BlackBerry, the company that went from being the undisputed leader in the corporate world to near absolute irrelevance, is back in the headlines. According to a report from Reuters, the Canadian manufacturer is preparing a new device that will use Google Android as its operating system. Spokespeople for both BlackBerry and Google are refusing to comment, but the first pieces are already moving.
This is the rumor control, here are the facts: BlackBerry holds less than one percent of the mobile market. While some companies successfully harnessed the momentum of the mobile explosion, BlackBerry got punched in the jaw and is still seeing stars. Its latest device, the BlackBerry Leap, sums up the situation: a solid phone dragged down by a weak ecosystem and an app selection too poor for the times. Inevitably, this leads to a question we've been asking for months: Why not adopt Android already? The idea was rejected by many executives in the past, but CEO John Chen now has a very good reason to change course.
The reason: BES12
That reason goes by the name of BES12, a new device management system that BlackBerry plans to offer to its corporate and government clients. By adopting Android, BES12 wouldn't just manage BlackBerry devices; it could also handle external products based on Android, iOS, and Windows Phone. In other words, a new BlackBerry device with Android preinstalled would serve as a spearhead to show the business world that BES12 is a complete multiplatform solution.
The device would be inspired by the slider prototype that made an appearance at the last Mobile World Congress. The design combines a curved screen, touch support, and a physical keyboard - a signature of the BlackBerry series.
The cost of change
Another aspect to consider is the personnel moves. After a golden era with nearly 18,000 employees, a harsh round of layoffs has brought that number below 7,000, with many cuts coming from the hardware division. Last March, John Chen himself said the company was “committed” to BlackBerry 10, but his recent maneuvers indicate exactly the opposite. Reducing the lineup to one or two Android-based devices with BES12 in the background may not be a popular plan, but BlackBerry needs to compete in a brutal market without losing efficiency or abandoning its traditional customers.
