BlackBerry Confirms 4,500 Job Cuts, Warns of $950 Million Loss

An anonymous reader writes "Today BlackBerry announced that it expects its quarterly net operating losses to be somewhere between $950 million and $995 million. It also confirmed earlier reports that it would be cutting 4,500 jobs, roughly 40% of its total workforce. 'The loss is mainly the result of a write-off of unsold BlackBerry phones, as well as $72 million in restructuring charges. The company said that it would discontinue two of the six phones it currently offers.' According to the press release, BlackBerry is going to 'refocus on enterprise and prosumer market.' 'The failure of the BlackBerry 10 line of phones quickly led to speculation that the company, like Palm before it, would be broken apart and perhaps gradually disappear, at best lingering as little more than a brand name.'"

It's a real shame, but their own damn fault.

[wjcofkc]

While on the one hand this is an example of natural evolution within the mobile industry, it's still a shame to seeing them dying. They really did bring a lot of new thinking to the industry... ten years ago. They backed themselves into this corner through sheer ignorance. They literally shunned innovation, thinking that their old platform would somehow keep things going. When they realized what dumb-asses they had been with a lack of long-term strategy, it was too late. I really do like the new BB platform, great phones and a great OS. The problem is, even people who admit that they really are pretty cool don't want to invest in a platform that everyone knows is on the verge of going six feet under. With that in mind, this really is the personification of too little to late. So that's my semi-damning eulogy.

RIP BlackBerry.

too much credit to Blackberry

[globaljustin]

The whole "Lawsuits in Motion" thing distracted them, but mostly they missed the boat

You're giving Blackberry too much credit here...a company of thousands doesn't get "distracted"...the decision makers may be completely out of touch with their market or now technology works...that sure is possible...but a company can't get "distracted" any more than it can "take a shit"

developing the smartphone market for people who want the shiny toys

You talk about Apple as if the iphone is all just bullshit eye candy...

the iphone was better in practically every way...because Blackberry sucked at R&D

they had alot of users b/c for a long time their phones were the only game in town to send email and *also* another big factor is their 'enterprise' deals where they'd sell work phones to big companies on contract, ergo employees get company Blackberries

**that's** why Blackberry had users...and profits

their product was never actually competitively better and they didn't pioneer a market...just offered a service on a device first (email)...that's not really innovation

Re:too much credit to Blackberry

[Anonymous Coward]

Ah the contradictions...
"just offered a service on a device first (email)...that's not really innovation"

So what is "innovative" if offering a service no one else had for years is not?

"their product was never actually competitively better" Didn't you just say they were there first? So was there competition or not? A number of devices tried and failed to beat BB at the email game.

BB was the workhouse device for many years, now i agree they are dying but your comments are nonsense and overlook the past.