Veteran smartphone manufacturer BlackBerry says it’s moving away from producing its own handsets and will instead license its software to other companies.
In a blog post, BlackBerry Chief Operating Officer Ralph Pini wrote “we are transitioning from doing internal handset hardware development to leveraging our third party partner to provide that function. This is what the future looks like for our business, and it is the right move as we progress towards profitability. This will enable our resources to focus all efforts on providing state-of-the-art security software for devices and the enterprise of things, as well as work on other critical areas of the company.”
The first deal is with an Indonesian partner, BB Merah Putih, which is led by PT Tiphone Mobile Indonesia Tbk, a leading telecommunications distributor in Indonesia.
John Chen, BlackBerry’s Executive Chairman and CEO, said “BlackBerry is no longer just about the smartphone, but the smart in the phone. Working with trusted partners to extend the reach and availability of our secure mobility software remains a key focus for the Mobility Solutions unit and this joint venture is just one of our next steps in making our software licensing strategy successful.”