BlackBerry soon fixed on the future

The BlackBerry Z10 for sale in a shop in Chicago on March 28, 2013
(Photo Scott Olson / Getty Images / AFP / File)

Chinese Lenovo 's founder Mike Lazaridis BlackBerry , candidates suspected or reported to the recovery of the former Canadian flagship smartphones crowd to approach the expiration of the bid Fairfax Financial Group .The brink , the pioneer of smartphones has reached the end of September an agreement with a consortium led by its largest shareholder , the Canadian Fairfax 3.4 billion investment fund for its redemption some 4.7 billion ( euros). The offer , which includes the removal of BlackBerry Exchange , expires on November 4.However, investors do not seem convinced by this solution. Since the consortium announced its intentions, as the BlackBerry has always been less than nine dollars available for redemption.Analysts are skeptical that the potential buyers have the necessary funds . It is possible that the consortium revises its offer to $ 7 per share, according to a proposed by the brokerage Jefferies scenario.It is in this context of uncertainty that have rushed in recent days for new candidates to buy BlackBerry .Mid-October, the Wall Street Journal announced that the Chinese electronics giant Lenovo has entered into a confidentiality agreement with BlackBerry to gain access to its books .The global PC manufacturer and the third would consider filing a cons -offer to take over the entire Canadian group. The CEO of Lenovo , Yang Yuanqing , had himself confided in April be interested in BlackBerry , in particular to " enter the professional market of mobile telephony ."Lenovo solution " is the one we prefer ," said analysts at Credit Suisse in a recent note , noting that the Chinese company had approximately $ 4.5 billion of cash. In addition , the BlackBerry is " still a strong brand in Asia " and " provide an immediately Lenovo entering the North American smartphone market door " , notice the experts from the Swiss bank.A few days before the Lenovo track is raised, was the founder of BlackBerry Mike Lazaridis - who left his position as CEO in January 2012 - which indicated a wish to conduct cons -offer.Always which owns 5.7% , Lazaridis has an agreement with another co-founder of the Canadian Douglas Fregin to discuss a possible joint bid .Strategy Lazaridis would , according to news reports, removing BlackBerry listing to conduct a thorough restructuring away from market turmoil ... a scenario reminiscent of Apple's transformation operated in the late 1990s by Steve Jobs .The shadow of the Apple brand flat elsewhere on BlackBerry since the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail revealed Thursday that John Sculley - Apple boss between 1983 and 1993 and that the strokes with Steve Jobs remained famous - " exploring an offer " with Canadian partners .

Without commenting on the information in the Globe , Mr. Sculley told the newspaper that he was " a long-time fan and user of BlackBerry ."

Another candidate in the race : the U.S. investment fund Cerberus , which was noted by taking control of the troubled U.S. automaker Chrysler between 2007 and 2009? . A source close to the case confirmed in early October signed a confidentiality agreement to peel the accounts of the Canadian group .However, a reversal of BlackBerry , accompanied by a painful restructuring is not the only outcome anticipated by market observers. Several indeed evoke regular dismantling of society, such Jefferies imagining a split into three parts: a cell division and operating system , another specializing in professional networks , and the latter including the BBM messaging system .Jefferies also indicates that Cisco and Google, in particular , are in talks with BlackBerry for a partial resumption of its activities .A few days before the expiration of the offer of Fairfax, the options do not abound. However, one is indeed excluded : the survival status of the smartphone pioneer .