TechWeek Readers Back BlackBerry

The future of BlackBerry is in question, as the once-iconic phone-maker struggles to find a new identity. But TechWeekEurope readers believe the firm could pull through – especially if it takes itself private, backed by investment.

Nearly forty percent of TechWeekEurope readers believe that the company can continue as an independent entity, according to an online poll on our site. However, exactly the same proportion believe the company will inevitably be sold to another owner – while a substantial minority expect it to close or split up.

Curtains for BlackBerry?

The troubled phone-maker is considering taking itself private, getting off the stock market while it can build support for its new operating system. That has to be a long shot, in the world of mobile devices, but readers gave this plan the thumbs-up in a poll which got more than 350 respondents.

Just short of 40 percent (39.5 percent) said they expect BlackBerry to continue independently – with about three quarters of those (28 percent of the whole sample) backing a move off the stock market.

Nearly 12 percent believe that BlackBerry can continue as  a public company, and make a success of it.

Let’s not be positive

To counter the optimists who back an independent BlackBerry, the same number of readers thought BlackBerry would be snapped up by a third party – but there was little agreement on who exactly that would be.

Microsoft was seen as the most likely contender (11 percent), with Lenovo and Dell on nine and six percent respectively. We must have missed some other serious contenders – 13 percent believe the firm will be sold to some “other” company.

We have to admit, there was pretty strong support for the more negative options. Seventeen percent believe the firm will simply go bankrupt and close, without finding a buyer or any investors. That was the second most popular response to the poll overall.

And only four percent picked the option (quite likely in our view) that the firm could be split into two.

This story clearly touched a nerve, and you can bet we will be following it as it evolves.

What do you know about BlackBerry’s struggles? Our quiz looks at BlackBerry’s 2013!