BlackBerry talks to Facebook about possible buy-out

Facebook’s very own smartphone

The talks highlight the rumour that Facebook wants to create its
very own smartphone. Mobile telecommunications is becoming increasingly
important for the internet giant: half of its revenue already comes from ads geared
towards wireless appliances, making the company reliant on hardware producers
like Apple.

Releasing its very own smartphone
would enable Facebook to circumvent the hardware producers and allow the
company to gather consumer data itself.  CEO Mark Zuckerberg has pointed out that Facebook does not intend to
create its own smartphone, but a buy-out is not off the table – with
Blackberry being an interesting target.

No clarity on Blackberry’s future

There might be others
interested in a possible purchase, with Lenovo, Blackberry’s founder Mike
Lazaridis and former Apple CEO John Sculley considered to be possible buyers.
Other sources indicate Google and Samsung.

Fairfax Financial Holdings, already
Blackberry’s majority shareholder, has
tabled a 4.7 billion dollar (3.4 billion euro) offer in an attempt to remove
the company from the stock market. That offer may become a guideline for
other offers, with Blackberry hoping reach
a decision in November.

(Translated by Gary Peeters)