BlackBerry bought by Microsoft?

Following poor financial results, a wave of departures at the head of the company, delayed BlackBerry 10, thousands of layoffs planned … Microsoft is in as the savior of RIM. Is it too late?

RIM does not stop from sinking. After the disastrous quarterly results, the cascade starts from the management team, the delay in launching the BlackBerry 10, now there are rumors of a rapprochement or even a takeover by Microsoft.

RIM has published on Thursday, June 28, 2012 its first operating loss in eight years, to $ 192 million and has subsequently postponed to next year’s marketing of its next operating system BlackBerry 10. Sales are at half mast: 7.8 million smartphones sold in the first quarter of 2012 against 14 million over two quarters earlier.

Reuters suggests a possible merger with Microsoft, which lend it the role of savior as is the case with Nokia. After rumors of splits business network messaging and smartphone, Reuters said that several scenarios are being discussed with the abandonment of Blackberry OS in favor of Windows Phone 8.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer have met several times and the direction of RIM to establish the same partnership with Nokia that Symbian has changed its system for Windows Phone. It is true that Microsoft needs to expand the user base of its mobile devices. Including RIM would also affect many corporate clients. The weakness of the market price of RIM – it has shrunk by 85% in two years – would allow Microsoft to participate with it.

Pending a possible merger with Microsoft, the Canadian giant announces it will eliminate 5,000 jobs, or 30% of its workforce by the end of its fiscal year 2013, the beginning of next year.

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