BlackBerry phones are dead? Long live BlackBerry software

February 2021

Like Monty Python’s parrot, BlackBerry phones are now bereft of life, they have ceased to be

As of January 4th 2022, Canadian firm Research In Motion, most widely known for launching the BlackBerry device nearly 20 years ago, is to finally turn off its BlackBerry OS support. The BlackBerry handset, beloved by a whole generation of users and a precursor to Apple’s iPhone and every Android device, is effectively dead. Like Monty Python’s parrot, BlackBerry phones are now bereft of life, they have ceased to be.

Possibly a lack of business judgement, but when Steve Jobs et al unveiled the first iPhone back in 2007, the Canadian (RIM) business failed to remain competitive with all of the touch screen shenanigans, the explosion in Apps and even the rollout of Android phones. Ironically, only the day before BlackBerry’s announcement, Apple became the first company to hit a $3 trillion stock market value. Could have this been BlackBerry instead? We’ll never know now but it’s an interesting time to delve a little deeper into the Canadian company’s journey.

A potted history

Whilst BlackBerry’s handset demise has been newsworthy recently, as a BlackBerry Emerald partner, we have often been asked over the years if they were still making handsets. Whilst many people obviously associate BlackBerry with the iconic ‘smart device’, it’s probably fair to say that not so many of them are aware of the company’s overall journey or know about the suite of security products attributed to them. The Enterprise of Things represents the next great wave in business transformation and BlackBerry is leading the way with a single platform for securing, managing and optimising how intelligent endpoints are deployed in the enterprise. Ultimately, this will enable customers to stay ahead of the technology curve that will reshape every industry. Clearly a force to be reckoned with then – BlackBerry has transitioned from a device company to a cyber company.

Indeed, from approximately 2013 onwards, BlackBerry effectively ceased to be a ‘device manufacturer’. BlackBerry phones were made under license to run Android but represented an almost insignificant portion of the market. A few twists and turns here and there in the intervening years until in 2019, the company bought an A.I. cybersecurity company called Cylance. This move is in some way a reflection of the fact that BlackBerry had perhaps always been more of an enterprise manufacturer than a consumer one. A crystal globe moment perhaps, but the company envisaged an increasingly distributed digital workforce, giving rise to a huge network of (potentially) vulnerable connected devices – this is where they saw the demand for their product. With their devices now developing a reputation for cybersecurity, BlackBerry was well on its way to becoming a player in this sector.

Endpoint security

In 2020, the company continued its expansion into security with enhancements to its BlackBerry Spark platform with the aim of bringing zero trust security to devices. But still the company faced the challenge of being predominantly recognised as a security company when so many still knew it as a device manufacturer. In reality, BlackBerry has reinvented itself as a software vendor but enterprise buyers need to associate the BlackBerry brand with enterprise (cybersecurity) software. The momentum is certainly building here with the company focusing on their areas of strength (the enterprise) to rebuild their brand. As the older generation of users who remember BlackBerry as a device company are replaced by a younger generation who see them as a cybersecurity player, the tide will surely turn.

Trust is now firmly in the public eye and with a seemingly constant stream of successful cyber attacks and data leaks, BlackBerry is well positioned to offer the solutions whilst cementing its role as a leading player in the cybersecurity landscape.