critical event management solution to Vodafone's business and government customers in the UK," said Christoph Erdmann, Senior Vice President of Secure Communications at BlackBerry. "The solution can be deployed quickly to enable the most secure real-time information exchange across organizations, their people and devices, so that leaders can make informed and safety-critical decisions in times of crisis."

BlackBerry AtHoc transforms how organizations work together to ensure business operations recover quickly and people stay safe during critical events. It enables organizations, like Greater Manchester Police and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, to share critical safety and operational information within the organization and with other organizations in Greater Manchester to better protect the community and respond more efficiently.

"We chose the secure and reliable BlackBerry AtHoc messaging platform to allow us to share and receive real time information across our business and police operations," said Darren Spurgeon, Police Inspector at Greater Manchester Police. "BlackBerry AtHoc will help us rapidly respond to internal operational issues and ensure accurate information is shared across multiple police departments and personnel using both analog and digital channels."

"We are delighted to add BlackBerry AtHoc to our portfolio of security solutions. It will help customers such as Greater Manchester Police and Fire connect with their frontline staff quickly and securely," said Anne Sheehan, Business Director at Vodafone UK.

Vodafone is a BlackBerry Platinum Partner. Vodafone's in-house engineers, consultants, architects and desk-based support staff are trained and certified on BlackBerry AtHoc and BlackBerry Spark Suites solutions.

To learn more about how BlackBerry AtHoc provides secure communications to keep people safe and operations running, please visit https://www.blackberry.com/us/en/products/blackberry-athoc.

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) provides intelligent security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world. The company secures more than 500M endpoints including 175M cars on the road today. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company leverages AI and machine learning to deliver innovative solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, safety and data privacy solutions, and is a leader in the areas of endpoint security management, encryption, and embedded systems. BlackBerry's vision is clear - to secure a connected future you can trust.

BlackBerry. Intelligent Security. Everywhere.

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AtHoc
Enterprise
News & Rumors

BlackBerry QNX to power autonomous features in Canoo's next-gen Electric Vehicles

Submitted by Bla1ze on Tue, 07/28/2020 - 13:06

In a join announcement today, BlackBerry and Canoo let it be known that Canoo's next-gen Electric Vehicles autonomous features will be powered by the BlackBerry QNX operating system through a licensing agreement that includes QNX OS for Safety 2.0.

"The world's leading automakers, their Tier 1 suppliers, chip manufacturers and innovative startups such as Canoo continue to put their trust in BlackBerry and our ability to provide them with the safety-certified and secure software on which they can build the next generation of cars," said John Wall, SVP and Co-Head, BlackBerry Technology Solutions. "Canoo is pushing the boundaries of AV development, challenging the traditional way of building, offering and using vehicles and we look forward to working with them to achieve their vision of a world in which transportation is affordable, electric, shared and autonomous."

"The global autonomous vehicle market is expected to reach nearly $600 billion by 2026. As these systems become more affordable and available to implement in the mass market, our membership model makes it easy to keep our vehicles up-to-date with the latest in ADAS technology," said Phil Weicker, In Charge of Propulsion & Electronics at Canoo. "BlackBerry QNX is the industry standard for safety certified software operating systems, so it was a natural choice for us."

Canoo is looking towards 2021 to have its first prouduction vehicles arrive with advanced level 2 autonomous features as a standard. The use of BlackBerry QNX OS will allow them to tap into radar sensors, parking sensors, cameras and more.

Press Release

BlackBerry to Power Autonomy Systems in Canoo's Next Generation Electric Vehicles

WATERLOO, Ontario and LOS ANGELES, July 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) and electric vehicle (EV) startup Canoo announced today that the ADAS systems for the company's membership-based semi-autonomous EVs will be powered by the BlackBerry QNX operating system (OS), including radar sensors, parking sensors and cameras.

As part of the agreement, BlackBerry will license its BlackBerry QNX technology to Canoo, including its QNX OS for Safety 2.0 to serve as the safe and secure foundation for the autonomous features within the company's sleek and city-friendly EVs. Canoo aims to bring its first production vehicles to market with advanced level 2 (or level 2+) autonomous features as standard at the end of 2021. Level 2 features are consistent with partial autonomy, enabling the vehicle to manage acceleration and steering and monitor components of its environment in certain conditions.

"The world's leading automakers, their Tier 1 suppliers, chip manufacturers and innovative startups such as Canoo continue to put their trust in BlackBerry and our ability to provide them with the safety-certified and secure software on which they can build the next generation of cars," said John Wall, SVP and Co-Head, BlackBerry Technology Solutions. "Canoo is pushing the boundaries of AV development, challenging the traditional way of building, offering and using vehicles and we look forward to working with them to achieve their vision of a world in which transportation is affordable, electric, shared and autonomous."

