BlackBerry Puts Eggs In Android Basket To Bolster Software

BlackBerry's future devices could ship out rigged with Android operating systems, as opposed to the company's proprietary BlackBerry 10 OS, according to Reuters.

The Waterloo, Ontario-based company is reportedly exploring other operating system platforms to bolster its software and device management functions for end users.

’We don’t comment on rumors and speculation, but we remain committed to the BlackBerry 10 operating system, which provides security and productivity benefits that are unmatched," a BlackBerry spokeswoman told CRN.

[Related: BlackBerry Boosts Enterprise Mobility Management Strategy With WatchDox Buy]

In addition to Android software, the company also is rumored to be developing a phone with a slide-out keyboard, which would combine a touch screen with a physical keyboard on the device.

BlackBerry's courtship with Android would show customers that the company's BES12 device management system works efficiently over various platforms, including Android, iOS and Windows Phone.

The once-dominant smartphone vendor has been struggling to stay afloat as mobile giants like Apple and Samsung take the reins in the mobile market.

According to an IDC report, BlackBerry's operating system lagged behind Android and iOS in 2014 by significant margins.

While Android took 81.5 percent of the 2015 market share, and iOS took 14.8 percent, BlackBerry mopped up the market with a mere 0.4 percent of OS share with its BlackBerry 10 operating system.

"In recent quarters, BlackBerry has been prepping itself to do something like this by putting more emphasis on software, and less on devices," said Ramon Llamas, research manager for wearables and mobile phones at market research firm IDC. "This shouldn't come as a surprise because BlackBerry has been extolling the virtues of software solutions."

Llamas added that the move makes sense from BlackBerry's perspective, as an Android OS could expand the company's offering of third-party apps, among other functions.

However, said Llamas, BlackBerry should "proceed with caution" when running a multioperating system strategy.

"With just one platform, that’s where all your energy and investment goes," he said. "[Operating systems] are not insignificant investments. With two operating systems, the challenges will multiply."

BlackBerry partners praised the possibility of Android software on BlackBerry devices as a way for the smartphone company to reach more end users.

"From a partner's standpoint, this is another offering that BlackBerry's bringing to the table, so it can't be a bad thing," said Rick Jordan, director of mobility sales and strategic alliances at Toronto-based Tenet Computer Group, a BlackBerry partner. "It's a change for BlackBerry, and change is good. I hope it goes in the right direction."

Steven Kantorowicz, president of CelPro Associates, a Samsung and BlackBerry partner based in New York, said utilizing Android was a "good move," and that his customers would appreciate the company's investment in software.

"One of the big problems that I've heard from BlackBerry users is the amount of apps," he said. "BlackBerry has a black eye from its lack of applications that Android and iPhone users have. Users don't just want to use their phones for texting or emailing -- these devices are like minicomputers now. I think this will help BlackBerry ... the more they innovate, the better."

Samsung, the top smartphone company to utilize the Android OS, and BlackBerry, have banded together several times over the past year, cementing a long-standing relationship.

In November, BlackBerry and Samsung partnered to sell end-to-end security products for Android Galaxy devices, later spurring rumors that Samsung approached BlackBerry with a $7.5 billion buyout offer in January.

And in March, BlackBerry released a SecuTablet, an extra-secure version of the Galaxy Tab S 10.5, in conjunction with Samsung and IBM's bundling software.

According to Reuters, the new Android-equipped BlackBerry devices will be released in the fall.

PUBLISHED JUNE 12, 2015