BlackBerry is set to introduce its Android-powered smartphone on February 25th at the MWC. Invitations have been distributed, promising to deliver ‘Something Different.’ To expand BlackBerry’s presence in global markets, the company is partnering with various strategic allies. Notably, a licensing agreement was recently signed with Optiemus Infracom to bring BlackBerry to consumers in India.
Blackberry Android Phone Licenses for Asian Markets – Overview
Now, the agreement has been broadened, granting the company the authority to handle the entire spectrum of operations for BlackBerry devices, including design, manufacturing, sales, promotion, and support. This expanded deal covers not just India but also other key Asian markets such as Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh. With South Asia being a rapidly expanding smartphone market globally, BlackBerry’s strategic move aligns with its efforts to revitalize its iconic brand. Ashok Gupta, the Chairman of Optiemus Infracom, expressed:
Given our comprehensive involvement in the mobile ecosystem covering manufacturing, retail, distribution, and support, we are optimistic that our collaboration with BlackBerry will be enduring and prosperous.
This marks another licensing agreement in a series of strategic moves by the company. Some months ago, BlackBerry opted to discontinue in-house hardware development, instead choosing to outsource to various partners. This shift enables the company to concentrate on enhancing software and services for their branded devices. Following this pivot, BlackBerry initiated the BB Merah Putih collaboration to introduce BlackBerry-branded devices in Indonesia and later partnered with California-based TCL Communication. These alliances underscore the company’s commitment to reintroducing BlackBerry devices on a global scale.
In addition, the company appears to be adopting a comparable business strategy to Nokia, which licensed HMD Global to manufacture Nokia-branded smartphones. BlackBerry is set to introduce its new smartphone ‘Mercury’ in the coming weeks. We are eager to discover the distinctive features of the device and how these partnerships will provide the company with a competitive edge in developing essential features tailored to today’s needs.
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