"The global autonomous vehicle market is expected to reach nearly $600 billion by 2026. As these systems become more affordable and available to implement in the mass market, our membership model makes it easy to keep our vehicles up-to-date with the latest in ADAS technology," said Phil Weicker, In Charge of Propulsion & Electronics at Canoo. "BlackBerry QNX is the industry standard for safety certified software operating systems, so it was a natural choice for us."

QNX OS for Safety is an operating system that embedded developers can use to build safety-critical systems. Based on BlackBerry's advanced and secure QNX Neutrino real-time operating system (RTOS), QNX OS for Safety has been certified to ISO 26262 ASIL D and IEC 61508 SIL3. With a pre-certified microkernel RTOS, the solution enables automakers and embedded software developers in a wide variety of industries to accelerate their development timelines and reduce the cost in moving projects from research to production.

BlackBerry has a broad portfolio of functional safety-certified software including its QNX hypervisor, operating system, development tools and middleware for embedded systems. Outside of automotive, the QNX OS is widely used in life and safety-critical systems for medical devices, industrial controls, rail, robotics and aerospace & defense. BlackBerry's pedigree in safety, security, and continued innovation has led to its QNX technology being embedded in more than 175 million vehicles on the road today.

For more information on BlackBerry QNX products and engineering services for embedded systems, please visit BlackBerry.QNX.com.

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) provides intelligent security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world. The company secures more than 500M endpoints including 175M cars on the road today. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company leverages AI and machine learning to deliver innovative solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, safety and data privacy solutions, and is a leader in the areas of endpoint security management, encryption, and embedded systems. BlackBerry's vision is clear - to secure a connected future you can trust.

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BlackBerry QNX
QNX
News & Rumors

Your AT&T phone isn't going to stop making calls anytime soon

Submitted by Andrew Martonik on Thu, 07/23/2020 - 11:37

AT&T

The HD Voice transition won't happen until 2022.

AT&T customers have been receiving a worrisome email or text message from the carrier indicating that their phones are on the brink of no longer being supported, and that has caused quite an outcry. The issue, AT&T says, is that it plans to shut down its 3G network, meaning all calls will have to be made over VoLTE (aka HD Voice instead. And because only certain phones work with AT&T's VoLTE system, all other non-approved phones will no longer be able to make calls when that shutdown happens.

But there's no need to fret — this warning from AT&T is incredibly premature, and your calling service will be retained until at least the end of 2021. Here's what's really going on.

VoLTE: How to use it and why you should care

Jump to:

Why (and when) is AT&T moving from 3G calling to VoLTE?

To put things simply, AT&T is trying to make the most of its spectrum (how many lanes it has available for traffic). Each carrier has a limited amount of spectrum in which to deploy 3G, 4G and 5G service, and keeping any amount of it locked up providing 3G to users when it could be better utilized for 4G and 5G is an inefficient use of resources. So AT&T is planning to shut down its 3G network in early 2022, which will necessitate all calls moving to 4G.

Now, this isn't a new idea. Verizon and T-Mobile have already made similar shifts away from 3G to an all-LTE calling network, so they can reuse precious spectrum holdings to deploy their new 5G networks. This is a completely normal thing to do, but it's a big shift — and that's why AT&T is getting so far out ahead of the actual shutdown with its messaging.

AT&T provided the following statement to Android Police when asked about these customer emails, owning up to the fact that it should've been clearer with the messaging:

This email was one of many planned to keep customers informed about the shutdown of our 3G network in early 2022. It should have included the date that certain devices would no longer be supported. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused and will be more clear in future updates.

Does my phone support AT&T VoLTE?

Here's the rub: it isn't clear exactly which devices support AT&T's HD Voice service. The only sure-fire way to know that your phone supports VoLTE on AT&T is to buy a phone from AT&T (or have bought one in the last few years). That's annoying, because we know there are huge benefits to buying phones unlocked, and AT&T's branded phones are often filled with bloatware and other customizations.

There's no sure-fire way to know if your unlocked phone will support AT&T VoLTE.

AT&T publishes a list of "phones that work on our network", with specific model numbers of devices that it has certified for use, but it actually isn't clear if that also means that each of those devices supports HD Voice. (For example, the Galaxy S4 Mini, from 2013, is on the list.)

The unlocked phone situation is annoying because some unlocked phones do support AT&T's VoLTE, even though AT&T doesn't say they do. Other unlocked phones are known to have all of the correct technology to use VoLTE (i.e. they're unlocked models of the exact phone AT&T sells) but are disallowed from doing so by AT&T. You can find hundreds of pages of forum discussions about which unlocked phones do and don't support VoLTE on AT&T — with little consensus.

If you have an unlocked phone on AT&T and are curious as to whether it supports HD Voice, you can get more information by using a network information app — like this one, this one or this one. Install the app, disconnect from Wi-Fi, place a call, and while still on the call check to see if the app shows it taking place over LTE. This isn't a guarantee that your phone is/isn't compatible, but it's a good start. Additionally, you can call AT&T customer service and ask if your phone is provisioned for HD Voice — lower-level customer service help may not know, but you can get lucky.

Do I need to upgrade my AT&T phone now?

No, you don't.

AT&T knows how many phones are on its network still making 3G calls still, and that's probably a very large number. Therefore it wants to start pushing people to upgrade to a VoLTE-capable phone now, rather than waiting until the last moment with the 3G shutdown nearing. Hence the very premature messages about phone incompatibility. But the truth is, your phone will continue to work and make calls until the last moment, so there's no need to upgrade your phone today.

Now obviously if you do upgrade your phone today, and you buy it from AT&T, it will support VoLTE and you'll be set for the future transition away from 3G (though that's still a long ways off). You'll also be able to actually take advantage of VoLTE, which provides higher-quality voice calls, in the meantime.

Realistically, this is a problem for you to think about a year from now, in the second half of 2021, when the 3G shutdown is actually imminent. Your phone will continue to work just fine until then.

How to cancel AT&T service

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Carriers
News & Rumors

BlackBerry announces Fiscal 2021 Q1 results

Submitted by Bla1ze on Wed, 06/24/2020 - 18:50

BlackBerry logo on black background

Following their Investor schedule, BlackBerry today announced their Fiscal 2021 Q1 results. As part of the announcement, John Chen, Executive Chairman, and CEO, BlackBerry noted "BlackBerry QNX was impacted by macro headwinds in the auto and other embedded sectors but we are starting to see signs of a recovery".

  • Total company non-GAAP revenue of $214 million; total company GAAP revenue of $206 million.
  • Non-GAAP earnings per basic and diluted share of $0.02; GAAP loss per basic and diluted share of $1.14 primarily due to a non-cash, one-time goodwill impairment charge.
  • Net cash used by operating activities of $31 million and capital expenditures of $1 million.

"On the enterprise front, we saw good demand from customers who recognized the necessity for BlackBerry's security, business continuity, and productivity solutions in an increasingly remote working environment. BlackBerry is capitalizing on the secular trends of securing and connecting endpoints."

If you're looking for the full table breakdowns, they can be found on the BlackBerry Investors website in addition to the supplemental financial information as well as the conference call transcript once it has been uploaded.

Press Release

BlackBerry Reports Fiscal 2021 First Quarter Results

WATERLOO, Ontario, June 24, 2020 /CNW/ -- BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) today reported financial results for the three months ended May 31, 2020 (all figures in U.S. dollars and U.S. GAAP, except where otherwise indicated).

"BlackBerry QNX was impacted by macro headwinds in the auto and other embedded sectors but we are starting to see signs of a recovery," said John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO, BlackBerry. "On the enterprise front, we saw good demand from customers who recognized the necessity for BlackBerry's security, business continuity, and productivity solutions in an increasingly remote working environment. BlackBerry is capitalizing on the secular trends of securing and connecting endpoints."

First Quarter Fiscal 2021 Highlights

  • Total company non-GAAP revenue for the first quarter of fiscal 2021 was $214 million versus $267 million last year. Total company GAAP revenue for the first quarter of fiscal 2021 was $206 million versus $247 million last year.
  • Recurring non-GAAP software product revenue was over 90%.
  • Non-GAAP gross margin was 71% versus 75% last year and GAAP gross margin was 69% versus 72% last year.
  • Non-GAAP operating earnings were $3 million versus non-GAAP operating earnings of $5 million last year. GAAP operating loss was $645 million versus GAAP operating loss of $36 million last year.
  • Non-GAAP earnings per share was $0.02 (basic and diluted) versus non-GAAP earnings per share of $0.01 (basic and diluted) last year. GAAP net loss per share was $1.14 (basic and diluted) versus GAAP net loss per share of $0.06 (basic) and $0.09 (diluted) last year.

First quarter fiscal 2021 GAAP net loss includes $594 million in a non-cash, one-time goodwill impairment charge primarily related to the impairment of the BlackBerry Spark reporting unit, $33 million for acquired intangibles amortization expense, $14 million in stock compensation expense, a charge of $1 million related to the fair value adjustment on the debentures, and other amounts as summarized in the table below.

At May 31, 2020, total cash, cash equivalents, short-term and long-term investments were $955 million. Net cash used by operating activities of $31 million and capital expenditures of $1 million.

Outlook

Given the uncertainty across the global economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic, BlackBerry is not providing a financial outlook for fiscal 2021.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The tables at the end of this press release include a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures used by the company to comparable GAAP measures and an explanation of why the company uses them.

Conference Call and Webcast

A conference call and live webcast will be held today beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET, which can be accessed by dialing 1-877-682-6267 or by logging on at BlackBerry.com/Investors. A replay of the conference call will also be available at approximately 8 p.m. ET by dialing 1-800-585-8367 and entering Conference ID #5177627 and at the link above.

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) provides intelligent security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world. The company secures more than 500M endpoints including more than 175M cars on the road today. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company leverages AI and machine learning to deliver innovative solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, safety and data privacy solutions, and is a leader in the areas of endpoint security management, encryption, and embedded systems. BlackBerry's vision is clear - to secure a connected future you can trust.

BlackBerry. Intelligent Security. Everywhere.

Tag: 
BB
BlackBerry
News & Rumors

BlackBerry QNX software now embedded in more than 175 million vehicles!

Submitted by Bla1ze on Tue, 06/23/2020 - 15:46

BlackBerry QNX logo

For the past year, BlackBerry has been reporting an install base of more than 150 million vehicles for BlackBerry QNX, but today, it announced they have now moved into more than 175 million vehicles.

"In the past five years we've gone from BlackBerry QNX technology helping to power 60 million cars to today's announcement of more than 175 million – a nearly threefold increase and a testament to the fact that today's leading automakers and their tier one suppliers continue to put their trust in BlackBerry and our ability to provide them with safe and secure software upon which the next generation of vehicles is being built," said John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO, BlackBerry. "The electronic architecture of the vehicle is evolving from being hardware-driven to software-defined and this independent assessment by Strategy Analytics further validates our leadership position within the industry as the premier foundational software platform provider for the current and the next generation of connected and autonomous vehicles."

The 25 million increase came from automakers and Tier 1s including Audi, BMW, GM, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Toyota and more utilizing BlackBerry QNX software for advanced driver assistance, digital instrument clusters, connectivity modules, and infotainment systems.

Press Release

<

div class="pressrelease" markdown="1"> BlackBerry QNX Software Now Embedded in More Than 175 Million Vehicles

WATERLOO, Ontario, June 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) today announced that its QNX® software is now embedded in more than 175 million cars on the road today. This is an increase of 25 million cars since the company last reported its automotive footprint in June 2019.

BlackBerry has a broad portfolio of functional safety-certified and secure software including its QNX operating system, development tools and middleware for autonomous and connected vehicles. Automakers and Tier 1s use BlackBerry® QNX® software in their advanced driver assistance, digital instrument clusters, connectivity modules, handsfree, and infotainment systems that appear in car brands, including Audi, BMW, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, KIA, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Toyota, and Volkswagen.

"In the past five years we've gone from BlackBerry QNX technology helping to power 60 million cars to today's announcement of more than 175 million – a nearly threefold increase and a testament to the fact that today's leading automakers and their tier one suppliers continue to put their trust in BlackBerry and our ability to provide them with safe and secure software upon which the next generation of vehicles is being built," said John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO, BlackBerry. "The electronic architecture of the vehicle is evolving from being hardware-driven to software-defined and this independent assessment by Strategy Analytics further validates our leadership position within the industry as the premier foundational software platform provider for the current and the next generation of connected and autonomous vehicles."

BlackBerry engaged with research and industry analyst firm, Strategy Analytics to verify the volume of QNX deployments based on the number of QNX products that are shipped in the automotive market and the number of cars that contain QNX products and technology. The vast majority of QNX software products that are integrated and used in automotive ECUs are licensed on a per-unit royalty basis. BlackBerry QNX technology includes QNX® Neutrino® OS, QNX® Platform for ADAS, QNX® OS for Safety, QNX® CAR Platform for Infotainment, QNX® Platform for Digital Cockpits, QNX® Hypervisor 2.0 and QNX acoustics middleware.

For more information on BlackBerry products and services for the automotive industry, please visit BlackBerry.com.

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) provides intelligent security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world. The company secures more than 500M endpoints including more than 175M cars on the road today. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company leverages AI and machine learning to deliver innovative solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, safety and data privacy solutions, and is a leader in the areas of endpoint security management, encryption, and embedded systems. BlackBerry's vision is clear - to secure a connected future you can trust.

BlackBerry. Intelligent Security. Everywhere.

Tag: 
BB
BlackBerry
BlackBerry QNX
QNX
News & Rumors

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